Policy

The Food Policy Work Group wants your help in setting priorities for our Food Policy Work in Maine. Please rate the food system issues as to their importance to you, your organization, and your work. We will use the results to help us begin the process of setting our priorities for the 132nd Maine Legislature coming up in January, 2025. These results will help kickstart a process of further discussions running over the next 2 meetings with the aim of coming to agreement on Coalition Priorities. Please complete by Sept. 23rd.    

Thank you!

Institutional Buying & Selling

We will be holding an institutional buyers roundtable event on October 24 from 11:00-1:00 at USM. Please share the flyer below with institutional food buyers in your networks who may be interested in attending

F2iSummit Call for Proposals Announced

Farm to Institution New England (FINE) invites you to help create the 2025 Northeast Farm to Institution Summit! Submit your proposal(s) to organize a 2 hour strategy session, 1 hour session, or field trip at this extraordinary event in Portland, Maine in April 2025. We also welcome other creative ideas and suggestions via this proposal (e.g. speaker suggestions, side meetings to consider, topics you hope are addressed, and arts to integrate).

Deadline: November 1, 2024.

Have questions? We’re here to help! Contact Tania: tania@farmtoinstitution.org.

Summit Brainstorming Session

October 8, 2024, 2 - 3 pm ET

It's hard to pull together an inspiring cohesive proposal in a vacuum. Want to knock around some ideas for a presentation, workshop, or training? Have an idea but it's not fleshed out? Looking for a co-facilitator on a particular topic? Looking for some fresh ideas to incorporate into your session? Join members of the Summit planning committee and FINE hosts for this one hour virtual Zoom Brainstorming & Help Session. Bring your ideas and questions for some group creativity and support.

The Local Food Switchboard is Seeking Applications

The Maine Food Convergence Project is seeking applications for Research & Design, and Equity Consultants for its Local Food Switchboard initiative.

The Local Food Switchboard is a centralized virtual hub using the Maine Food Atlas to streamline local food procurement and logistics for Maine schools, enhancing access to locally sourced foods and strengthening the state's food supply chain.

See RFAs below and please share widely!

Mitchell Center Sustainability Talk:

For Climate’s Sake – Stop Wasting Food!

Monday, September 16, 2024

3:00PM - 4:00PM

Learn about the latest research linking wasted food & food loss with climate change – and what Maine is doing about it.

Speakers:

Megan Mansfield-Pryor

Waste Management Climate Policy Advisor

Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future

Susanne Lee

Faculty Fellow, Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, UMaine

Team Leader, Food Rescue MAINE

In-person attendance: 5710 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine, Orono, ME

Virtual attendance: Register below

The Maine Coast Fishermen's Association has grant funding to try to develop an easy to serve local fish cake or similar product for school lunches. We have a delicious recipe that is very close to ready to start taste testing in schools but we need your help to finalize what our product will look like. Please provide your feedback below.

MCFA’s Monkfish Stew is now eligible for reimbursement through the state Local Foods Fund! That means schools can now be reimbursed $1 for every $3 they spend on the stew (up to $5,000). All proceeds from the Maine Coast Monkfish Stew benefit MCFA’s Fishermen Feeding Mainers program.

This stew is a wonderful option to introduce kids to local seafood; Gulf of Maine monkfish and lobster stock, cooked together with Maine, potatoes, veggies, and cream creates an easy-to-eat meal that was rich, complex, and filling.

The monkfish stew comes in heat and serve, 16 oz pouches that can be easily heated in a pot of simmering water and served right out of the bag. It is available through Native Maine!

Maine Marinara Now Available!

Looking to add local food to your menu without the extra labor of scratch cooking?

Maine marinara is ready to use straight from the pouch and can be easily customized to match your students' taste preferences—add a little sweetness or extra seasoning as needed.

Perfect for pasta, breadsticks, tomato soup, minestrone, and more!

Stock up easily with availability at Native Maine and Peak Season Produce, allowing you to order as needed. Plus, take advantage of great savings:

• Get the marinara at no cost by using your USDA/Local Food for Schools funds—30% of the ingredients in Maine Marinara come from socially disadvantaged Maine farmers.
• Maine Marinara is eligible for reimbursement through the Maine Local Food Fund, $1 back for every $3 spent locally (maximum $5000 per district), or through the USDA Local Food for Schools program at 100%!

Maine Farm & Sea to Institution Network is supported by the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation

Maine Farm & Sea to Institution Network is supported by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation

Maine Farm & Sea to School Institute is supported by the United States Department of Agriculture

For any questions about Maine Farm & Sea to Institution, please contact Healthy Communities of the Capital Area's Food Systems Coordinator Alida Farrell at a.farrell@hccame.org