Real Maine News and Updates
Hello from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry — this is the latest edition of our Real Maine News And Updates. We aim to share information from farmers and producers and deliver a go-to resource where you can connect with Real Maine farms, food, and agriculture, and ultimately find yourself planning and enjoying Real Maine experiences. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and always feel free to share your news, recipes, and Real Maine photos with us by emailing DACFRealMaine@maine.gov.
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Be sure to plan to attend Maine's agricultural fairs this summer, featuring, among many attractions, farm animals, livestock, and agricultural exhibits. Save this year's fair dates.
Maine also has many festivals in summer and fall that celebrate what makes our state great and offer a wide variety of entertainment.
Fairs offer fun activities and delicious food for the whole family!
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Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast and Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport serve locally grown food to around 500 patients, staff, and families daily.
Sheila Costello, director of nutrition services at both hospitals, regularly sources root crops, salad greens, and other local produce from nearby farms and connects with other potential vendors at the Belfast Farmers Market and through the online directory at Real Maine.
The hospitals offer a vegetarian menu item and feature a local vegetable every day, and the local purveyors are highlighted on their whiteboards. They purchase local jams, honey, mustard, cheese, crackers, salads, salad dressings, and apples to offer in their retail spaces. Both hospitals recently did a taste testing of a plant-based shepherd’s pie made with Maine potatoes for a recipe contest, and they host a farmers market at each site in the fall with local food, crafts, and health education.
During the growing season, Costello typically emails the farms weekly to learn what is available and to place the hospitals’ orders. She also meets with the farmers at the end of the growing season to learn from the past year and plan for the following year. Purchasing nutritious local food helps MaineHealth, with which Waldo County and Pen Bay are affiliated, meet their sustainability goals and align with the overall mission of the hospitals to help create healthier communities.
To learn more about Maine’s Local Foods Procurement Program and how to increase farm-to-institution sales, contact Brittany Peats, Maine DACF Institutional Market Development Coordinator, at brittany.peats@maine.gov.
Garlic scapes are the curly tops of garlic plants. Slightly less pungent than garlic bulbs, they can be chopped and sprinkled on salads or casseroles.
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Real Maine members have access to all Real Maine merchandise, including stickers, flags, hang tags, manager signs, aprons, and more.
We've recently added trucker hats and bakery-length aprons available to order online.
Reply to let us know what other items you would like to see available.
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The Real Maine brand was created by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to market Maine agricultural products. If your farm or business creates Maine agricultural products (grown or produced in the state) or agricultural experiences, sign up to become a member! Members may use the logo on their products, may purchase marketing materials (such as stickers, banners, and hang tags), and will be listed on www.RealMaine.com. Membership is free!
*Note: Real Maine membership applications are reviewed through a screening process. Products and businesses featuring products containing or related to marijuana, hemp, THC, aquaculture, and seafood are excluded from eligibility.
There are many upcoming events where you can interact with Real Maine members and their farms and businesses. Use the Events Calendar on RealMaine.com to help you plan your Real Maine experiences. And Real Maine members - submit your event for the calendar! |
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Join us for the Harvesting Maine podcast for an inside look at Maine agriculture. Our live-broadcast conversations with Real Maine members take us behind the scenes and through the seasons. |
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