Resolve, To Develop and Implement a Farm and Fish to School Pilot Program

Sec. 1. Pilot program to examine the benefits of promoting the purchasing of food grown or raised and fish raised or caught by Maine food producers for use in primary and secondary school meal programs. Resolved: That the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, the Department of Education and the Department of Marine Resources, referred to collectively in this resolve as "the departments," shall, within existing resources, support or otherwise assist one or more cooperating nonprofit organizations in the development and implementation of a pilot program to examine the benefits of promoting the purchasing of food grown or raised and fish raised or caught by Maine food producers for use in primary and secondary school meal programs. If grant or other funding is obtained to support the pilot program:

1. Up to 2 schools agreed upon by the departments may choose to participate, one of which must be in an urban area and one of which must be in a rural area;

2. The program may provide to each participating school for up to 2 years up to 6¢ per meal served by the school to promote purchasing food grown or raised and fish raised or caught by Maine food producers for use in the school's meal program; and

3. The departments shall, within existing resources and in coordinating with each cooperating nonprofit organization and each participating school, monitor and receive information generated by the pilot program with respect to the economic impacts, benefits to farmers and producers and impacts on student eating habits and participation in the school's meal program.

The departments shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters by January 1, 2013 on the pilot program, including information generated by the pilot program regarding economic impacts, benefits to farmers and producers and impacts on student eating habits and participation in school meal programs.