New Maine Farm to School Institute launched

GARDINER – A new Maine Farm to School Institute for rural middle and high schools will focus on sourcing local food and cultivating student leadership in food and agriculture.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture recently awarded University of Maine School of Food and Agriculture and Maine Farm to School Network at Healthy Communities of the Capital Area a nearly $225,000 2021-23 Service Learning grant to lead the creation of the first annual Maine Farm to School Institute. Subrecipients include UMaine Cooperative Extension, Maine Agriculture in the Classroom, ReTreeUs and Cumberland County Food Security Council.
More than a dozen partnering organizations will support the project, providing training and technical assistance, including Falmouth Schools, FoodCorps Maine, Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition, Maine School Garden Network and more.
Modeled after the Northeast Farm to School Institute at Shelburne Farms, in Vermont, the Maine Farm to School Institute will support schools to build a community-based farm to school program promoting food education and school food security, including school gardens and local food. Participating Maine schools will attend a three-day workshop next August at The Ecology School at Riverbend Farm in Saco.
“Right now Maine schools travel to VT for comprehensive farm to school support programming,” Stephanie Cesario, MFSN coordinator, said. “By creating this annual program here in Maine, schools will be immersed in Maine-specific farm and sea to school resources and professional networks.”
For more information, visit mainefarmtoschool.org/institute.