This database contains categorized farm to institution resources relevant to New England, including COVID-19. Selection is guided by FINE's resource filter. Have one that we should include? Email us.
Find out how College of the Atlantic in Maine is educating students about food systems through unique courses and "FoodPrint" art installations in the dining halls. See this blog for information about how to create a Foodprint Gallery on Your Campus.
Map and list of Maine farm and seafood products to sell, including available local food and alternative pick-up options, updated during COVID-19.
MEFTI catalyzes a social impact network focused on farm to institution in Maine to help build a healthy and sustainable regional food system. Their website holds resources, funding opportunities, networking events, and more.
The Maine Farm video series is a collaboration between the Maine Department of Education and Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to showcase the growing partnerships between farms and schools. These videos showcase how more Maine farms and producers can establish relationships and sell their products to Maine schools.
The Maine state profile is part of series of snapshots highlighting farm to institution activity in each of the six New England states. This profile highlights key data from ME K-12 schools, colleges, hospitals, producers, and distributors.
This article summarizes tips for farmers, distributors and food service based on the mainstreaming model. Examples explore the connection of farms to college and healthcare facilities in Maine via large broadline distributors.
This guide, made possible with a grant from the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, offers a step-by-step approach to the planning and development of local, healthy food-system initiatives by large-scale foodservice operators. It is based on the successful experience of the Dining Program of the University of Massachusetts Amherst over the past 15 years or so. The Guide provides tips and hints to help you set up your own local healthy food system initiative, boost local sourcing of food, and re-engineer your menu cycle in favor of healthy, sustainable, delicious meals. Throughout the Guide, you will find case study examples from UMass Dining.
Online Map to Connect Vermont's Champlain Valley customers with farmers directly. In an effort to connect farms with folks looking for local food during the COVID-19 pandemic, ACORN has created an interactive online map that lists nearly 250 farmers and food producers in the Champlain Valley who sell food locally. There is also a map for non-food products and services such as seedlings, compost, hay and more.
Farm-to-school (F2S) local food procurement must be cost-effective to be financially sustainable without policy support. We test, among schools participating in F2S programs, whether market channel procurement strategies for local foods affect schools’ perceptions of whether meal costs decline as a result of F2S participation. Schools that buy local foods exclusively from intermediaries are 7 percentage points less likely to report lower costs from undertaking F2S initiatives. We further demonstrate that the probability that schools source local foods exclusively from intermediaries is influenced by the number of direct marketing farmers in their county
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed many challenges within the food supply chain, and has illuminated the importance of a strong local food system to meet the needs of food producers and consumers not just during crises, but at all times. As the Commonwealth works to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure that we are prepared for future crises, support for a resilient local food system is critical. The Massachusetts Food System Collaborative has published “Massachusetts’ Local Food System: Perspectives on Resilience and Recovery,” presenting a set of challenges, opportunities, and recommendations toward an equitable, sustainable, and resilient local food system for the Commonwealth.
The Massachusetts state profile is part of series of snapshots highlighting farm to institution activity in each of the six New England states. This profile highlights key data from MA K-12 schools, colleges, hospitals, producers, and distributors.
Map of Massachusetts farms, farmers markets, and activities, updated during COVID-19.
This resource reflects nationwide waivers and guidance available as of 8/21/2020. This document will continue to be updated as new guidance comes out.
This report identifies metrics related to racial equity in the food system that are either in use by organizations currently or have been recommended, whether in a publication or through an interview. By documenting the current landscape in this area, this report provides a foundation for the Michigan Good Food Charter Shared Measurement Advisory Committee to consider and select a set of metrics that can be used at state (Michigan) and local levels to track progress towards an equitable food system.1 The metrics in this report can also provide a foundation for other interested organizations to track progress.
Measuring Up is a six-part blog series from Farm to Institution New England. It provides a snapshot of the farm to institution landscape in New England. There are 4,628 K-12 schools, 210 Campuss and universities with dining services, and 256 hospitals in New England – in total, these institutions feed an estimated 3.8 million people per day. This series draws from two years of work by the FINE metrics team, presenting key indicators for farm to institution success. Each blog post delves into a few key indicators and gives you links for diving deeper. Thank you for joining us for Measuring Up, and stay tuned for more metrics news in 2018!
This one-hour webinar addresses challenges in campus dining around adapting campus menus to incorporate more local food. Speakers include Mike Webster, Hotchkiss School; Mary Reilly, Westfield State University; and David Gould, Rhode Island School of Design.
This economic impact assessment was compiled on March 18, 2020 for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Across key local and regional markets (i.e., farmers markets, farm to school, food hubs serving other institutions, and restaurants) we expect to see up to a $688.7 million decline in sales leading to a payroll decline of up to $103.3 million, and a total loss to the economy of up to $1.32 billion from March to May 2020. Without immediate mitigation, we may lose many small, socially disadvantaged, and beginning farms and the important markets they serve.
Farms to Institution is an initiative to reduce wasted food and increase access to fresh, local foods in correctional facilities across the state. This article and short video describes how Mountain View Correctional Facility in Charleston, Maine is saving money and growing their own food.
The National Farm to Institution Metrics Collaborative is a group dedicated to developing best practices for measuring the impact of the institutional market across the supply chain. This nation-wide, multi-sector collaborative seeks to develop a common set of food procurement metrics, benchmarks, and best practices for institutional dining that promote the health and resilience of their community's economic, ecological, and social systems.
A national map of where to find seafood, updated during COVID-19.