Maine is on the Menu at South Portland School District

SOUTH PORTLAND, ME - South Portland Schools are making big strides in bringing more local food to students' plates, thanks to a strong network of partners, supporters, and dedicated staff. With Maine seafood, locally grown vegetables, and soon, Maine-grown grains, it’s truly the taste of Maine on the menu at South Portland School District. 

Food offerings at South Portland Schools featuring Local Maine Flounder Parmesan.

Recently, students at South Portland Middle School enjoyed a Fish Parmesan Sandwich that featured Maine flounder cakes. These flounder cakes are a result of an initiative led by the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) working to increase access to local seafood in school cafeterias with support from the Kendall Foundation and funding through the USDA Full Plates Full Potential (FPFP) School Food System Innovation Grant program. Conjointly, students are learning about sustainable seafood in the classroom with GMRI curriculum, connecting their educations with their plates. The Maine Flounder Cakes were served with Maine Marinara Sauce, a product made with at least 51% Maine sourced ingredients by the Maine Marinara Collaborative and Second Harvest Partnership, a project that utilize surplus and second produce from Maine farms, simultaneously reducing food waste and creating locally processed foods.

Another recent menu addition, Baked Flounder with Hearty Greens, also highlights the impact of these collaborative efforts. The flounder was donated through MCFA’s Fishermen Feeding Mainers program, which provides free fish to Maine schools. The dish was served alongside collards and kale from the Maine Immigrant Greens Collaborative, a joint effort by Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative, Farms for Food Equity, and Wayside Food Programs to expand access to culturally appropriate meals in Maine schools.

None of this would be possible without the incredible dedication of South Portland’s School Nutrition Program Director, Shawn Perry, his hardworking dining staff, and their FoodCorps member, Aimee Styklunas. Their efforts ensure that meals are not only nutritious but that students become more deeply connected to Maine’s agricultural and fishing traditions through school food and food education!

Looking ahead, the district is excited to continue expanding local food initiatives. The Good Crust—another USDA/FPFP School Food System Innovation  awardee— will soon be featured on school menus as part of a broader effort to incorporate more local grains into school meals.  In the first year of development, are products such as “ready fill” crusts for personal breakfast pizza, enriched dough for sandwich buns, dinner rolls, and pockets, as well as par-baked deep dish crusts for slab pizza and garlic pazzo bread.  Student eaters and Maine ingredients will inspire even more products made with fresh stone-milled flour from Maine.

The collaboration among these incredible partners is transforming the way students experience food. We can’t wait to see what’s next on the tray!