Upcoming Events
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Emerging Environmental Leaders Conference
Collaborate to cultivate and empower the next generation of diverse environmental leaders in Maine. September 14-15, 2016 Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center, Lincolnville, ME. FREE; Limited to 40 highly motivated participants.
FMI:
www.meeassociation.org
Maine Harvest Lunch Week September 19-23, 2016
FMI:
Here
Maine School Garden Open House Day September 24, 2016
FMI & Registration:
Here
National Farm to School Month October 2016
FMI:
Here
5th Annual Maine Farm to School Conference Interactive workshops, peer to
 peer networking, field trips, speakers, locally sourced lunch, and more! October 14, 2016 Bates College, Lewiston, ME.
FEE: Early bird $25; after September 15 $30.
FMI & Registration:
farmtoschool2016.eventbrite.com
Farm to Institution Summit
Save the date  for the 2017 New England Farm to Institution Summit April 6-7, 2017 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Leominster, MA
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!
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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
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: Ken Morse
Androscoggin, Franklin, & Oxford Counties
Community Food Strategies
York District: Kristine Jenkins
York County
Partners for a Hunger-Free York County
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.
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.
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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 Sea 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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| Register Now for the Maine Farm to School Conference! |
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Join us on October 14, 2016 at Bates College in Lewiston for a day full of interactive workshops, peer networking, field trips, and more!
Early bird registration through September 15 is just $25, after that, $30.
For more information and to register, go to
Message from Congresswoman Chellie Pingree
Field trip to nearby Whiting Farm
Delicious locally sourced lunch and snacks
Workshop tracks for local food procurement, school gardens, agriculture education, farm to institution, and more!
Thank you to Conference Organizers
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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 is critically important in helping us measure the impact of Farm to School activities. We really appreciate your time and effort in telling us about anything you did
related to the following:
- Information, resources, and materials developed.
- Conferences, convenings, and trainings.
- Local or state policy and administrative initiatives.
- Key Farm to School or Farm to Preschool initiatives.
- Examples of media coverage of Farm to School activities.
Each month we compile this information, so please send things our 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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| October is Farm to School Month - One Small Step |
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Start Planning your Farm to School Month Activities Now
In 2010 Congress designated October as National Farm to School Month to demonstrate the growing importa
nc
e of farm to school programs as a means to improve child nutrition, support local economies, and educate children
ab
out food origins. Everyone can celebrate Farm to School Month! This year's theme is One Small Step, highlighting the simple steps anyone - from students, parents, and food enthusiasts to food producers and nutrition professionals - can take to get informed, get involved, and take action to advance farm to school. Check out the 2016 resources here.
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| Employment Opportunities |
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Healthy Communities of the Capital Area Seeks AmeriCorps VISTA
Healthy Communities of the Capital Area, a Local Healthy Maine Partnership, seeks a full-time AmeriCorps VISTA member 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 member will work with community partners to increase access to fresh, local foods.
FMI & Application:
rpage@mcd.org or 207.588.5020
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| Farm to Institution - Focus on Health Care |
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MaineHealth Supports Farm to Institution by prioritizing local foods
MaineHealth's Local Food Initiative builds upon the system's
three year commitment to the
Partnership for a Healthier America Hospital Healthier Food Initiative
to bring more nutritious food to the entire hospital system. When the project en
ded in early 2016, the MaineHealth team decided to capitalize on their momentum and start a new goal setting
process to prioritize local foods. Healthy Food in Health Care New England is helping MaineHealth define their goals and measure the baseline for the next phase of this exciting project
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Health Care Workers in Maine talk about how the food on our plates can help combat climate change
The Maine chapter of the nonprofit Physicians for Social Responsibility met last month to explore how consuming locally sourced food can not only be more healthful but also have a positive impact on climate change. Read more
here
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| Get Ready for Back to School |
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| Readers to Eaters
Readers to Eaters' mission is to promote food literacy so children and families can gain a better understanding of what and how we eat. Readers to Eaters books have won numerous awards. Visit www.readerstoeaters.com to learn more and browse their library.
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| Who Will Be Teacher of the Year 2017? |
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Maine Ag in the Classroom is seeking nominations for Teacher of the Year 2017
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2016 Teachers of the Year |
Each year, Maine Ag in the Classroom recognizes an outstanding Maine elementary or secondary school teacher(s) who uses agricultural education materials and/or activities in the classroom to teach core subjects. The winning teacher(s) will attend the National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Kansas City, MO in June 2017.
Application Deadline: October 7, 2016
FMI & Application:
Click on Teacher of the Year under Programs
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| Apply now for Read ME Agriculture 2017 |
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Submit applications for classroom readers or to be a reader
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Go to Maine Ag in the Classroom to sign up now |
Maine Ag in the Classroom's 2017 Read ME Ag book,
What's in the Garden by award-winning children's author, Marianne Berkes who has spent most of her life as a teacher, is illustrated by Chris Arbo. The interactive rhyme and riddle format will lead to many discussions of fruits and vegetables grown in Maine, from apples to pumpkins!
Each classroom receives a copy of the book with lesson ideas and information on Maine agriculture through a volunteer reader from the area. Learn more about this fantastic agriculture literacy program that started in Maine in 2008 and is supported by Maine's agriculture specialty license plate.
Learn more, apply, or sign up to be a reader at:
Click on Read "ME" Agriculture under Programs
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| Growing Maine |
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Maine Food System - Growing Maine Video Series
Hear stories from Maine farmers and food producers. Learn:
- Who makes decisions on local family farms?
- What's really important to help a family business succeed?
- Why do they do that? Behind the scenes of local food production.
Use
these short videos to support classroom activities, find new sources of local food, or just to better know your neighbors who grow your food.
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| Policy & Action |
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Sign the Petition and tell Congress to support the Farm to School Act
Congress is in the process of deciding if 3 million more children will have access to farm to school activities through Child Nutrition Reauthorization. Show lawmakers that farm to school is a powerful tool for supporting kids, farmers, and communities. Help send a strong message to Congress by showing your support for the Farm to School Act. Click on the link below to sign the petition.
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| Maine Farm to Institution (MEFTI) Happenings |
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| Participants at Maine Farm to Institution Gathering at St. Joseph's College |
On May 19, MEFTI
co-hosted with Maine Farm and Sea Co-op a farm to institution gathering at St. Joseph's College in Standish and another on June 15 in Ellsworth, co-hosted with Healthy Acadia. Leaders from local schools, hospitals, and
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Participants Digging Deep |
higher education, along with other com
munity partners, including local food producers and distributors convened to discuss what is working well with farm to institution and what gaps still exist in each of the regions. The goal is to identify natural linkages and develop collaborations to allow for greater purchasing of local foods by institutions. The group plans to continue to work on developing ass
ets and ov
ercoming barriers.
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, 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
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 rpage@mcd.org 207.588.5020
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| Circle B Farms Request for Information |
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Attention Nutrition Directors! Are you looking for more sources for local foods?
 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.
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| Chop! Chop! Free Video Series |
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| Culinary Skills for Locally Grown Produce in School Meals
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:
- Dark Leafy Greens
- Cabbage, Broccoli, and Cauliflower
- Root Vegetables
- Winter Squash
- Tomatoes and Peppers
- Whole Grain Pizza Dough and Oat Muffins
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.
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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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| Like Maine Farm to School Network on Facebook |
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