SACO, Maine — As students across Maine prepare to head back to the classroom after summer break, dozens of school and nutrition leaders are preparing to implement a new program to help students and their health.
"The most nutritious foods we can feed our students are available, grown, raised, produced, and fished right here in Maine," Martha Poliquin said.
Poliquin serves as the nutrition director for Falmouth Schools. This week, she's working alongside other nutrition and agriculture leaders across Maine as part of the first Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute.
The Institute is a yearlong program, which works with school professionals to integrate changes to schools food systems, and create a farm-to-school program in various school districts throughout Maine.
"We'll help them make a plan based on their community needs, so that could like getting jazzed to start a garden, setting some local food goals of sourcing some certain products locally. It could also look like creating a wellness committee for the school district," Steph Cesario said.
Cesario is the Maine Farm to School network coordinator. This week, school leaders from RSU 22, RSU 89, MSAD 17, and North Haven Community School are attending the three-day Institute at the Ecology School at River Bend Farm in Saco.
"Feeding Maine children Maine-grown food leads to better health outcomes for children, but also the side benefit of developing the rural economy," Cesario said.
On Tuesday, those in attendance took part in a variety of workshops, including a lesson on cooking with local ingredients and how to incorporate them into school menus.
"Knowing where your food comes from, and knowing how to prepare some food, so that you can feed yourself and nourish yourself, is really important,:" Poliquin said.
Kathy Kittridge is the nutrition director of RSU 22, serving Hampden and surrounding communities. She and a team from her district are taking part in the training.
"The more they have of delicious local foods, the more they will learn to incorporate them in their menus at home," Kittridge said.
Schools taking part in the program will work with industry leaders and the Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute over the course of the next year to implement local food programs.
The FSTS program was awarded a $225,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to launch to the program and bring more healthy local foods to schools.