BRIDGTON – A meeting on all phases of growing and selling local fruits, farm products, and vegetables will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, in the meeting room under Bridgton’s municipal complex behind Key Bank, Route 302. Entrance is off Iredale Street.

Paula Day of the Maine Alternative Agriculture Association and Marion Browning of the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension will help guide the discussion. Food City is interested in buying produce from local growers, as is the new Hannaford Brothers.

“I think the time is ripe for locally grown produce to succeed. Once the land and labor get organized there are plenty of ways of marketing locally grown fresh vegetables,” said George Bradt, organizer of the initiative. “There are many efforts already under way.” Food City has dramatically expanded their produce section. Both Naples and Bridgton have weekly farmers markets. Bridgton’s Community Center serves 60 seniors a weekly luncheon. “I believe there’s a state program called Food Share aimed at providing Maine’s seniors with healthy, local produce,” Bradt said.

Shitake mushrooms are a wonderful cash crop, and improve many dishes. They also dry well. With just $100, oak logs, a lot of water and some shade, about 100 pounds can be grown every year for five years.

In back of Bridgton’s library the Hebb family has cleared a small lot of bamboo and junk trees. Richard said, “Sure we could grow a bumper crop of vegetables. That building was a horse barn. Where do you think all the horse droppings went for 40 years?”

“Think about it this way,” Bradt said. “Transportation costs are rising, storms and sprawl are ravaging our nation’s truck farms, and at least 20 percent of produce rots before it gets onto local shelves.

“We have plenty of our own challenges to deal with, but maybe as the prices rise for imported’ produce local-grown can simply be sold for less,” Bradt said.

For more information phone Bradt at 647-2389.