Rooted: Ellsworth’s Place in the Food System
City of Ellsworth and Union River Center for Innovation Host Community Conversation on the Future of the Local Food System
On January 22, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the City of Ellsworth and the Union River Center for Innovation (URCI) will host Rooted: Ellsworth’s Place in the Food System, a half-day community forum at The Moore Community Center, 125 State Street, Ellsworth.
Rooted will bring together residents, food producers, processors, distributors, business owners, nonprofit leaders, and other stakeholders to explore Ellsworth’s role in building a resilient, sustainable, and circular food system for the Downeast region. Through facilitated discussion and hands-on working sessions, participants will examine how food moves from field to fork—and back again—and how communities can strengthen local economies while improving access, equity, and environmental outcomes.
“Food is both an economic driver and a defining factor in community prosperity,” said City of Ellsworth’s Economic Development Director, Twila Fisher. “Rooted is an opportunity to listen, learn, and align priorities around strengthening Ellsworth’s food economy while supporting local businesses, farmers, and residents.”
The program will open with welcoming remarks followed by a keynote presentation, “From Field to Fork and Back: Understanding Food Systems,” offering a shared framework for understanding how production, processing, distribution, consumption, and waste are interconnected—and why strong local food systems matter for community well-being and economic development.
Participants will then be invited to reflect on their own role within the food system—whether as producer, processor, distributor, or consumer—before breaking into facilitated small groups. Each group will conduct a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis focused on a specific element of the food system, sharing insights and observations with the larger group.
Following a brief break, attendees will engage in an Impact vs. Threshold Analysis, a practical tool designed to help prioritize actions by identifying where Ellsworth can make the greatest difference with available resources. Guided discussion will explore:
- How Ellsworth can contribute to a broader Downeast food system
- How the City can benefit from regional collaboration
- Opportunities to further the City’s and URCI’s role in food system development
- Potential threats and strategies to mitigate them
The event will conclude with a call to action, establishing committees for each food system element. These committees will be charged with applying the Impact vs. Threshold framework to the day’s findings, developing recommendations, and reporting back on next steps. A timeline and follow-up meeting schedule will be set to ensure continued momentum.
As the City of Ellsworth continues to explore ways to support the specialty food, beverage, and distribution sectors, and as URCI looks ahead to its next decade of programming and impact, Rooted will help inform future planning, partnerships, and investments.
The event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is encouraged.
For more information or to register, visit https://unionriverinnovation.com/ellsworth-food-system-project/.
About the Union River Center for Innovation (URCI)
URCI offers entrepreneurs and startups the opportunity to grow their companies by providing the resources necessary to get a business up and running. The Center offers all-inclusive office rentals, coworking spaces, conference room rental, entrepreneurial workshops and informational sessions, and on-site free entrepreneurial advising and mentoring.
