New Roots Cooperative Farm
HOME PAGEUnique_Maine_Farms.html

From left:  Seynab Ali, Mohamed Abukar, Hussein

Muktar, and Batula Ismail are pictured at the

April 12, 2017, Slow Money Maine gathering in Gardiner.

From left: Mohamed Abukar, Batula Ismail,

Seynab Ali, and Hussein Muktar.

Farmers from the New Roots Cooperative Farm were welcomed at the

Slow Money Maine gathering in Gardiner on April 12, 2017.   Seynab Ali, Mohamed Abukar, and Batula Ismail came to Lewiston, Maine, in the mid-2000’s as refugees from Somalia. With the assistance of Cultivating Community they began farming in Lisbon, Maine, at the Packard-Littlefield Farm. Hussein Muktar, the Outreach Coordinator for Cultivating Community, served as an interpreter at the Slow Money Maine gathering. Jabril Abdi, one of the four farmers involved in the New Roots Cooperative Farm, was not in attendance at the April 12 get-together.


In 2016, Jabril Abdi, Seynab Ali, Mohamed Abukar, and Batula Ismail

formed New Roots Cooperative Farm to share land, markets, and equipment. Through their efforts growing fresh vegetables they are building food security, jobs, and ownership in the Somali Bantu community in Lewiston. 


Jabril, Seynab, Mohamed, and Batula offer personal and workplace CSA shares in Lewiston, Auburn, Androscoggin County, and Portland. In the summer of 2017, these four New American farmers will be selling produce at their new farmstand at 954 College Street in Lewiston.  They will participate in the Farmers Markets in Damariscotta on Fridays; in Kennebunk and Saco on Saturdays; and in South Portland and Lewiston

on Sundays.  Jabril, Seynab, Mohamed, and Batula also wholesale to restaurants, schools, food pantries, and stores.


Individuals interested in learning more about the New Roots Cooperative

Farm can access their website at:  www.newrootscooperativefarm.com

or email them at newrootscooperativefarm@gmail.com


A Wish List of items that the farmers of the New Roots Cooperative Farm need to get their new farm “off the ground” include:


  1. -garden tools

  2. -a washing station to clean vegetables

  3. -a well for water

  4. -electricity

  5. -route access to the farmland

  6. -tractor and tractor equipment

  7. -delivery truck

  8. -garden hoses

  9. -storage cooler

  10. -greenhouse

  11. -barn

  12. -storage shed