NORWAY — Slow Money Maine (SMM) continues to tour Maine with the next regional “On The Road” event on Tuesday, April 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Norway UU Church, 479 Main St. The “On The Road” event is free and open to all who are interested.

Gloria Varney, from Nezinscot Farm, carries a basket of fleece. (Nezinscot Farm)

The gathering, the first in the 2019 “On The Road” series, will include engaging food system presenters, lively discussions, a locally sourced and prepared breakfast and lunch, and extended networking opportunities.

It will feature presentations by Gloria Varney, with Nezinscot Farm in Turner (https://www.nezinscotfarm.com); Charlie Melhus, with Norway Brewing Company in Norway (https://www.norwaybrewing.com); and Bill Seretta, of Fork Food Lab in Portland (https://www.forkfoodlab.com).

There also will be brief network updates from John Newlin and Patty Carton, with Growing to Give/Scattergood Farm in Brunswick (http://growingtogive.farm/); Richard Hodges, with Retree US in Durham (http://www.retreeus.org); Muhidin Libah, with Somali Bantu Community Association in Lewiston (https://somalibantumaine.org); and Scott Vlaun, from Center for an Ecology-Based Economy (CEBE) in Norway (http://www.ecologybasedeconomy.org).

Norway Brewing Company head brewer, Charlie Melhus, carves ice for the closing weekend of the Norway Winter Carnival. (Norway Brewing Company)

After the event, participants will have an opportunity to tour the Alan Day Community Garden, 26 Whitman St.

The event and both breakfast and lunch are free, but Slow Money Maine is encouraging people to register for the event at https://bit.ly/2WkdsQU.

Slow Money Maine has three primary intentions related to the the new event format: learn how to improve SMM’s support in helping network participants meet their needs; strengthen community relationships among those involved in the SMM network; and bring in new people, businesses, and organizations to enhance SMM’s creative collaborations.

“We will continue our regular gatherings in Gardiner,” said Slow Money Maine coordinator, Bonnie Rukin.

“But, we also wanted to take our SMM show “on the road” to reach those regions farther afield, that we have been serving for years,” Rukin said.

Attendees can learn about business growth through presentations and how Slow Money Maine, as a network, participates in the emergence and shaping of a new food economy. There is a place for everyone in this thriving network and the event will offer exciting opportunities for connections, engagement and education.

Attendees sample food and beverages during a tasting event at Fork Food Lab in Portland. (Fork Food Lab)

Slow Money Maine is a statewide network coordinated by Bonnie Rukin, and guided by a 10-person steering committee. It encourages anyone interested in building local sustainable food systems to participate. In its nine years of existence, the network now has over 1,700 participants and has helped to catalyze the flow of more than $15 million dollars to Maine’s food economy, focused on infrastructure businesses and food producers at varied stages of development.

Those funds have been in the form of loans, equity and grants. SMM has developed numerous personal and professional connections through regular gatherings, and cross-sector collaborations have been creative and effective.

In addition, the SMM network includes two investment clubs, No Small Potatoes and Maine Organic Lenders, where members pool funds to make microloans to local farmers, fishers and producers. These investments, now totaling $350,000, have helped meet needs for inventory, equipment and working capital, and have served over 40 farms directly and indirectly.

To learn about Slow Money Maine, visit its website at www.slowmoneymaine.org.