Deer Isle’s bounty impresses this Iowan

BY HALLIE LARTIUS

Reflections is written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront.

FOR ME, the magic of Maine lies in the food—everything we fish, forage, and farm to feed each other.

I learned about lowbush blueberries on the first day of my fellowship. I was visiting the aptly named Blueberry Cove, where the Island Institute gathers Fellows each year for a retreat and orientation. It is the perfect place to get to know one another and our new home, complete with a swimming beach, a trail through the forest, and an elaborate garden.

I was drawn into the garden with the promise of taking with me whatever I could harvest. I’m not sure I had ever seen a blueberry bush before, let alone the small, lowbush berries that Maine is so well-known for, but I managed to pick a full carton. I was amazed by their flavor, their history, and their ability to thrive in what seemed to be a harsh landscape.

As a proud Midwesterner, agriculture is close to my heart. My childhood home is surrounded by fields of corn and soy, spread in every direction. Since grade school, I have been able to recite the basics of crop rotation, tell stories of death-defying crop-dusters flying overhead, and confirm that there are indeed more pigs than people in our small state. However, Maine has taught me more about food— and life—than I could have ever imagined.

I was raised on sweet corn and smoked barbecue. When I moved to Deer Isle, I discovered so many new foods for the very first time: wild strawberries, raw milk, Atlantic rock crab (cracked open with a rock), pickled tiger tomatoes, salt cod with boiled potatoes, Four Season’s sweet winter carrots, and live lobster fresh from Stonington waters.

Over the last two years, farm-fresh food has become the focus of my fellowship with the Healthy Island Project. At the peak of the season, you can find me coordinating farmers for our online FarmDrop store, distributing fresh produce with the Magic Food Bus, and managing SNAP-EBT at the Stonington Farmer’s Market. Our work continues year-round with an online food pantry, grocery-filled backpacks sent home with students, and a hot lunch delivered to more than 100 seniors each week. Whether it’s the latesummer husk cherries or a warm meal on a cold winter’s day, I have found there is nothing more rewarding than feeding my community. second-floor apartment, that she believed they were for a small room for a servant.

While I oversee hundreds of pounds of produce each week, I worry that Deer Isle is increasingly vulnerable to food insecurity. Despite the many millions of dollars generated from lobster each year, almost a third of our population is low-income. The cost of food seems to rise every year—already 20% more than the state average— along with housing, healthcare, and transportation. While these statistics are striking, it’s what we can’t measure that worries me most: isolation. So many of the people I feed at work are truly alone.

And that leads to another point— houses change as we live differently.

Large Victorian homes with 15-foot ceilings are not in demand by younger buyers. At the other end of the spectrum are so-called tiny houses, which I think are a fad, perhaps secretly promoted by divorce lawyers.

But seriously, I believe there is an opportunity for a next wave of architecture here in Maine, designs that not only are pleasing to the eye and highly energy efficient, but also are affordable and matched to the way millennials live— plenty of common space, but perhaps smaller bedrooms and no formal rooms.

And that’s why Cape Cods were popular for centuries, right through the early baby boom era. So that’s the challenge, architects—design a home for the 21st century equal to this classic.

Tom Groening is editor of The Working Waterfront and may be contacted at tgroening@islandinstitute.org.

When I go home at the end of the day, I try my best not to leave them behind. I often hear that island culture can be traced back to times of scarcity and survival. We struggle with what little we have, but when we come together, there is always enough to go around.

Healthy Island Project is working hard to sustain our impact and respond to growing needs. Fortunately, while we may be one of the most remote and rural communities on the coast, we certainly are not alone in our efforts. We receive incredible support everyday: messages of gratitude, thousands of volunteer hours, and donations from across the country.

I truly believe the island can survive anything, and I’ve seen countless meal trains, bean suppers, and bake sales that prove just how much we care for one another. From fishing to famine, food is a way of life in Deer Isle.

They’re all smiles in this 1938 image of a clam bake and lobster boil in Owls Head, near Rockland.

Real estate association highlights wealth gains

BY KENNY PARCELL

THE PATH to homeownership can be bumpy. Buyers must withstand bidding wars, contingencies, complex tax laws, and an array of market factors beyond most anyone’s control. Still, buying a house is typically the single best investment a family can make.

Homeownership is the largest source of wealth creation in the U.S., while the median net worth of the average American homeowner is more than 40 times that of the average renter.

A decision of this magnitude comes with a number of potential hurdles, and it’s important to get the decision right. Certified housing counselors and agents who are realtors can help consumers do just that.

The motivation for buying a home differs from person to person. For many, it’s financial—an opportunity to grow home equity and lock-in a stable monthly housing payment. For others, it’s emotional—a chance to build roots, create stability and feel more connected to their community.

Island Institute Board of Trustees

Kr istin Howard, Chair

Douglas Henderson, Vice Chair

Charles Owen Verrill, Jr. Secretary

Kate Vogt, Treasurer, Finance Chair

Carol White, Programs Chair

Megan McGi nnis Dayton, Philanthropy & Communications Chair

Shey Conover, Governance Chair

Michael P. Boyd, Clerk

Sebastian Belle

David Cousens

Michael Felton

Nathan Johnson

Emily Lane

Bryan Lewis

Michael Sant

Barbara Kinney Sweet

Donna Wiegle

John Bird (honorary)

In Bankrate’s Financial Security survey, 74% of respondents ranked homeownership as a key component of the American dream.

A report released by the National Association of Realtors analyzed how homeowners across income levels have increased their net worth in recent years and decades. Between 2012 and 2022, the median value of homes owned by lower-income Americans climbed 75%, a gain of roughly $100,000. Middleincome homeowners saw their properties appreciate 68% over the same period, equivalent to a wealth increase of $122,000. Today, home equity is the largest financial asset for American households in the middle three quintiles of the income distribution, accounting for between 50% and 70% of this group’s total net worth.

Making a mortgage payment each month is, in many ways, comparable to contributing to a stable savings account. Homeowners chip away at their loan balance and increase their claim on the home’s overall value in the process. Many Americans who bought a medianvalue home ten years ago and stayed consistent with their monthly payments have already paid off over 20% of their mortgage.

Unfortunately, many Americans today feel their homeownership dreams are beyond reach.

All Americans deserve the opportunity to achieve their homeownership dreams and build lasting wealth. Prospective buyers can take advantage of several resources.

First-timers can benefit from connecting with a certified housing

All members of the Island Institute and residents of Maine island communities receive monthly mail delivery of The Working Waterfront.

counselor. These trained agents with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development help prospective home buyers plan for future home purchases and get their finances mortgage-ready.

Agents who are realtors also help people navigate the home-buying process. They’re uniquely positioned to leverage their knowledge of a local market, extensive networks, and down payment assistance programs to open doors to affordable housing opportunities.

Everyone deserves safe, quality housing at a price they can afford. Even when the market seems challenging, prospective buyers can still obtain their own piece of the American Dream, capitalizing on resources available through real estate professionals and the programs they support.

Kenny Parcell is 2023 president of the National Association of Realtors brokerowner of Equity Real Estate Utah. This piece was originally published on Kiplinger.com.

Editor: Tom Groening tgroening@islandinstitute.org

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