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MAITC Grants Application Deadline
December 6, 2019
4pm

Read ME Sign Up Deadline
January 10, 2020

Maine Agricultural Trades Show
January 14 - 16, 2020
Augusta Civic Center

Read ME Agriculture
March 2020

Maine Nutrition Council Annual Conference
"Nutrition From the Sea"
April 8, 2020
Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Event Center
Bar Harbor, ME

Maine School Garden Day
May 2, 2020
Hampden, ME
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Teach ME about Food & Farms
 
*Contact us to plan a workshop date for your school for Spring 2020
Grant Ideas
Kids Gardening Grants

White-Reinhardt Mini-Grants


Whole Kids Foundation


 




Special Programs
Maple Curriculum Support: Tapping into Maple Tradition - Lessons for K-12 Classrooms.

Looking for  field trips ? Check out Get Real Get Maine's Food, Farms, and Forest Search .

ReTreeUS plants orchards in schools and provides educational programs that empower people to be healthy environmental stewards.

See the Maine Farm to School Census here. Are you participating?

Maine School Garden Network - resource for all school gardens across Maine!

Search The National Ag. In the Classroom Curriculum Matrix for resources.

Fuel Up to Play 60 offers educators a wide array of resources they can use to help students make sustainable changes in their school environment.
 
Agroworld- agricultural science e-zine developed for the secondary educator.

Kids Gardening has ideas about plants and gardens, teacher resources, and grant opportunities.
 
The Chop Chop magazine and website has easy and healthy recipes. 

Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Ag Mags are 4-page, colorful agricultural magazines for kids. 

Students




 






Agriculture License Plate

Funding from this plate has impacted over 200,000 students in 2017 with lessons, materials, volunteers and teacher training. Annually up to $60K is distributed in grants to schools, FFA, 4-H and other Non-profit programs for Ag education initiatives by the Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Council.

Contact Us

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28 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333
207-287-5522

 


The Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Association
The Non-profit, completely volunteer, portion of MAITC.
These funds are used directly to support teacher scholarships and recognition, and support volunteer participation for Ag education programs.  Your donation is completely tax deductible and you can make a one-time donation or a recurring monthly donation which will support the mission, "to promote the understanding of agriculture and natural resources among students, educators, and the general public." 
If you have any other questions or would like to join this group please contact the chairman, Maryjane Stafford
November Newsletter
#98
2019

MAITC Will be accepting Grant Applications for our December 6th deadline in ALL FIVE CATEGORIES!
Additional funding is available for 2019 MAITC Grants. 
As a result we will be accepting applications in all 5 categories by 4:00pm on Friday, December 6, 2019
For more information and to download the applications, 
visit our website here.
Read ME Agriculture 2020
In March 2020, Read ME Agriculture will debut the newest book in the series,  
Plant Something for ME
The  Plant Something for ME  book is the sixth book in the Agriculture for ME book series. Students will learn about plants and why they are so important. A focus on careers involving plants in our state will increase students' awareness of opportunities available. In the wrap-up students are encouraged to plant something themselves. Funding is pending for classroom planting kits to accompany the books during the 2020 Read ME Agriculture program. Classrooms should sign-up early if they are interested in the kit because supply may be limited. Sign ups are available on our website! Sign up deadline is January 10th, materials are limited, first come, first serve!

Fall 2019 Purple Plow Challenge
Agriculture consumes large amounts of energy in the production of our food. In this challenge, students will learn about energy and they will design, build and share a solution that diversifies energy consumption.  Click here for more information about the challenge and how you can sign up! Entries must be submitted by November 22nd!
The Maine Farm to School Network is Now Recruiting New Leadership Council Members
Apply by November 15th
Are you passionate about building the movement in Maine for school gardens, local food, and food education in schools? Are you involved in farm to school (FTS)* initiatives already and looking to further your work? Learn more about this opportunity to help coordinate a statewide network of FTS stakeholders! 
The Maine Farm to School Network (MFSN) is building the FTS movement through resource sharing, convening groups, and collaborating on state projects.   Through joining the Leadership Council now, you will help craft the 2020-2025 strategic plan, organize statewide FTS events, and advocate for exciting state and federal FTS policy initiatives. 
As a Leadership Council member, you will be looped into a statewide, regional, and national professional network, offering leadership development and support for your own FTS initiatives and projects.
Visit  mainefarmtoschool.org  to view the Roles and Responsibilities and Application. Please contact Stephanie if you have questions about this opportunity!
*FTS defined as school gardens, agriculture education for youth, and local food procurement in school cafeterias.



KidsGardening Grants - There are two opportunities from KidsGardening.org! Their Carton 2 Garden Contest (entries due April 1, 2020) and also their 2020 Youth Garden Grant (due December 16th, 2019). Check out the links for more information and to apply.
Maine School Garden Day

Saturday
May 2, 2020

Hampden, ME

Save the date and Stay tuned for more info!
Maine Harvest of the Month Program - Sign the Pledge!
Sign the pledge for the Maine Harvest of the Month (HOM) program for SY2020. HOM helps to promote the use of local Maine products in schools by offering free marketing materials and resources for food service. If you'd like to receive the promoti onal materials, please make  sure to sign the pledge ASAP.  If you have any questions, email the Maine Farm and Sea to School Coordinator, Robin Kerber or visit  the HOM Website HERE.

Harvest of the Month
November is Maine Brassicas Month!

Check out the great HOM materials: Maine Brassicas Poster, Maine Brassicas Fact Sheet
Check out our teacher resources section below for lessons, books, videos, and other classroom resources!
 
TeacherResources  Lessons:
November is Maine Brassicas Month! 
Plant Tops and Bottoms . K-2. Students will identify where fruits and vegetables belong on a MyPlate diagram and describe the major parts of plants - roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits according to if they are produced on the top or bottom of a plant.
Snappy Stems . K-2. In this lesson students will learn the function of plant stems and identify edible stems belonging to certain plants.
Broccoli . Grades 2-5. Students will be able to explain the history of broccoli and locate where it is grown on a Maine map. They will be able to explain what part of a plant broccoli is and its nutritional benefits. Also students will be able to observe and predict changes due to cooking and record these in a table.
Mixed Vegetables . Grades 2-5. Students will learn about the history of vegetables and locate their origin on a world map. They will be able to identify the growing seasons for these vegetables. Students will increase their awareness of the health benefits of vegetables while making a no-bake veggie pizza and participating in writing exercises.
FoodMASTER: Vegetables . Grades 3-5. Students will measure the weight and length or circumference of various vegetables. After studying the vegetables, students will classify the vegetables based on plant parts and explore chemical reactions from cooking colored vegetables in acidic and basic water.  Students will also use a variety of vegetables to prepare soup.
Plants Around You . Grades 3-5. Students will categorize plants into groups, describe what plants need for healthy growth, and start their own garden by planting seeds inside a cup.
Plant Parts and Functions . Grades 6-8. In this lesson students will learn about plant parts and how they function in plant growth and reproduction.
FoodMASTER Middle: Vegetables . Grades 6-8. Students will learn the concept of pH, and the impact of acids and bases on plant pigments, explore the impact of acids and bases on plant cell structure, and discover the health benefits of consuming vegetables.
Surrounded by Plants . Grades 9-12. Students identify the importance of plants to human life by surveying their home and neighborhood for plant products used for medicine, aesthetics, fuel products, fiber, and food.
Fruits and Vegetables: The Right Pick for Vitamins and Minerals. Grades 9-12. Students will describe the farm-to-table process of common fruits and vegetables, recognize the nutrients fruits and vegetables provide, and evaluate methods of food storage and preparation for preserving nutrients.


Books:
Sleep Tight Farm
The Vegetables We Eat
Who Grew My Soup?
Oliver's Vegetables
Amazing Plant Powers: How Plants Fly, Fight, Hide, Hunt, & Change the World
Grow! Raise! Catch! How We Get Our Food
Plants Feed Me
The Reason for a Flower
Tops & Bottoms
The Vegetable Alphabet Book

Read our  Agriculture for ME book online here !

Videos:
CAULIFLOWER | How Does it Grow?
CAULIFLOWER | How Does it Grow?
Foods That Are Actually EDIBLE FLOWERS
Foods That Are Actually EDIBLE FLOWERS
Farm to School: Kohlrabi
Farm to School: Kohlrabi

Activity:
Edible Plant Game. This game incorporates the knowledge students have gained about plant parts with the fact that plants provide people with the nutrients and energy needed for a healthy lifestyle. This activity will be most beneficial if conducted with students after they have been taught the individual plant parts. 

Follow up Links
Our Mission Statement

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

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Email: kelsey.maitc@gmail.com