Farm to School Helps Kids' Nutrition

All Schools Should Take Part in Farm to School

Farm to School Teaches Important Lessons

	Participants at Washington County Food Summit

Healthy Acadia, a Local Healthy Maine Partnership and the Washington County Community Food Council hosted a day long food summit on March 12 in East Machias. Community leaders and other local food system stakeholders came together to discuss ways to strengthen the local food system. Learn more here.

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Check out this special report that includes food safety, national and state level food initiatives, and factors that impact the National School Lunch Program.

This 11-part webinar series will guide participants through the USDA Farm to School Planning Toolkit. These 30-minute webinars will offer questions to consider and helpful resources to reference when starting or growing a farm to school program. Guest speakers will join the webinars to share their hands on farm to school experiences. Previously shown webinars are archived for future viewing.

1. Intro to Farm to School: Planning and Building a Team January 14, 2016 1:00 PM EST

2. Setting Goals and Establishing an Evaluation Baseline January 28, 2016 2:00 PM EST

3. Finding and Buying Local Foods February 4, 2016 2:00 PM EST

4. Farm to School Menu Planning February 18, 2016 2:00 PM EST

5. Food Safety March 3, 2016 2:00 PM EST

6. Promoting Your Farm to School Program March 17, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

7. School Gardening March 31, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

8. Curriculum Integration April 7, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

9. Program Sustainability April 28, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

10. Evaluating Your Program May 12, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

11. Tying it All Together and Digging In May 26, 2016 2:00 PM EDT

FMI & Registration:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/videos-and-webinars

Circle B Farms in Caribou, ME is requesting information from school nutrition directors on what your local food needs will be for the 2016-17 school year for their planting and delivery planning.

Click here to download the form.

FMI: Sam Blackstone circlebfarms04@hotmail.com  207.498.8238

Chop! Chop! Hear that sound? It is the sound of school nutrition directors who have a new way to help students eat more locally frown vegetables and grains. This six-part series of free videos will help school food service staff use more locally-grown fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in school meal programs by introducing new foods, recipes, and culinary skills. These videos, produced by the University of Wisconsin, Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, are approximately 15 minutes long and focus on the following:

Each training covers culinary preparation techniques such as hand chopping, pureeing, and freezing, and offers ideas for incorporating local produce into school meals. In addition, the videos feature discussions with farmers and their school partners on the farm and in the school kitchen. Access the videos by clicking here.

Hyde School Nutrition Director Mike Flynn (R) and sous chef Donna Leonard (L) take delivery of fresh salad greens from Denise Sears (M) of Springworks Farm in Lisbon.

Learn more about Springworks Farm here.

Click here to explore the first edition of Cafeteria Chronicles featuring school nutrition programs across the Northeast. Maine's very own David Leighton (RSU 19) and Jeanne Reilly (Windham Raymond Schools) talk about their experiences overseeing school nutrition programs, including sourcing local foods.

The Maine 4-H Foundation and Waldo County Extension Association announce availability of a $500 scholarship to a graduating Waldo County high school senior seeking higher education. Priority will be given to students who plan to study Sustainable Agriculture or Education.

To apply, students must submit a 500-1,000 word essay (typed and double spaced) that discusses in what ways, if any, they have been involved with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, their employment history, any community service or volunteer work related to their future field of study, and what they hope to do after completing their education. Preference will be given to students who intend to serve the community in fields associated with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension mission such as agriculture, horticulture, home economics, nutrition, preventative health, health education, youth development, early childhood education, and adult education. 

Evaluation criteria does not include student performance records or grade point average information. 

Application Deadline: April 30, 2016

FMI: www.umaine.edu/waldo

FMI on specific lots: Recall

ME Public Health Districts

Farm to School programs work to build and tend school gardens, deliver agriculturally-based nutrition education, and develop local food procurement systems to increase agricultural awareness, improve health, and support the local economy.

The MFSN aims to build communication and coordination infrastructure closer to schools and communities which are the foundation of this very special local foods movement.

The MFSN is organized with a State Coordinator and District Representatives in each of the 8 Public Health Districts in Maine. The first annual MFSN Conference, held on May 12, 2012 at Mt. View High School in Thorndike, brought together Farm to School champions from across the state for workshops and networking opportunities. Since then, annual conferences have been held in Portland, Ellsworth, and Hinckley. The Network works to bring more locally sourced foods into schools coupled with experiential agriculture education.

Contact your MFSN Representative (see left) to learn more.