Building Momentum Together: Maine Farm & Sea to Institution Summit held at Colby College

On October 14, 2025, food system leaders and local food advocates from Maine and across the Northeast region gathered at Colby College in Waterville for the 2025 Maine Farm and Sea to Institution Summit. Hosted by the Maine Farm and Sea to Institution Network (MEFTI), coordinated by Healthy Communities of the Capital Area, the conference gathered more than 180 farmers, fishermen, food businesses, nutrition directors, educators, policymakers, and others for a full day of learning, networking, and action around the shared goal of leveraging institutional purchasing power to strengthen local food systems and improve public health outcomes. 

The first Maine Farm to Institution Summit took place in 2018 at the University of Maine’s Hutchinson Center in Belfast. Building on the legacy of Maine Farm to School Conferences held since 2015, the Summit reflects the growth of the Farm to School movement and its continued expansion beyond K–12 education to include health care facilities, colleges, correctional institutions, and more.

“Thank you, MEFTI, for hosting this long-overdue event,” remarked one attendee. “The growth in this movement since the inaugural summit has been remarkable. I look forward to building new connections and applying what I’ve learned to help bring more healthy, local food to institutional settings.”

Highlights of the 2025 Summit included a screening of Seeds of Change, a recent film by filmmaker Maximilian Armstrong that tells the story of the organic farm at Mountain View Correctional Facility in Charleston, Maine. Founded by Mark McBrine, now the Maine Department of Corrections’ Farm to Table Director, the program has transformed lives and is a model for institutional food system change. 

The Summit also featured more than twenty speakers. Session topics covered a range of themes, including local procurement best practices, state and federal food policy, Maine organic agriculture trends, local purchasing data, farm-to-school innovations, sea to school 101, a local food culinary demo, and more. Attendees also enjoyed a Local Food Fair showcasing available products from Maine producers and food businesses. Exhibitors included Atlantic Sea Farms, Cluck Ya Poultry, Graffam Brothers, Heiwa Tofu, Hurricane's Soup, Maine Grains, Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative, Maiz Colombian Street Food, Mousam Valley Mushrooms, North Coast Seafoods, Nauti Foods, The Good Crust, Thirty Acre Farm, Tootie's Tempeh, & Veggie Life Foods. The fair created valuable opportunities for local food businesses to connect directly with buyers and local food champions. Another highlight of the event was the menu provided by Parkhurst Dining at Colby College, showcasing ingredients sourced from 20 local farms and food producers.

The Summit highlighted success stories and continued challenges from multiple sectors and underscored the importance of continued collaboration to strengthen Maine’s local food economy. As one participant shared, “Coming to the Summit is like seeing your family again—everyone is here for a common purpose and connected by food.”

Planning committee members of the 2025 MEFTI Summit would like to thank the following sponsors of the event: Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Full Plates Full Potential, Sodexo, Maine Farm and Sea Cooperative, Maine Agriculture in the Classroom, Parkhurst Dining, The Good Crust, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, Healthy Communities of the Capital Area, MaineHealth, Walden Mutual Bank, Maine Community Foundation, Farm to Institution New England, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Maine Organic Farmer’s and Gardener’s Association, Henry P. Kendall Foundation, and Heiwa Tofu.

Event partners include: FoodCorps Maine, Harvesting Good, Maine School Garden Network, Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Maine Health Let’s Go, Maine Farm to School Network, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Full Plates Full Potential, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, and RSU 12.