Upcoming Events
|
|
Maine School Garden Day
May 6, 2017 8:00-4:00
Falmouth High School
A full day of classes, exhibits, and more! This is a K-12 educator training workshop and all participants will receive certificates for contact hours or CEUs. Fee: $25 After April 30: $35 includes local lunch. Scholarships available.
FMI & Registration:
Here
Maine Composts Week
May 7-13, 2017
Statewide event that conne
cts local communities, schools,
businesses, residents,
municipalities, and other institution
s with the resources, service providers,
and information to help facilitate improving resource management of organic materials in Maine. Learn more about classroom and student engagement activities Here. Learn more about Maine Composts Week
Here
.
Maine Ag in the Classroom Summer Teachers' Institute
July 31 - August 4, 2017
University of Maine Farmington
University of Maine Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Class Schedule
Master Gardener Volunteers must  successfully complete 40+ hours of training and volunteer 40 hours toward community gardening programs and activities. Many Master Gardener Volunteers choose school garden projects!
|
| MFSN Contacts |
| State Coordinator: Renee Page Healthy Communities of the Capital Area r.page@hccame.org 207.588.5020
Aroostook District: John Chartier
Aroostook County Healthy Aroostook
jchartier@mofga.org 207.521.1200
Central District: Kelly LaCasse
Kennebec & Somerset Counties
Healthy Northern Kennebec
Cumberland District: Martha Poliquin
Cumberland County
Falmouth Schools Nutrition Director
Downeast District: Katie Freedman
Hancock & Washington Counties
Healthy Acadia
katie@healthyacadia.org 207.288.5331
MidCoast District: Heather Burt
Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc & Waldo Counties
Penquis District: Bonnie Young
Penobscot & Piscataquis Counties
Western District: Molly Clark
Androscoggin, Franklin, & Oxford Counties
Healthy Community Coalition of Greater Franklin County
York District: Kristine Jenkins
York County
Partners for a Hunger-Free York County
National Farm to School Network Core Partner: Renee Page Healthy Communities of the Capital Area r.page@hccame.org 207.588.5020 USDA Farm to School Northeast Regional Lead: Danielle Fleury danielle.fleury@fns.usda.gov 617.565.1604 Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition Services Farm to School Contact: Stephanie Stambach stephanie.stambach@maine.gov 207.624.6732 |
Links to Useful Resources
|
National Farm to School Network
NFSN enables every child to have access to nutritious food while simultaneously benefiting communities and local farmers.
 USDA Farm to School
Resources to support local farm to school programs.
FMI & Resources:
 Maine Ag in the Classroom
MAITC provides information about agricultural concepts to teachers, students, and interested citizens.
Maine School Garden Network
MSGN promotes and supports educational gardens for youth and encourages school programs that teach healthy eating and environmental stewardship.
Maine Food Atlas
Discover local food assets in your community. Find growers, processors, food security organizations, farm to school groups, and more. It is easy to add your own site to the map too.
 Aquaculture Education Network The University of Maine Aquaculture Research Institute hosts an aquaculture education listserv to find and share aquaculture education materials and resources. To join the listserv created by and for educators and organizations from Maine and beyond, send a message to
aq_educators_news-subscribe-request@lists.maine.edu with the word SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
|
| Join Our List |
 |
|
|
Happy Spring! Please enjoy these updates from the Maine Farm to School Network and Maine Farm to Institution. Please share this update with others and encourage them subscribe to this newsletter. Also be sure to let us know what's happening in your area related to Farm and Sea to School and Farm to Institution.
Renee Page,
Maine Farm to School Network Coordinator
Maine Farm to Institution Coordinator
National Farm to School Network Core Partner
Contact Information:
|
| Let Your Voice Be Heard! |
|
|
Maine Farm to School Network Strategic Planning
The Maine Farm to School Network is undergoing a strategic planning process to set priorities and direction for the next 3-5 years. Please let us know what you think and provide your input and suggestions by taking this very brief 8-question survey (click on the green button below). Please respond by May 15, 2017.
The Maine Farm to School Network is hosting a
half-day strategic planning session on May 31, 2017 in the Augusta area to revisit Network structure, priorities, and roles while also developing a 3-5 year plan that will result in actionable outcomes. If you would like to participate, please RSVP by May 15 to Renee Page at
r.page@hccame.org.
|
| Maine Farm to Institution at the New England Farm to Institution Summit |
|
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joins MEFTI members (L to R) Ron Adams, Renee Page, Riley Neugebauer, Emily Kain, and Lauren Kaskey
Mainers turn out for the 2nd Farm to Institution New England Summit
Nearly 50 Mainers attended the 2nd Farm to Institution New England Summit in Leominster, MA April 5-7. Attendees represented school, health care, higher education, and corrections institutional sectors as well as farmers, students, and other organizations working to increase fresh, local foods in the institutional setting. With generous support from Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Maine Farm to Institution (MEFTI) provided scholarships for 16 Mainers to attend. The fun isn't over yet! MEFTI is convening all Maine attendees for a follow-up networking session to keep the farm to institution momentum going in Maine.
Learn about the Summit, including more photos, videos, keynote speakers, and more here.
Thank you to Elmina B. Sewall Foundation
for their generous support
|
| Northeast Farm to School Institute |
|
Congratulations Albert S. Hall School!
 |
|
|
RSU 3 Walker Elementary School 2016 Northeast Farm to School Institute Team |
Albert S. Hall School is going to the 2017 Northeast Farm to School Institute! The Institute is a
unique year-long professional learning opportunity for twelve school teams from New England and New York. The year-long Institute kicks off with a Summer Retreat held at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, VT from June 27-29, 2017.
VT FEED welcomes Farm to School champions - long-time advocates and those looking to begin integrating these programs into their school community as part of the Institute. Teams include a diverse mix of classrooms, teachers, parents, school administrators, school nurses, school nutrition staff, school board members, and other community members.
Teams are paired with an experienced coach from their state's Farm to School Network for year-long support creating and implementing their action plan.
Albert S. Hall School will be coached by Maine Farm to School Network Central District Representative, Kelly LaCasse.
|
| New Tools |
|
USDA releases tool to reduce food waste in school cafeterias
See links to Maine Composts Week in side bar.
Local Procurement for Maine Institutions Webinar
Join Lauren Kaskey from Health Care Without Harm and Maine Farm to Institution for this one-hour webinar. Learn from MOFGA, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and Lakeside Farms about how to work with local farmers and fishermen to procure food for your cafeteria. To access the webinar, contact Lauren Kaskey at
lkaskey@hcwh.org.
35 Food Education Organizations
Food and nutrition education can empower children to make healthy choices throughout their lives, but most schools struggle to incorporate food education into their curricula. M
any organizations around the globe are working to instill healthy eating habits, foster food literacy, teach culinary skills, and educate children about the environmental, social, and health consequences of their food choices. Food Tank has selected 35 particularly noteworthy programs.
~
Submitted by Ken Morse
|
| Maine Farm to Institution (MEFTI) Happenings |
|
|
|
| Maine Farm to Institution Team Members Renee Page & Ken Morse at the Sustainability & Water Conference |
Maine Farm to Institution
team members Renee Page and Ken Morse presented to attendees at the
2017 Maine Sustainability and Water Conference at the Augusta Civic Center March 30, 2017 about farm to institution in Maine and the Maine Food Atlas.
The Maine Farm to School Network
, with support from the Elmin
a
B. S
ewall Found
ation Heal
thy People Healthy Places grant program, formed the Ma
ine Farm to Institution (MEFTI) Lea
dership Team
to identify ways in which Farm to School, Farm to Camp
us, and Farm to Health Care initiatives can better partner and learn from one another to advance farm to institution
across Maine. The 7-member leadership team, listed below, is working to identify priority areas and opportunities for collaboration across sectors to figure out ways to get more fresh, Maine food into institutional food programs.
MEFTI Leadership Team
Ron Adams,
Consultant,
Katie Freedman,
Healthy Acadia Food Programs Director, Maine Farm to School Network Downeast District Representative
Lauren Kaskey, Health Care Without Harm Regional Coordinator lkaskey@hcwh.org 413.218.8085
Ken Morse,
Maine Network of Community Food Councils Coordinator kenmorse@mac.com 207.393.0134
Riley Neugebauer,
Farm to Institution New England Farm and Sea to Campus Project Manager rileyneugebauer@gmail.com 814.282.3039
Renee Page,
Healthy Communities of the Capital Area Assistant Director,
Maine Farm to School Network Coordinator
|
| Policy & Advocacy |
|
School Wellness Policies
 School districts across the country are revising local wellness policies to meet new guidelines by the June 30, 2017 deadline. This is the perfect time to incorporate farm to school language and strategies to meet your wellness policy goals! Local procurement for school meals, cafeteria taste tests, agriculture-based classroom education, school gardens and greenhouses are all ways to institutionalize farm to school in your district through the local wellness policy.
Here are some resources to get you started.
|
| Employment & Consulting Opportunities |
|
AmeriCorps VISTAs and Food Systems Consultants
AmeriCorps VISTA: Healthy Communities of the Capital Area in southern Kennebec County and Healthy Acadia in Washington County are seeking full-time
AmeriCorps VISTA members to combat hunger and poverty in Maine by increasing access to USDA federal nutrition programs such as SNAP, School Breakfast, and Summer Meals. The VISTA members will work with community partners to increase access to fresh, local foods.
FMI & Application HCCA:
HERE
r.page@hccame.org or 207.588.5020
FMI Healthy Acadia:
katie@healthyacadia.org or 207.667.7171.
Gleaning & Nutrition Education:
Healthy Communities of the Capital Area seeks an individual to deliver nutrition education to adults in a variety of settings (correctional facility, food pantries, social service providers, etc.) as well as recruit farms as gleaning sites.
FMI:
HERE
r.page@hccame.org
or 207.588.5020
|
Maine Farm to School Network
|
|
 |
| 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 Network works to bring more locally sourced foods into schools coupled with experiential agriculture education.
Contact your MFSN Representative (see left) to learn more.
|
|
| Like Maine Farm to School Network on Facebook |
|
|
|
|
|
