Outside Inside Fund
Where outside work meets inner life
The people who feed Maine, fish Maine, and work its forests carry more than most — and we believe that kind of strength deserves to be sustained from the inside out.
In our tenth season at Tops'l Farm, we made a permanent commitment: a portion of everything we do here — every stay, every product, every dinner at our table — goes directly to mental health support for Maine's heritage industries.
This is the Outside/Inside Fund.
Introducing the Outside Inside Fund
Supporting mental health, wellness, and suicide prevention for Maine's heritage industries.
Farming. Fishing. Logging. The work that holds Maine together — and the people who do it quietly, without asking for much.
In our tenth season at Tops'l Farm, we are turning a portion of everything we do into something that gives back to those communities. One percent of every Farm Stay, every product sale in our farm store, and every public dinner goes directly to the Outside/Inside Fund.
This is not a side project. It is built into how we do business.
The Mission
Why This Matters
The people who grow our food, harvest our timber, and haul our traps are the backbone of this state. They work in conditions that are physically demanding, financially precarious, and deeply isolating — and they come from a culture that historically rewards toughness and silence.
Maine's heritage industries consistently rank among the highest for suicide rates in the nation. That is not a distant problem. It is happening here, in our communities, among people we know.
The Outside/Inside Fund was established in memory of someone we love — who worked the land here in Maine, and who we lost in 2024. His life made the need visible. His loss made our purpose here much clearer.
The Outside/Inside Fund works alongside those creating policy and in direct service — our work is focused on awareness, community, and the simple but profound act of gathering people around a table.
How it works
Built Into Every Season
The Outside Inside Fund is funded permanently through Tops'l Farm's business model. Beginning in our tenth season, 2026:
1% of all open-to-the-public Farm Stay sales
1% of all product line sales in our Farm Store
All proceeds from the July 2nd and October 24th farm dinners
Community donations year-round
Every time you book a stay, buy a jar of jam, or sit at our table — you are part of this important effort.
The Fundraising Dinners
Twice this year, we will host two farm-to-table dinners to benefit this fund. These evenings bring together farmers, fishermen, makers, and neighbors — the people who do the work and the people who want to support them.
Food is sourced entirely from our network of small Maine farms and folks fishing our waters. The evenings are unhurried, honest, and built around conversation.
Summer Dinner — July 2, 2026
The inaugural Outside Inside Fund dinner. A multi-course evening in the wildflower field at Tops'l Farm, sourced from our partner farms. Tickets support the fund directly.
Autumn Dinner — October 24, 2026
A harvest dinner to close the season. Same intention. Same table. All proceeds to the fund.
Summer Dinner — July 2, 2026
The first dinner of its kind at Tops'l Farm. A long table in the meadow, a multi-course meal sourced from our partner farms, brought to life by our culinary team, and an evening in service of Maine's farmers and fishermen.
Tickets support the Outside Inside Fund directly.
Autumn Dinner — October 24, 2026
As the season turns, we gather one more time. A harvest dinner in our new Glass House — same long table, same intention, same commitment to the people who make Maine's heritage economy real.
Every ticket benefits the fund.
Supporting Those Who Support Others
In every community, there are people doing the quiet, unglamorous work of keeping others well— the counselors, peer support networks, and organizations that show up before things fall apart.
We are actively seeking the helpers here in Maine who are working upstream—focusing on community, connection, and practical resources that reach farmers, fishermen, loggers, and their families—where they actually are.
When physical illness strikes a family, neighbors often show up with casseroles and meal trains. When the struggle is internal, the room often goes quiet.
The Outside Inside Fund exists to change that—to ensure that families carrying these invisible burdens are seen, supported, and not left to face them alone.
We are looking to align with groups such as:
NAMI Maine – providing mental health education, advocacy, and peer support across Maine, including rural and agricultural communities.
MOFGA – reaching deep into Maine’s farming community with resources, education, and connection.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension – embedded in agricultural communities statewide, providing research-based resources, farm visits, and direct connection to the people doing this work every day.
LD 2144 Working Group – a state-led initiative prioritizing wellness and mental health resources for Maine’s heritage industries, including farming, fishing, and logging.
If your organization is doing this work and would like to connect, or if you’d like to support the fund outside of our dinners, we would love to hear from you.