Upcoming Events
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Maine Department of Education Farm to School Meeting
March 23, 2016 8:00-12:30
Augusta Armory $20.00
All proceeds from registration will support the
Maine Local Produce Fund. School nutrition professional participants will earn 4 hours of professional standards. Registration and Agenda coming soon.
FMI: Stephanie Stambach
Green Schools Conference & Expo
March 31-April 1, 2016
Pittsburgh, PA
This event brings together green schools thought-leaders and champions, connecting educators, school administrators, non-profit and corporate partners, and elected officials to advance the shared mission of green schools for all within this generation. Do you believe that all students deserve to learn and play in environments that are healthy, safe, and resource-efficient? Are you looking for new ideas to start or expand your school's sustainability goals?
Maine Nutrition Council Annual Conference: Challenges and Trends in Nutrition
April 8, 2016
Kennebec Valley Community College Alfond Campus, Hinckley, ME
8th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference Save the Date 
June 1-4, 2016
Madison, WI
The National Farm to Cafeteria Conference is a biennial event that convenes a diverse group of stakeholders from across the farm to cafeteria movement who are working to source local food for institutional cafeterias and foster a culture of food and agricultural literacy across America. The conference is hosted by the National Farm to School Network, in partnership with local host organizations.
Registration opens February 15, 2016 FMI: here
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| MFSN Contacts |
| State Coordinator: Renee Page Healthy Communities of the Capital Area rpage@mcd.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 Maine Academy of Natural Sciences at Good Will-Hinckley
Cumberland District: Ron Adams
Cumberland County
Local Foods Consultant
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
207.745.4797
Western District: Laura Quynn
Androscoggin, Franklin, & Oxford Counties
Healthy Community Coalition of Greater Franklin County
207.779.2828
York District: Kristine Jenkins
York County
Partners for a Hunger-Free York County
207.409.9193 State Lead to National Farm to School Network Northeast Regional Steering Committee: Renee Page Healthy Communities of the Capital Area rpage@mcd.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
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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.
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| Join Our List |
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Here are this month's Maine Farm to School updates. Included are save the dates, funding opportunities, and more. Please share this monthly update with others and encourage them to subscribe to this newsletter. Also be sure to let us know what's happening in your area related to Farm and Boat to School.
Renee Page,
Maine Farm to School Network Coordinator
National Farm to School Network Northeast Regional Steering Committee Maine State Lead
Contact Information:
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| Farm to School Indicators |
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Let Us Know What's Happening
Each month we compile all the exciting things that are happening in Farm to School across Maine. This data collection is critically important in helping us evaluate the impact of Farm to School activities. We really appreciate your time and effort in telling us about anything you did in
November
related to the following:
- Information, resources, and materials developed by you and others.
- Conferences, convenings, and trainings you've participated in.
- Contact with policymakers and other decision makers.
- Local or state policy and administrative initiatives.
- Key Farm to School or Farm to Preschool initiatives.
- Key Farm to School or Farm to Preschool pieces.
Each month we will be collecting this information, so please send things my way as they happen. Thank you to those of you who have already sent along your contributions!
Renee Page,
National Farm to School Network Northeast Regional Steering Committee Maine State Lead
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| Congratulations Auburn Schools |
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Auburn School Department Awarded USDA Farm to School Grant
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| Click on the image to view descriptions of all grant awards |
Congratulations Auburn School Department on receiving a $45,000 USDA Farm to School Planning Grant, the only school grant awarded in Maine this year. With grant support, the Auburn School Department will formalize the Androscoggin Farm to School Network as a coordinating body; conduct research and analysis to identify current initiatives, best practices, needs, challenges, and strategies to alleviate or reduce barriers to farm to school activities; foster local procurement relationships between school personnel and producers; and continue the operation of school garden programs to develop models for sustainability.
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| Farm to School Cookoff |
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Indicate your intent to participate
by December 18
Don't forget to indicate your intent
t
o participate in the school nutrition
Farm to Scho
ol Cook-off
is due this
Fr
id
ay, December 18, 2015
! Thi
s information is needed in order to consider your school/district in the competition. So far five school districts have expresse
d interest. Don't you want in on the fun?
Cook-off information:
Pa
rticipants, consisting of teams of two school nutrition professionals, will prepare one breakfast and lunch entrée, and one side dish. Each entrée and side dish must contain local ingredients that are grown, raised, caught, or manufactured in Maine. Three judges consisting of a culinary arts student, school nutrition director, and professional chef will evaluate the contestants' dishes based on
presentation, taste, creativity, and feasibility.
The goal of the competition is to recognize school nutrition staff at an annual skill-oriented competition, while emphasizing creative and effective use of local foods.
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| Win One of Six $500 Full Plate Full Potential Grants |
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Take this 5-minute survey for school nutrition directors to get your chance to win!
Every day, thousands of Maine students do not get enough good, nutritious food to complete a productive day in school. In 2014, half of all Maine public school children - an estimated 86,000 kids - were enrolled in Free and Reduced Meals, and yet there are still thousands of children who slip through the cracks. School nutrition programs are doing incredible work to help Maine students access the important schools based meal programs.
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| Click on the image to link to maine. magazine article about FPFP |
Full Plates Full Potential (FPFP) is a statewide coalition committed to finding innovative solutions and leveraging best practices, established right here in Maine, to end child hunger. Full Plates Full Potential believes it is possible to increase the number of children enrolled, participating, and consuming the nutritious meals available through existing child nutrition and school based programs. Full Plates Full Potential needs your help to eliminate child hunger in Maine. It's a challenging goal, and there is much to do that includes community involvement, but FPFP believes it can be achieved through focused strategies and dedicated individuals.
Before jumping into the challenging work, it is crucial to identify best practices, successes, baseline numbers, and ways FPFP can best serve school nutrition programs.
Below is a link to a short 5 minute survey to help FPFP understand how school nutrition professionals encourage students and parents to return the Free and Reduced Meal Enrollment forms.
FPFP wants to know how to support your outreach, communication, and professional development strategies. As a special thank you for filling out the survey, you will be eligible for one of six $500 grants to be used to further reduce child hunger in your district. All completed surveys will be reviewed by Full Plates Full Potential leadership council members and the top six will be awarded $500 grants. The survey link will be open until January 18, 2016.
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| Northeast Farm to School Institute Returning in 2016 |
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Seeking Maine school teams
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90 school administrators, teachers, food service professionals, and community members participated in the 2015 Institute
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In 2015 the Farm to School Institute hosted 12 school teams from across the northeast, including Maine's Falmouth Schools. The yearlong institute kicks off at Shelburne Farms in Vermont with a multi-day intensive for school teams who are then coached by a Farm to School mentor for a full year back in their districts to build their local farm to school programs. Official Northeast Farm to School Institute announcement will be coming soon and will be recruiting Maine teams.
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| Policy & Action |
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Child Nutrition Reauthorization, including Farm to School Act of 2015, Postponed
WASHINGTON, D.C.
- U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today announced that the Committee will hold a business meeting in January 2016 to markup bipartisan legislation reauthorizing child nutrition programs.
"Child nutrition reauthorization will be the Committee's first priority in the new year," said
Chairman Roberts
. "We have combed through these programs to increase efficiency, effectiveness, flexibility, and integrity. We owe it to American schoolchildren to be thorough in our work reauthorizing these important programs, and we have done just that. I'm proud to say this will be a bipartisan bill - a bill many folks said we couldn't get done. I look forward to working with Ranking Member Stabenow to carry this across the finish line."
"Senator Roberts and I continue to work together with colleagues and stakeholders on a child nutrition agreement that prioritizes the needs of children, while building on the successes made over the past five years," Ranking Member Stabenow said. "I am committed to moving forward as soon as possible next year."
The Agriculture Committee has held three hearings and convened a series of bipartisan roundtables with industry leaders, school nutrition professions and anti-hunger advocates leading up to reauthorization. The most recent hearing was in May, where members heard directly from school nutrition professionals and other stakeholders.
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| Maine Farm to Institution Leadership Team |
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The Maine Farm to School Network, with support from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation Healthy People Healthy Places grant program, formed the Maine Farm to Institution (MEFTI) Leadership Team to identify ways in which Farm to School, Farm to Campus, and Farm to Healthcare 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 hard to identify priority areas and opportunities for collaboration across sectors to figure out ways to get more fresh, Maine food into institutional food programs.
One priority area is increased engagement and visibility across sectors. The group is developing a Maine Farm to Institution webpage (coming soon!) in collaboration with Farm to Institution New England. MEFTI is also working to develop regional opportunities to convene representatives from the sectors. To learn more about the project or to get involved, reach out to one of the Leadership Team members.
MEFTI Leadership Team
Ron Adams,
Consultant, Former Portland Public Schools Nutrition Director, Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative chefradams@gmail.com 207.749.2929
Katie Freedman,
Healthy Acadia Food Programs Director, Maine Farm to School Network Downeast District Representative katie@healthyacadia.org 207.667.7171
Emily Kain,
MaineHealth, Community Health Improvement Program Manager ekain@mainehealth.org 207.661.7154
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
Jen Obadia,
Health Care Without Harm Regional Coordinator jobadia@hcwh.org 914.815.1194
Renee Page,
Healthy Communities of the Capital Area Assistant Director,
Maine Farm to School Network Coordinator rpage@mcd.org 207.588.5020
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| Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative Launches with Big Project |
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 In centuries past, Mainers fed themselves by growing foods locally, and every town had its own farms, dairies, mills, and markets - with good results for the state's economy. Today, across the state, renewed interest in local foods is growing rapidly, including in institutions.
Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative was founded in 2015 by a forward-looking team of Maine business people, food service workers, and social organizers who care about the beautiful state of Maine. Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative developed as a direct response to a need for a locally-owned alternative to corporate institutional food service companies.
The first major undertaking for the Cooperative was to submit a bid for the University of Maine System food service contract which includes a target of 20 percent local foods by 2020. This bid has been submitted and the Cooperative will learn whether or not they will be awarded the contract in the coming months.
Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative's larger goal is to provide locally produced food to any number of institutions, including schools. Visit
www.mainefarmandsea.coop to learn more about this innovative endeavor.
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| Funding & Sustainability Opportunities |
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Carton to Garden
Show your students' creativity by re-purposing milk and juice cartons from your school cafeteria to either build or enhance your school garden. Educators can engage students in a hands-on experience creating teachable moments on environmental stewardship, sustainable packaging, and healthy living. The best use of cartons in a school garden gives your school the chance to win one of 14 prizes with a grand prize valued at $5,000. Learn more at
carton2garden.com
Barnraiser
Webinars: Barnraiser, Crowdfunding 101
Every Thursday, 1pm
Calling all farm to school advocates, farmers, producers, and school gardeners. Join Barnraiser's weekly webinars to learn the 5 keys to successful crowdfunding on Barnraiser. Hear the stories of successful campaigns, as well as tips, tricks and insider knowledge from the Barnraiser team to get your farm to school project successfully funded.
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Maine Farm to School Network
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| 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.
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