TRACK A> From Farm & Sea: Expanding Local Markets

Increasing the amount of healthy local food in our schools, institutions, and retailers is imperative to the health of Maine’s communities and economy.

How can we expand local procurement to meet the capacity and consistent demands of these markets? How can we afford not to?

Organizers: Maine Farm to Institution Network, Maine Farm to School Network, MOFGA, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Sewall Foundation, UMaine Mitchell Center

Join us for The Maine Food Convergence, a series of virtual networking events taking place on Zoom, centering interactive group work. Gather with a wide variety of Maine food system sector colleagues to focus on:

• top priorities in the Maine food system
• specific actions needed to work on collectively
• systems to support ongoing collaboration

Although originally envisioned as a day-long, in-person summit, we will continue to convene virtually due to COVID-19. We aim to continue this project into the future, where an in-person event may be possible.

Track A Event Schedule

The expectation is that you will attend the opening, reconvening, and all 3 sessions of the track, as each session will build upon the last.

• Opening Session - Monday, February 15, 4-6 pm
• Session `1 - Tuesday, February 16, 10 am - 1 pm
• Session 2 - Tuesday, February 23, 10 am - 1 pm
• Session 3 - Tuesday, March 2, 10 am - 1 pm
• Reconvening - Thursday, March 11, 4-6 pm

Threads woven throughout all tracks:

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice; Climate Adaptation; Policies to support priorities; Training, Funding Needs, Other Resources; and Research Needs

Zoom info and participant packets will be delivered via email upon registration.

Convergence Schedule

Opening: Setting the Framework

MONDAY, February 15th at 4pm – Everyone will join together for a keynote panel featuring national, regional, and statewide perspectives on food systems transformation; relationship-building and storytelling activities with Maine Environmental Changemakers Youth Network; a Racial Equity & Justice presentation on centering equity and inclusion in our work; systems mapping; and more.

Track Sessions

We encourage you to register for one or more tracks— the expectation is that you will attend all 3 sessions of the track, as each session will build upon the last.

Session 1: IDENTIFYING PRIORITIES

Session-specific presenters, storytellers, and collective group work will solidify the priority issues identified in the 2020 Regional Dialogues.

Session 2: DEVELOPING PRIORITIES

Participants engage in facilitated group work to develop the priorities identified in session 1.

Session 3: ORGANIZING FOR ACTION

Work groups identify the infrastructure needed for collective action and present their action plans to the full Track.

Reconvening: Reflections and Next Steps

THURSDAY, March 11th at 4pm – Everyone will join together again for a keynote panel of food system stakeholders; presentations from each Track’s collective group work; storytelling prompts and group reflections, DEI Reflections & Assessment; Next Steps.

Your full-priced ticket is supporting the resources to fuel this creative space of individuals and to provide the ability for us to offer a sliding scale for participants.

We want everyone to be able to attend the event and we offer a sliding scale for participants. *Sliding scale language is from https://www.awarela.org/donate

$20 – Representing an Organization, Institution, or Business with annual budgets under $150,000, or Individuals who have little expendable income.

$50 – Representing an Organization, Institution, or Business with annual budgets of $150 - $250,000, or Individuals who are able to meet their basic needs and have expendable income.

$75 – Representing an Organization, Institution, or Business with annual budgets of $250 - $500,000, or Individuals who are comfortably able to meet their basic needs and have ample expendable income.

$100 – Representing an Organization, Institution, or Business with annual budget above $500,000, or Individuals who have ample expendable income.

$0 - Scholarship: Individuals and Organizations who are unable to or struggle to meet their basic needs and have little to no expendable income. Email mainefoodconvergence@gmail.com for a scholarship code.

Scholarships to attend the conference are available! Email mainefoodconvergence@gmail.com

Thank you to our generous project funders for making this project possible, Quimby Family Foundation, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation and our vast team of supporters.

We’re offering a unique sponsorship opportunity to organizations that stand behind Maine food and food systems as central to the health of our diverse communities, local economies, and natural resources.

Please contact us at mainefoodconvergence@gmail.com for more information on how to support this series of events and read more here about sponsorship opportunities.