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MSGN Resource Rally
at Commonground Country Fair
MOFGA
September 20, 2019

Local Foods Procurement Training
Kennebec Valley Community College - Harold Alfond Campus
Hinckley, ME
1pm - 4pm
October 3, 2019

Teacher of the Year Application Deadline
October 4, 2019

Maine Farm to School Conference
Kennebec Valley Community College - Harold Alfond Campus
Hinckley, ME
October 4, 2019

Let's Go! School Symposiums
Orono, ME -  October 17th
Portland, ME - October 18th

MSGN Resource Rally
Cobscook Community Learning Center,  North Trescott ,   ME
October 19, 2019

MAITC Annual Meeting
Maine State Grange
State Street, Augusta, ME
October 23, 2019

Maine Nutrition Council Educational Event
"Life Stages: Oral Health and Nutrition"
University of Maine at Augusta - Bangor Campus
3pm - 5pm
October 30, 2019

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

Read ME Agriculture
March 2020
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Teach ME about Food & Farms
 
*Contact us to plan a workshop date for your school for Spring 2020
Grant Ideas

September 15th Deadline!


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
September Newsletter
#96
2019
CHS Classroom Grants Available!
Pre-K - 12th grade teachers with agriculture-related projects in need of funding are invited to apply for  CHS  Foundation Classroom Grants! The  CHS  Foundation and National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization partner each year to offer this grant opportunity.  Projects funded in the past include school gardens, embryology projects and other agriculture-related initiatives that help educators teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies and more.  Fifteen $500 grants will be awarded. The deadline for applications is September 15th. 

APPLY or NOMINATE TODAY!
Each year, MAITC recognizes an outstanding Maine elementary or secondary school teacher who uses agricultural education materials and/or activities in the classroom to teach core subjects.  Next year's winner will receive a trip to Salt Lake City, UT!
Know a great teacher who's incorporating ag into their classroom? 
Nominate them to be our 2020 Teacher of the Year!
Teachers can be nominated or submit an application themselves.
Please submit the application to MAITC by 5:00 on October 4, 2019, by email or mail to: MAITC, 28 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333


Announcing FREE Local Foods Procurement Training, Register Now!
Pre-Conference Half-Day Workshop
Credit Hours Available
Thursday October 3, 2019 1 pm - 4 pm
KVCC Alfond Campus
Join us for this special Pre-Conference Training to learn the ins and outs of local food procurement for your school cafeteria. 
This workshop is designed for School Nutrition Directors, Kitchen Managers, Business Managers, and others responsible for school food purchasing. Join Martine Cherry, USDA Procurement Specialist, and Abbie Nelson, NOFA-VT Farm to School Specialist and for an engaging, hands-on workshop, supported by the USDA Farm to School Training Grant. Learn more and register here!

Maine Farm to School Conference!

Registration is now open for the Maine Farm to School Conference happening on Friday, October 4, 2019 at the Kennebec Valley Community College Alfond Campus in Hinckley, ME. Register today!

MAITC Annual Meeting
The Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Annual Meeting will be held Wednesday, October 23, 2019 at the Maine State Grange in Augusta.

School Garden Grown 

Do you want to display your school garden grown produce in exhibits at your local agricultural fair and for an opportunity to win prize money?

If you want more information or plan to submit, contact Jared.

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 will be available on our website soon!

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 in time for the beginning of the school year, please make  sure to sign the pledge ASAP. If you have any questions, email Program Manager Jenn So or visit  the HOM  HERE !

Harvest of the Month
September is Maine Tomatoes Month!

Check out the great HOM materials: Maine Tomatoes Poster, Maine Tomatoes Fact Sheet.
Check out our teacher resources section below for lessons, books, videos, and other classroom resources!
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!
Visit the Maine Nutrition Council website for more information. RSVP to the event to Kelsey.
TeacherResources  Lessons:
September is Maine Tomatoes Month! 
Tomato Trivia. Grades: K-2. Using tomatoes as a theme, the students will practice their math and science skills of estimating, measuring, counting, graphing and sequencing.
Mixed Vegetables . Grades: K-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.
- Composting. Grades 2-5.  Students will learn basic facts about composting with worms, called vermicomposting. They will be able to give examples of "brown" and "green" ingredients while constructing a worm composting bin. Students will be able to observe, record and graph composting changes over time and describe the importance of aeration. Students also will be able to use problem solving and persuasive writing techniques in connection with their compost bin.
Pizza Time! Grades: 3-5. This lesson uses pizza as a basis for learning about agriculture, geography, and mathematics.
Right This Very Minute . Grades: 3-5. Students will read Right This Very Minute-a table-to-farm book about food production and farming-and diagram the path of production for a processed product. Students will study a map to discover where different commodities are grown and write a thank-you letter to farmers in their local community.
The Columbian Exchange of Old and New World Foods . Grades: 3-5. Students will explore New World and Old World food origins to understand how the Columbian Exchange altered people's lives worldwide.
Farming, Food, and Heredity . Grades 6-8. Students will apply their knowledge of heredity as they develop a breeding plan for a scenario in which they inherit a tomato farm that has been suffering from a blight fungus.
Fruits and Vegetables: The Right Pick for Vegetables 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:
A True Book: Tomatoes
Eating Fractions
How Did That Get in My Lunchbox?
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato
The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza)
Tomatoes, Potatoes, Corn & Beans
What's in the Garden?
Agriculture for ME
Right This Very Minute
Read our Agriculture for ME book online here !

Videos:
TOMATO | How Does it Grow?
TOMATO | How Does it Grow?

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