Monthly News & Updates

February 2026 | Issue #174 Click 'View Entire Message' to make sure you don't miss important information!

Calendar of Events

Read ME Agriculture

March 16-20, 2026

GMRI Findings from the Field Symposium

March 30, 2026

MAITC Teacher Workshop

April 30, 2026

Woodlawn Museum, Ellsworth

Maine School Garden Day

May 9, 2026

Thomaston Grammar School

Northeast Livestock Expo Kids Day

May 15, 2026

National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference

June 22-25, 2026

Providence, Rhode Island

Summer Teacher's Institute

August 3-7, 2026

Downeast Institute

Beal, Maine

Visit our Teach ME Food & Farms Lesson Site Developed for Maine Educators

Connect with us on Facebook!

MAITC Educator Workshop:

History Isn't a Textbook -
It's the Food on Your Plate!

Maine Agriculture in the Classroom is excited to host a day-long PK-8th grade teacher workshop at Woodlawn Museum in Ellsworth!

Join us as we explore Maine’s agricultural story in a way learners can see, touch, taste and experience. Together, we’ll look at how the land has sustained us throughout history — from historical traditions to the farms and gardens students know today. You’ll leave with hands-on activities and classroom materials that will help students learn where their food and clothing come from, and how agriculture continues to shape Maine communities.

There will be hands-on lesson demonstrations, materials for your classroom, online resources shared, and lunch is included! All lessons and activities are tied to Maine Learning Standards, NGSS and the Common Core.

All participants will receive 6 contact hours or .6 CEU's from the University of Maine.

When: April 30, 2026

Where: Woodlawn Museum, Ellsworth, ME

The cost for this workshop is $30.

Deadline to register: April 20

Agenda

Join SubjectToClimate and Maine Environmental Education Association for a free webinar series for K–12 Educators!

How is maple sugaring in Maine being impacted by climate change and what ready-to-use resources are available for young people to explore questions about this? Join staff from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute as they dive into data-rich, place-based lesson materials created in collaboration with educators and maple professionals in the region.

This webinar is fourth in an 8-part series 'Empowering Maine Classrooms: Climate Lessons for Teachers' featuring Maine educators and partners sharing climate-focused lessons rooted in Maine’s Learning Results and communities.

Stay tuned for upcoming sessions on topics like Earth Month, Plastics in the Ocean, and more! Explore the Maine Climate Education Hub for 3,000+ classroom resources.

Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program

The Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program has a mission to inspire a love of vegetable gardening in young people, teach kids where their food comes from, and grow the next generation of gardeners.

Each year they send more than one million free O.S. Cross cabbage plants to 3rd Grade classrooms across the country, whose teachers have signed up for the program. Their website provides instructions on how best to have students plant in anything from a container in the classroom to the ground outside. At the end of the season, teachers from each participating 3rd grade class select the student who has grown the “best” cabbage, based on size and appearance. The program then awards a $1,000 to one student in each participating state.

Pictured Right: 2024 Maine Winner James and his 23lb cabbage!

Featured Lessons

Grades K-2

From Sap to Syrup

Students recognize how geography and climate allow for the growth of maple trees and the process of making syrup, identify the characteristics of maple trees that produce the best sap for making maple syrup, and name the steps in the process of creating syrup from sap.

Teach this Lesson

Grades 3-5

Pancakes!

Students describe the physical properties of materials and observe physical and chemical changes as they examine the ingredients in pancakes and how maple syrup is harvested from trees.

Teach this Lesson

Grades K-12

Tapping into Maple Tradition

Tapping into Maple Tradition digs deeper into maple sugar production to uncover a wide variety of core academic concepts. Botany, chemistry, history, economics, math, nutrition, language arts and engineering are all key components. "Tapping Into Maple Tradition" enhances these educational areas with hands-on, STEM focused activities reinforcing the learning process.

Teach this Lesson

Looking for more? Explore the Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix HERE

February Book Nook

It's early springtime in the forest. The snow is melting, and the sweet maple trees are budding. That can only mean one thing; it's time to collect the sap and make some delicious maple syrup.

Laura is delighted when a soft, thick snow falls in late spring in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. A late snow helps the trees make more sap for maple syrup, and maple syrup means sweet sugar cakes and sticky fingers for Laura!

Don't forget that all SIX of our Agriculture for ME books are available to read online!

Harvest of the Month

Check out our Maine Root Vegetables Resource Page for lessons, activities, books, and more!

Click here for the great Harvest of the Month (HOM) materials - posters, fact sheets, recipes, social media promo, and more! Learn more about how schools can participate.

Search the Ag Literacy Curriculum Matrix for even MORE resources!

All of our HOM Resource Pages can be found on our Teach ME site under "Teaching Units"

Grant Ideas

Special Programs

For Students

Funding from this plate impacts up to 200,000 students annually with lessons, materials, volunteers and teacher training. Additionally, up to $60K is distributed annually in grants to schools, FFA, 4-H and other Non-profit programs for Ag education initiatives by the Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Council.

Learn more about the Ag plate here.

Our Mission Statement

"To promote the understanding of agriculture and natural resources among students, educators, and the general public"

http://maineagintheclassroom.org

maitc@maine.gov

28 State House Station

Augusta, ME 04333

(207)287-5522

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