We ARE BUILDING The
Lewiston-Auburn
Community Market
a cooperatively owned grocery, cafe, shared use community kitchen, event space and storage
ABOUT THE LACM
A Market For the Community By the Community
The Lewiston-Auburn Community Market (LACM) is an emerging cooperative business that will serve the wide-range of food needs of greater Lewiston-Auburn's diverse communities of eaters and growers. A fully incorporated Maine cooperative business since 2022, the LACM is in it's start up and development phase, and has secured more than $3 million in community financing and funding, while exploring an 18-month option with the City of Lewiston. Ownership is a top priority for the sustainability of the business and the LACM is researching a permanent home in the Tree Streets neighborhood of Lewiston. Once secured, LACM is positioned to leverage another $5.2 million in grants and loans that would directly support economic development for Lewiston-Auburn. Once in operation, the LACM will offer the following for the people of the greater Lewiston-Auburn region:
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COMMUNITY GROCERY & CAFE with a focus on affordable and culturally preferred foods, that is walkable from the Tree Streets and downtown Auburn
SHARED USE KITCHEN for community members and local food entrepreneurs to rent for business development and community events
SHARED STORAGE for farmers, producers, and food businesses to store crops and products
EVENT SPACE for community members to rent and host gatherings, trainings, classes, parties and celebrations
LIVING WAGE JOBS between 16-20 quality paying jobs that include opportunities for workforce development, pathways to ownership, and wealth generation​
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The LACM is led by a diverse multi-stakeholder Board of Directors made up of approximately 18 people including farmers, entrepreneurs and eaters from three continents, speaking eight languages. Members bring a shared passion for food, cooking, and community, along with a wide range of skills including farming, food preparation & education, retail management, marketing, multilingual interpretation, and building management. Cooperative Business Development and Community Facilitation has been steadily provided by the Cooperative Development Institute (CDI) and the St. Mary's Nutrition Center along with key community advisors. To see a full list of our Board VISIT HERE.​
The LACM is the result of more than twenty years of collective work in building a more just food system and the culmination of a shared vision for an affordable community grocery and kitchen, more than ten years in the making. While this nascent vision had been formed, active planning for LACM truly began in response to Lewiston’s Healthy Neighborhoods “Growing our Tree Streets” initiative, a community-led planning process and Transformation Plan for downtown Lewiston, which led to a multi-million dollar neighborhood improvement grant from HUD in 2020 that catalyzed the LACM vision. Following many months of community organizing and planning, the LACM business incorporated as a Maine Cooperative in 2022.
