Flash News from Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation

 

Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc.  Promoting the understanding and appreciation of the importance of agriculture in our daily lives.     September Flash News   Dates to Remember:   Sept. 6: Maryland Farm Bureau PAC Sporting Clay Event   Sept. 8: MAEF & MGGA Ag Education & Scholarship Golf Fundraiser      Sept. 22: Fall Equinox    Sept. 22-26: Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week    Nov. 6: MAEF 20th Anniversary Banquet & Auction   * Now is the time to donate prizes for the golf fundraiser and auction items for the November silent and live auction!*   Support MAEF     Buy Ag Tags!   *Ag Tag revenues help to underwrite MAEF programs*   Visit www.mva.state.md.us and click on online services for a link to the Agricultural Plate application.    Attention:    If you or someone you know has participated as a student on one of MAEF's Mobile Science Labs or in one of the Ag in the Classroom Summer Workshops, MAEF would like your help.        As part of the 20th Anniversary celebration, MAEF is putting together a video highlighting the 20 years of educating Maryland on the importance of agriculture in our daily lives.  We are looking for your thoughts and experiences to share with our supporters!   If you would like to participate, please contact Corinne at cwilliams@maefonline.com or 410-939-9030 ext. 105.   Thank you     for your support!   Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week September 22-26, 2008   Buy from local farms or farmers' markets and pack nutritious, delicious lunches. What will you bring for lunch? Encourage your school to feature Maryland grown food in the cafeteria.     For more information and lunch ideas, visit www.marylandfarmtoschool.org   The Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Program promotes the sale of nutritious locally grown farm goods to our schools; solicits farmers to participate and keep a database of those participating along with their farm products and harvest schedules; connects school systems and farmers; and establishes "Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week" to arrange for educational interaction between students and farmers, including field trips and in-school presentations, and other promotional events.     Each issue of MAEF's Flash News will highlight an organization or individual who demonstrates exceptional support of agriculture in education.     Baltimore City Public Schools Baltimore City Public Schools are starting off the 2008-2009 school year with a new school lunch philosphy and a new head chef.   Tony Geraci, the new head chef, has decided to change from frozen, pre-packaged meals, to fresh, tasty meals using Maryland products.   As Director of Food and Nutrition for Baltimore City Public Schools, Geraci is planning to open a 37,000 foot central kitchen off of Erdman Avenue by January. He is converting a 33-acre, school-owned facility in east Baltimore into a working farm to grow herbs and vegetables.    This change will not be completed overnight.  For the moment, some city students will continue to receive frozen, micro-waved lunches. The school system has one year remaining on a $6 million contract for the less-than-fresh food, but students do have fresh, from field to fork, lunches to look forward to in the near future!       Come Join Us for Some Ag Fun!   It is fair and festival season!    The Maryland Agricultural Showcase can be found at the following locations:   Damascus Community Fair Sept. 5-6th Damascus Activity Building Damascus, MD    Ravenwood's Farm Day Sept. 13th Ravenwood Lutheran Village Hagerstown, MD   Farm to School Home Grown School Lunch Week Sept. 23rd Tacoma Park School Tacoma Park, MD      Ag Returns to the City Update Ag Returns visited the St. Elisabeth House and the Caritas House at the Jenkins Senior Living Community in Violetville. Residents participated in our Connecting to Agriculture workshop. Sections of Take Me Out to the Cornfield were shown and everyday by-products of agriculture were shared.  Residents at Good Samaritan Nursing Center participated in a workshop to learn about the dairy industry. They watched a video featuring life on a dairy farm.  MAEF was invited to participate in a second workshop at Grandparents' Summer Camp at the Cockeysville Senior Center.  More than 30 grandparents and grandchildren learned all about soy. Participants enjoyed fresh soybeans, soymilk, and soy chips after examining and learning the parts of a soybean plant.  Ag Returns visited the Kids on Campus program at the Frederick Community College. Students built suet bird feeders using wood, nails, wire cloth and hammers. Food for the feeder was also created using bread, sunflower butter and bird seed.