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Monthly news & updates

May 2024 | Issue #152

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Calendar of Events


GMRI Educator Workshop: Potato Farming in Maine's Changing Climate

May 2, 2024

12pm - 8pm

Washburn, ME

More info


Maine FFA State Convention

May 9-10, 2024

University of Maine

Orono, ME


Maine Environmental Education Association Conference

May 10-11, 2024

Maine Academy of Natural Sciences

Hinckley, ME

More info


NELE Kids Day

May 17, 2024

Windsor Fairgrounds

Windsor, ME

More info


Maine School Garden Day

May 18, 2024

Kingfield Elementary School

Kingfield, ME

More info


In Bloom in Maine Conference

"Promising Practices in Nature-Based Early Childhood Education"

June 15, 2024

Educare Central Maine

Waterville, ME

More info


National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference

June 24-27, 2024

Salt Lake City, Utah


MAITC Statewide Agriculture Education Organization Grants & Agriculture Leadership Grants Application Deadline

June 28, 2024


MAITC

Summer Teacher's Institute

July 29 - August 2, 2024

More info


MAITC Grant Reports Due

August 1, 2024


Maine Nutrition Council Educational Event

Collaborative Cooking Workshop w/ Maine Grains & The Good Crust

August 7, 2024, 4-6pm

Skowhegan, ME

More info


MAITC Grants Application Deadline (All Categories)

August 30, 2024

4pm


School Garden Caretakers Grant Application Deadline

August 30, 2024

4pm


Maine Nutrition Council Annual Conference

"A Lifetime of Nutrition"

October 18, 2024

University of Maine at Augusta

Augusta, ME


Maine School Garden Network Annual Meeting

November 8, 2024

MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center

Unity, ME


MAITC Statewide Agriculture Education Organization Grants & Agriculture Leadership Grants Application Deadline

December 13, 2024

Visit our Teach ME Food & Farms Lesson Site Developed for Maine Educators
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We LOVE to feature outstanding teachers in Maine who are incorporating agriculture into their classroom!

Fill out this questionnaire to be our next Teacher Feature!!

Blue Hill Consolidated School Celebrates Seaweed Week!

During National Ag Week 2024, students in grades PK-8 at Blue Hill Consolidated School (BHCS) celebrated Seaweed Week! Teachers, Nell Herrmann and Nora Bradford, coordinated a celebration to engage students in learning about the wide array of uses for the sustainable algae found right in their home region. The week was inspired by the Read ME Agriculture program, the Kelp Curriculum from the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, and the school's 2023-2024 theme, "The Sea Around Us." 


Classrooms received either the book The Wakame Gatherers, (by Holly Thompson, illustrated by Kazumi Wilds) or With a Little Kelp from Our Friends, (by Mathew Bate, illustrated by Liz Rowland), courtesy of MAITC and sponsor of both programs, The World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

During Seaweed Week students read books about seaweed, played seaweed tag in PE, tasted seaweed crackers, condiments, quesadillas and other seaweed snacks, and created seaweed-inspired artwork. All students helped in the creation of murals of Maine’s rocky intertidal seaweed and engaged in a variety of hands-on activities including making seaweed lava lamps and bookmarks, visiting a seaweed touch tank, and cooking with seaweed. They all enjoyed interacting with seaweed experts from WWF, 4-H, Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, and Maine Sea Grant. 


BHCS is grateful to the visitors for their time and expertise, and are happy that our students have developed an appreciation for seaweed, a group of organisms important to marine ecosystems and beyond. Much focus was placed on the fact that kelp is a sustainable crop that can be grown and harvested in Maine, and that kelp can provide winter work and income for Maine lobstermen and women. Kelp farms don’t require land, fresh water, pesticides, or fertilizers and they reduce carbon dioxide, phosphorus, and nitrogen! Kelp aquaculture is an up-and-coming industry (60% of farmed edible seaweed produced in the United States come from Maine), which could provide future jobs for many of our students and families.

Read ME Evaluation

THANK YOU to everyone who has particiapated in this year's Read ME Agriculture program!


If you participated, please fill out the evaluation form that pertains to you.

We value your response! Your feedback is crucial in helping us continue to improve our program and ensure it comes back next year!



Teacher Evaluation

Volunteer Reader Evaluation

MAITC Summer Teacher's Institute

Register Today!

Through tours, presentations from industry experts, and hands-on lesson exploration, you will be inspired and prepared to share the world of agriculture with your students. PreK-12 formal and informal educators in all disciplines from across the state and beyond are welcome. Participants will receive 38 contact hours or 3.8 CEU's from the University of Maine for re-certification credit. Scholarships are also available for Maine teachers – apply by email to maitc@maine.gov. Get a glimpse at one of our sessions:

DON'T MISS THIS AMAZING EXPERIENCE! Teachers will enjoy a rewarding afternoon with Robin Lea, Science Instruction Specialist, onsite at The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) on the Portland waterfront. She will lead a tour and introduce GMRI programing, including the popular LabVenture project, available to 5th & 6th grades. The group will experience activities from the Local Seafood in Maine Schools curriculum, and new Potato farming and Maple Climate Change modules will be highlighted! A wonderful hands-on afternoon, playing instructional games and getting an overview of just what is available for you.

Maine School Garden Day

Register Today!

Join Maine School Garden Network for Maine School Garden Day 2024, on Saturday, May 18th at Kingfield Elementary School. Immerse yourself in workshops and discussions designed to support the launch and maintenance of school garden programs, featuring insights from skilled professionals in the field and ample networking opportunities. Connect with the school garden community, participate in insightful workshops, network with local peers, tour the school garden, and have a chance to win exciting door prizes! Affordable accommodations are available for those interested in extending their experience to a second day of planned activities. For more details and the complete agenda, please visit the registration page.

Funding Opportunities!!!

Julia Rappaport Growing Gardeners Fund

Check out this new grant program for youth gardens. The Julia Rappaport Growing Gardeners Fund provides $1,000 - $2,000 annually to one educator to start or expand a garden or gardening science project at their school or community. The grant is intended to increase access to hands-on gardening and gardening science for youth and to foster a lifelong passion for gardening, the natural world, and horticulture in children of all ages and from all backgrounds. The grant recipient will be announced at American Horticultural Society’s annual National Children & Youth Garden Symposium in July. However, applicants do not need to attend the symposium to apply for or receive grant funding. The deadline to apply for a grant is May 10, 2024.


More info and application here.

White Reinhardt Grants 

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is now accepting applications for the 2024-2025 White-Reinhardt School Year Project Grants.

The White-Reinhardt Grant Program funds projects that will increase agricultural literacy. County and State Farm Bureaus may apply for $1,000 grants for education programs for grades K-12 in order to initiate new ag literacy programs or expand existing programs. Grants are available on a competitive basis. 

Please note that grant funds cannot be used for consumable items like food or paper, transportation, wages or safety programs.

The grant applications are open and are due June 14, 2024

To learn more about the White-Reinhardt Fund and apply for the 2024-2025 school year grant follow this link.

If you have any questions, please contact: foundation@fb.org.

Lots of Compassion Grants

Together, Mrs. Meyers Clean Day and KidsGardening designed the Lots of Compassion Grant to support local leaders looking to transform vacant lots into gardens to help grow compassion in their community.


In 2024, 10 grantees will receive $20,000 each to transform a vacant lot into a garden. A total of $200,000 will be awarded.


Deadline: June 30th!

More info and application here.

Seed Money Challenge Grants

Calling all Food Garden Enthusiasts: The 10th Annual SeedMoney Challenge is Here! SeedMoney is thrilled to begin accepting applications for the 10th annual SeedMoney Challenge, a 30-day crowdgranting competition open to any public food garden project anywhere in the world.

Whether you're associated with a community garden, youth garden, food bank garden or community farm, the SeedMoney Challenge can help your project raise the funds it needs to flourish. Participating projects receive 100% (i.e. 0% fees) of what they raise whether they reach their funding goal or not. On top of the funds they raise, projects compete for 432 grants ranging from $100 to $1000. The more a project raises, the larger the grant it qualifies to receive.

Applications close on November 12th.

More information here.

School Garden Caretakers Grants

The Maine School Garden Network (MSGN) is proud to continue their grant program to provide five $2000 mini grants to pay School Garden Caretakers in Maine, thanks to the generous support of the Sewall Foundation. The funds will be issued to school programs and must be used within 1 year of the award.


Visit www.msgn.org or contact us at info@msgn.org for more information.

The application may be found at www.MaineAgintheClassroom.org/grants

 

APPLICATION DEADLINE – 4pm on AUGUST 30th, 2024.

MAITC Grants

In 2024 $70K is earmarked for grants in multiple categories! This support of Maine agriculture education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12 is a direct result of the Maine Agricultural Specialty License Plate. Submit your application to support your endeavor using agriculture as a context for learning! More information about our grants program and links to applications can be found on our website.

DEADLINES:

  • Category 1 - Agricultural Awareness Grant - Up to $1,000: 4pm on August 30, 2024.
  • Category 2 - Agricultural Awareness Grant - Up to $2,000: 4pm on August 30, 2024.
  • Category 3 - School Garden & Greenhouse Grant - Up to $2,000: 4pm on August 30, 2024.
  • Category 4 - Agriculture Leadership Grant - Up to $1,000: The revolving deadline is 4pm on: June 28, August 30, and December 13, 2024.
  • Category 5 - Statewide Agriculture Education Organization Grant - Up to $2,000: The revolving deadline is 4pm on: June 28, August 30, and December 13, 2024.


For more information about our grants program, contact: maitc@maine.gov

For questions regarding the application process, contact:  kelsey.maitc@gmail.com

Christina Sue Lilja Resource Grants

From American Farm Bureau Foundation forAgriculture. The purpose of these grants is to provide funds to educators to enable them to purchase accurate agricultural literacy materials from the AFBFA store for use in their classrooms. By providing this grant, AFBFA hopes to help students gain access to more accurate information about agriculture. Applications for this years grants are due July 19, 2024.

More info and application here.

Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Association

The Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Association is the Non-profit, completely volunteer, portion of MAITC. Their funds are used directly to support teacher scholarships and recognition, and support volunteer participation for Ag education programs. Your donation is completely tax deductible and you can make a one-time donation or a recurring monthly donation which will support the mission, "to promote the understanding of agriculture and natural resources among students, educators, and the general public." If you have any other questions or would like to join this group please contact the chairman, Laurie BowenDonate Here.


The MAITC Association is organizing a fundraiser for materials and teacher scholarships this year. Hats and T-shirts with the MAITC logo and a picture of the agriculture specialty license plate are available to order for a small donation. For more information contact Nancy Wright at dnwright191@gmail.com

Harvest of the Month - May is Maine Wild Blueberries!

Check out our Wild Blueberries Resource Page for lessons, activities, books, and more!


Click here for the great Harvest of the Month (HOM) materials - posters, fact sheets, recipes, social media promo, and more!

Learn more about how schools can participate.


Search the Ag Literacy Curriculum Matrix for even MORE resources!


All of our HOM Resource Pages can be found on our Teach ME site under "Teaching Units"

Teacher Resources Section

Lessons

Animals on the Farm. NEW! Grades PreK-K. Students discover that farm animals produce different types of products.


Farm Animal Life Cycles. Grades K-2. Students investigate six major livestock species, discover that animals need air, space, food, water, and shelter to survive, explore the life cycle of a farm animal, and identify the products each farm animal produces.


Beef Basics. Grades 3-5. Students explain the value of the beef cattle industry, including the products cattle produce, the production process from farm to plate, and how cattle can utilize and obtain energy from grass and other forage.


Taming the Wild Aurochs. Grades 6-8. Students will read about and research the domestication of animals to better understand why and how they are raised on a farm. They will create a timeline of animal domestication.


The Cattle Drive and Westward Expansion. Grades 9-12. Students will gain a greater understanding of the historical context and purpose of the cattle drives that took place in the mid 1880s. Students will be able to explain the cause and effect relationships of life on the frontier including, population growth, and later the invention and use of barbed wire, refrigeration, and railroads.


Looking for more? Explore the Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix HERE

Books

Kindergarten Rancher

A Day in the Life of a Farmer

A Young Shepherd

It's Milking Time

'Til the Cows Come Home

Amazing Grazing

The Shepherd's Trail

Lazy B: Growing Up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest


Don't forget that all SIX of our Agriculture for ME books are available to read online!

Videos

Utah Cattle Drive Special Episode - America's Heartland

Sheep Crossing

Why Can a Cow Eat Grass?



Virtual Field Trip: Beef

Activities & Resources

Livestock Flowchart. This three-page informational sheet describes the processes of how an animal grows, how it gets from the farm to the store, and what products are produced from that animal. Words and simple graphics are used to portray this information for beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. Print your own or order a set of 30" x 8" printed charts from agclassroomstore.com.


Livestock Cards. Double-sided cards representing four livestock species. These cards can add a reading supplement activity to lesson plans to help teach the basic principles about beef cattle, dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry. The cards can be printed from the attached PDF or ordered from the Nebraska Foundation for Agricultural Awareness.


About Farm Animals Mini Kit. This kit contains a one-page coloring and activity sheet for kindergarten and first-grade-age students, complete with wool, felt, grain and other feed samples for students to paste into place. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.


About...Books. If you are a teacher who creates educational books with your children, try creating the About Cattle, About Sheep, About Chickens, About Pigs, and About Goats books. Some of the books provide pages ready to color, others require the names of the animals be written, and other pages ask students to glue down feed samples or wool products. The books provide an opportunity to talk about animal needs, uses, offspring, seasonal changes, etc. The package of materials includes ready-to-copy booklet masters and enough samples of wool, hay, straw, cattle, pig, and chicken feed for the entire class to create the booklets. Order this kit online from agclassroomstore.com.


Illustrated Accounts of Moments in Agricultural History. Modern Farmer magazine offers a number of illustrated accounts by Lucas Adams that depict interesting and important moments in agricultural history. The Illustrated Account of 'The Great Die-Up' of the 1880s tells the story of the winter of 1886-7, which was so harsh that only about one out of ten cattle survived, and the era of the open range came to an end soon after. Other accounts address topics such as the Pleasant Valley Sheep War, mulberry and silk production in 1830s Connecticut, a maple syrup heist, and dairy farming in the 1940s. These graphic novel style articles are sure to engage students from upper elementary to high school and older.   


My American Farm. This site provides a collection of educational online games exploring agricultural topics. Games are labeled with grade level (preK-K, K-2, and 3-5) and subject (math, health, science, geography, etc.). 


Guns, Germs, and Steel. Both a book and a movie, Guns, Germs and Steel lays a foundation for understanding human history. Enter a 10,000 year journey through history and across every continent of the world to learn how and why human civilizations evolved from hunter-gatherers to a growing civilization and why some civilizations progressed faster than others. Learn how farming and the domestication of plants and animals impacted this evolution. 

ReTreeUS


KidsGardening Grants


White-Reinhardt Grants


Whole Kids Foundation


The Pollination Project Grants


Future Organic Farmer Grant


CHS Classroom Foundation Grants


Fuel Up


Project Learning Tree


Captain Planet Foundation


Sustainable Agriculture Grants for Farmers & Educators


Salad Bars to Schools


Fruit Tree 101


Kars4Kids Grants


The Awesome Foundation Grants


Digital Wish Grants


The Flannel Shirt Fund


More funding opportunities are listed from some of our friends:

Maple Curriculum Support: Tapping into Maple Tradition - Lessons for K-12 Classrooms.


Looking for field trips? Check out Real Maine's Food, Farms, and Forest Search


Gulf of Maine Research Institute Learning Resource Hub - compelling curriculum for teachers of middle school students that connects classroom learning to authentic scientific experiences.


ReTreeUS plants orchards in schools and provides educational programs that empower people to be healthy environmental stewards.


See the Maine Farm to School Census here. Are you participating?


Maine School Garden Network provides resources and technical assistance for all school gardens across Maine!


Search the National Ag in the Classroom Curriculum Matrix for resources


Fuel Up offers educators a wide array of resources they can use to help students make sustainable changes in their school environment.


Agroworld is an agricultural science e-zine developed for the secondary educator.


KidsGardening has ideas about plants and gardens, teacher resources, and grant opportunities.


The Chop Chop magazine and website has easy and healthy recipes.


American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has curriculum, games, and resources available for educators and students.

Funding from this plate has impacted up to 200,000 students annually with lessons, materials, volunteers and teacher training. Annually up to $60K is distributed in grants to schools, FFA, 4-H and other Non-profit programs for Ag education initiatives by the Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Council.
Our Mission Statement
"To promote the understanding of agriculture and natural resources among students, educators, and the general public"  
28 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
(207)287-5522
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