PORTLAND — Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation and Maine Sunday Telegram and SOURCE have announced 12 recipients of the $100,000 Maine Local Foods grants program.

The grants program, launched in April, was designed to support nonprofit local food distribution organizations in Maine – including farmers markets, food pantries, community co-ops, statewide or regional farm-to-school programs, community or school gardens – with individual grants of up to $15,000.

“We were blown away by the response we received to this grants program – receiving more than 75 applications requesting funds totaling more than $900,000,” said Karen Voci, president of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. “There is no doubt that Maine-grown and sourced food is a priority here and we are thrilled to support the efforts of so many organizations as they bring fresh local foods to market and create opportunities for more people across the state to eat healthy.”

The grant recipients are as follows:

Oxford Hills Community Garden, Norway: development of a food forest, $8,500.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension, South Paris: development of a teaching garden, $8,345.

Cultivating Community, Portland: garden construction and scholarship, $15,000.

FARMS (Focus on Agriculture in Rural ME Schools), Damariscotta: cooking equipment for teaching, $10,600.

Food and Medicine, Brewer: Farmers market expansion, $14,600.

Kennebec Restorative Community Harvest Program, Augusta: garden equipment for prison garden, $5,650.

My Place Teen Center, Westbrook: cooking equipment for teaching, $11,080.

Old Orchard Beach Community Food Pantry, Old Orchard Beach: cooking program pilot, $2,500.

Pearson’s Town Farm at St. Joseph’s College, Standish: garden expansion for college food service and food pantry, $8,420.

Somerset Grist Mill Food Hub, Skowhegan: food education program for children, $2,000.

Washington County Food and Fuel Alliance, Machias: food pantry equipment and education, $10,000.

Yarmouth Community Garden, Yarmouth: garden irrigation equipment, $3,100.

The grant partnership was announced in April in celebration of Maine local food and the debut of the Maine Sunday Telegram’s new food and sustainability publication, SOURCE.

“The Harvard Pilgrim grant will allow us to create a community-centered teaching and demonstration garden at the Bryant Pond 4-H camp,” said Barbara Murphy, educator with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Also thanks to the Harvard Pilgrim grant, the Alan Day Community Garden has teamed up with Scott Vlaun from the Center for an Ecology Based Economy to create a Food Forest at the Community Garden.

“The expertise from CEBE will forward the mission of the ADCG to provide a sustainable food-production model for the town of Norway and beyond,” said ADCG Coordinator Rocky Crockett.

“The ADCG strives to bring food-production back to our community and our homes, to teach sustainable methods of production, and to provide land for anyone who wants to grow their own food,” he said.

For more information, visit www.harvardpilgrim.org/foundation.