2024-2027
Strategic Priorities
Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute
Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute provides training and support to help schools develop action plans to incorporate or expand farm to school activities, modeled after the NE Farm to School Institute since 2022
Policy
The Network mobilizes members to advocate for state and/or school district policies that support farm to school programs. Learn more about the Maine Food Policy workgroup here
Matchmaking: Increase Connections and Buying
Expand network representation, deepen connections between farmers/producers and buyers, and raise awareness of local purchasing to increase demand for Maine-grown and harvested products.
Technical Assistance and Training
The Network coordinates and promotes training and technical assistance to help schools with procurement and preparation of local foods.
Processing
This priority is system and infrastructure focused with the overall goal to identify processing-related interventions that generate high impact shifts towards getting more local, culturally nourishing food to institutional and other markets. Learn more about the Maine Food Processing Workgroup here
Network Summits
The network coordinates multi-sector gatherings to support Farm to School and Farm to Institution connections that provide collaborative learning and training opportunities.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this strategic planning process to re-imagine two of Maine's key food system networks. From here, the networks embark on trying out a new combined network structure to test if a shared network structure and communications effectively bolsters efficiencies and stronger outcomes of network initiatives. It takes everyone's involvement and support to have a successful, thriving network to move the needle on our local food systems efforts. We are heartened by robust participation in this process. There are so many ways to engage and benefit from being a part of the Maine Farm and Sea to Institution Network moving forward - we can’t wait to see you there!