Upcoming Events
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USDA Farm to School Webinar Series: Planning for Farm to School Success in 2016
January 28-May 26, 2016
This 11-part webinar series will guide you 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. Past webinars will be archived.
FMI & Registration:
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.
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
34th National Pesticide Forum
April 15-16, 2016
University of Southern Maine, Portland
An opportunity for grassroots advocates, scientists, and policy makers to share efforts and build local, state, and national strategies for strength and growth. This year's conference will focus on the adoption of policies to protect human health and the environment, and organic land and building management strategies.
FEE: $20-$170
8th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference 
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
Healthy Northern Kennebec
Cumberland District: Genna Chericello
Cumberland County
Falmouth Schools Garden Coordinator
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: Laura Quynn
Androscoggin, Franklin, & Oxford Counties
Healthy Community Coalition of Greater Franklin County
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.
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| Join Our List |
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Please find timely scholarship information below from Maine Farm to School Network partners. Send along to high school guidance counselors and potential applicants.
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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| Russell Libby Agriculture Scholar Award |
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Three $1,500 Scholarships Available
In 2016, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) will award its second annual round of scholarships to honor the late Russell Libby. Russell led MOFGA for 17 years and dedicated his life to growing the organic food movement.
Three $1,500 scholarships will be awarded in the following categories:
- Current MOFGA Journeyperson Program participant
- Maine High School Senior planning to study sustainable farming and food systems or organic farming at an accredited college in Maine
- Kennebec Valley Community College student enrolled in its sustainable agriculture program
Deadline for Applications: February 29, 2016
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| Rural Rehabilitation Trust Fund Scholarship |
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Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry
The Agricultural Resource Development Division of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry manages this dedicated revenue fund to provide scholarships for farm families to assist their children in attending college. Open to high school seniors or current college students.
Application Deadline March 1, 2016
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| Waldo County Extension Association Scholarship |
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$500 Scholarship for Waldo County High School Senior
The Waldo County Extension Association is proud to 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.
FMI & Application call Waldo County Extension Office at 207.342.5971
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| 8th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference |
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Scholarships Available to Attend National Farm to Cafeteria Conference
The 8th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference kicks off on June 2, 2016 in Madison, WI with pre-conference short courses to dig deeper with experts from the Wallace Center, National Farmers Union,
Chef Ann Foundation,
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| Click on the image to view short course descriptions. |
and more. Topics will include dismantling racism and advancing equity, models of state and regional collaboration and network development, implementing farm to school in school kitchens, how to start a cooperative, and food hubs and farm to cafeteria. These advanced half and full day courses will address challenges faced by mature programs and deepen attendees' involvement in farm to cafeteria activities.
Early bird registration opens February 15 and short courses are first come, first served. Additionally, scholarship applications are being accepted now until the scholarship deadline of February 29 at 5:00pm ET. Start planning your conference experience to bring home real food solutions and accelerate the growth of farm to cafeteria here in Maine.
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| Barnraiser Fundraiser to Support Attendance at National Farm to Cafeteria Conference |
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Help make it possible to send New England Farm to School advocates and practitioners from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont to the top national training and networking event for professionals working to improve community health, build economic opportunities for farmers, and ensure long-term sustainability for local food efforts nationwide.
Learn more about the 8th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference here and about this Barnraiser here and the goal to provide scholarships for at least two individuals from each New England state to attend the conference. |
| Northeast Farm to School Institute Now Accepting Applications |
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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 |
The Northeast Farm to School Institute is now accepting applications from schools in New England and New York. This year-long professional development program for 12 school teams beings with a Kickoff Summer Retreat June 28-30, 2016 at Shelburne Farms, VT.
Hosted by Vermont FEED, the Institute is designed for schools with farm to school programming that are looking to boost their program's impact in the cafeteria, classroom, and community. Institute school teams spend three days at the Kickoff Summer Retreat where they participate in professionally-led workshops, network with peers, and create a farm to school action plan. Each team will have an experienced farm to school coach to support them in carrying out their action plan through the school year.
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.
FEE: $300 Scholarships available
Applications due March 11, 2016
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| FoodCorps Service Member Applications Open |
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Seeking Applicants for 2016-17 FoodCorps Term
 FoodCorps is recruiting applicants for the coming year. Now in its 5th year, FoodCorps has 205 service members serving in 17 states and Washington D.C. and is
accepting applications through March 31, 2016 for the upcoming service term beginning September 2016.
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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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