Greetings Friends!
Welcome to our very first Food Rescue MAINE Newsletter. Here we will share with you updates on the amazing progress that is being made in Maine - and beyond - to end food waste. Please feel free to share this newsletter with others who might be interested.
Thank you for your continued interest and efforts to end wasted food and food loss in Maine!
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Second Annual Food Waste Solutions Summit
A huge thank you to everyone that was able to join us at our 2022 Food Waste Solutions Summit virtual meeting. It was a pleasure to hear from our amazing guest speakers including Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, a bi-partisan food waste legislation leader, and Angel Veza, senior manager for ReFED - the nation's leading food waste data and economics non-profit agency. Two panels covered key food waste topics: "Why Stop Food Waste" and "Maine Food Waste Success Stories". Our own Mitchell Center Food Rescue MAINE student interns also presented exciting updates on Mitchell Center statewide food waste pilots and led breakout workshops for each solution area.
For those who were unable to attend, you can now view the 2022 Maine Food Waste Solutions Summit online. to learn more about Maine's food waste solutions and how you can get involved(link below).
And remember – Maine food is too good to waste!
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Solution 1: Measure, Track, and Save
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Prevention is the best solution for food waste! In a 2021 report, the EPA confirmed that preventing food waste is best solution for food waste (Click here to read full report). The Mitchel Center together with the the Maine Department of Corrections (MDOC) has developed and implemented a simple food waste tracking and measuring system that has shown terrific results in preventing food waste. Testing the simple paper and pencil tracking system for just eight weeks in three MDOC facilities, they were to identify food waste prevention opportunities that would reduce reduce their levels of food waste by approximately 20%.Ryan Fitzmaurice, the Mitchell Center student intern responsible for this food waste prevention pilot, would like to expand this work to Maine restaurants and schools. Please contact ryan.fitzmaurice@maine.edu for more information.
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This month, Food Rescue U.S. partnered with the Wells Fargo Championship and Levy Restaurants to provide 9,000 meals to the DMV area.
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For those who missed it! On April 22nd, Food Rescue MAINE partnered with Chef Becky Shepherd from Wild Oats Café in Brunswick, ME for a fun food saving webinar. Chef Becky taught us all abut the amazing food waste prevention tips that she uses in her kitchen. Click here to watch the recording and see the whole event for yourself!
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Solution 3: Student Education
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During the 2021-2022 academic year, Food Rescue MAINE has been partnering with Maine elementary schools to bring a food waste curriculum to students. Throughout the summer and into the next school year, we are looking to work with more elementary and high school teachers/administator that are interested in teaching their students about food waste and food rescue. The link below will bring you to our website education page, where you can see our current elementary curriculum and contact us about becoming a partner in this ongoing effort.
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Solution 4: Farm Food Processing
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Food Rescue MAINE recently partnered with students and faculty in the UMaine system to create a comprehensive GIS map for The Food Rescue MAINE website. Once this map is up and running, it will provide information about Maine's food system infrastructure across the state (food recycling drop-off stations, donation sites, curbside collection service areas, etc.). Keep an eye on our website and social media for updates on this amazing new resource!
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Solution 5: Food Donation
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Did you recently clean out your fridge or pantry and find good, edible food you'd like to donate? Check out the Good Shepherd Food Bank's website at the link below to see what items they need most. If you have any concerns about donating your food, take a look at our food donation toolkit to learn about how Maine laws protect and support food donors.
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Solution 6: Divert Food from Landfills
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Mark King from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will host a series of regional workshops to show communities how they can best dispose of their food waste. Click the link below to find out when a workshop is happening in your area.
Throughout the summer and into the fall, Food Rescue MAINE will be looking for new pilot communities to participate in our food recycling program. Click here to find out what we have already accomplished and how your community can get involved.
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Check Out Our Blog Posts!
Food Rescue MAINE has a selection of blog posts addressing all of your food waste questions!
- Learn how meal planning and proper food storage can reduce wasted food
- Start a local food donation program
- Discover the facts about food date labeling
Explore all of our blog posts on the Food Rescue Maine website!
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To make this important work possible, Food Rescue MAINE works with college students across the state that come from a range of different disciplines. From English to Economics to Environmental Science, each of our amazing interns bring their own unique knowledge together to collaborate on creative solutions to end food waste.
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