From Gail.Lombardi at maine.gov Wed Jul 29 12:01:25 2009 From: Gail.Lombardi at maine.gov (Lombardi, Gail) Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:01:25 -0400 Subject: [DOE-Fresh-Fruit-and-Vegetables] FW: Suggsetsions for FFVP Local food purchasing in Piscataquis County Message-ID: <32E5C6B0B949584D9B6168C5F727916B064FE633@SOM-TEAQASMAIL1.som.w2k.state.me.us> I am sharing some ideas from Ellen Libby as some of her thoughts apply to all counties Gail Lombardi 207-624-6876 ________________________________ From: Ellen Libby [mailto:elibby at umext.maine.edu] Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 12:54 PM To: Kate Yerxa; Donna Bucher; Sandra Dubay Cc: Beesley, Walter; Lombardi, Gail Subject: Suggsetsions for FFVP Local food purchasing in Piscataquis County Hi all, Here are a few suggestions: * For the FFVP grant we had in MSAD#40 last year, we purchased fruits and veggies from local farmstands, orchards and we also bought a winter CSA share (you can serve cooked veggies with this grant one time/week). * If you have root cellar or cool storage you can buy quantities of apples, carrots, beets, squash, potatoes to use during winter months when local produce is less available. * The Western Mountains Alliance has put out a directory of farms and farm markets this year but it doesn't include Piscataquis County. There are other resources listed at this site and you can also call Tanya Swain, their Executive Director, who may have some other ideas. Her number is 207-778-3885. http://www.westernmountainsalliance.org/eatsmart.html * The Maine Highland Farmers are working on a directory of local foods for Piscataquis, Penobscot and Somerset Counties. Donna Coffin, Extension Educator in Piscataquis County is involved with this group and would be a good resource. Their website is: http://www.mainehighlandsfarmers.com/ * The Maine DOE Child Nutrition Services has a farm to school listserve which Walter Beesley maintains. You can access it (and other useful information regarding local purchasing) at http://www.maine.gov/education/sfs/farm.html * The Maine DOE Child Nutrition Services also has a FFVP listserve for schools (and community partners) who receive the FFVP grants. Gail Lombardi is in charge of the FFVP program and this listserve. FFVP partners and school staff need to contact her to be on this listserve. The FFVP guidance handbook is also located at this website link: http://www.maine.gov/education/sfs/ffvp.htm * The Maine Dept. of Ag and MOFGA both maintain listings for local food sources: http://www.getrealmaine.com/, http://www.mofga.org/Resources/FindLocalFoods/tabid/221/Default.aspx * The Eat Local Foods Coalition of Maine has a networking site entitled Eat Maine Foods with a Maine Food Map that may show sources in Piscataquis: http://www.eatmainefoods.org/ * Walter Beesley and Gail Lombardi may know of schools in Piscataquis County who have worked out local purchasing arrangements so I have ccd them as well (Gail and Walter- any ideas?) Hope this helps! Ellie Ellen B. Libby Extension Educator University of Maine Cooperative Extension 377 Manktown Rd. Waldoboro, ME 04572 (207) 832-0343 or 1-800-244-2104 Fax: (207) 832-0377 elibby at umext.maine.edu ________________________________ From: Kate Yerxa Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 10:08 AM To: Donna Bucher; Sandra Dubay Cc: Ellen Libby Subject: RE: Co-op HI Donna, The school should check with Walter Beesley at the DOE. Also check with Ellie Libby, she may have some ideas as well. Thanks, Kate ________________________________ From: Donna Bucher Sent: Mon 6/29/2009 8:19 AM To: Kate Yerxa; Sandra Dubay Subject: FW: Co-op Do you have any ideas? Donna ________________________________ From: Anita Libby-Kain Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 3:00 PM To: Donna Bucher Subject: Co-op Donna, SAD #4 was awarded a grant to buy and serve fresh fruits and vegetables for snacks next year. Do you have any idea if there is a co-op that they might be able to buy from? Anita -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailman.informe.org/pipermail/doe-fresh-fruit-and-vegetables/attachments/20090729/0b420e5b/attachment-0001.html