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Rockwood residents press county for Food Sovereignty ordinance; public hearing set for April 15
Summary
Two Rockwood residents asked the Somerset County Commission to consider a Food Sovereignty ordinance under Maine's Title 7, Chapter 8; Commissioners confirmed liability protections and scheduled a public hearing for April 15, 2026.
Rockwood residents Leslie North and Kelsey Shreiner asked the Somerset County Commission at its April 1 meeting to consider adopting a Food Sovereignty ordinance for Rockwood Township or the Unorganized Territory, citing the burden of traveling to Skowhegan or Augusta to obtain a —Cottage License' to sell goods. The request references authority available to commissioners under Title 7, Chapter 8 (Maine's Food Sovereignty Act).
Commissioner Don Skillings asked whether the draft ordinance included liability protections; meeting minutes state the ordinance does include such protections. Commissioners expressed support for taking public input and scheduled a public hearing for April 15, 2026 to collect comments before any official action.
The draft presented to the Commission is modeled on an ordinance previously accepted by Fairfield residents, and the minutes do not specify whether the proposed ordinance would apply only to Rockwood Township or to the entire Unorganized Territory; the public hearing will be the opportunity to clarify geographic scope and ordinance language.
