MEFTI Leadership Team
Alida Peterson
Network Coordinator | Food Systems Program Associate | Healthy Communities of the Capital Area
A native Mainer, Alida returned to her home state of Maine in the summer of 2023 after several years working in the Vermont food system in various capacities— from farming and cooking, to working as a Local Food Access Coordinator where she managed hunger relief programs and worked with charitable organizations to increase their local food offerings. Alida recognizes the inseparable link between these metrics of sustainability and sees great potential for improvements in our food system to influence social, economic, and environmental justice in Maine. In her free time, Alida enjoys crafting of all kinds (sewing, ceramics, stained glass, printmaking) and spending time in nature.
Sarah Sims
Network Coordinator | Food Systems Program Associate | Healthy Communities of the Capital Area
Before joining MEFTI in 2024, Sarah was leading operations at a food hub and organic restaurant in her hometown, where she connected families with locally grown food while supporting small farmers and producers. Sarah has spent many years as an organic vegetable farmer, and runs a small, diversified operation in Lincoln County.
Guided by a deep belief in the transformational power of food, Sarah sees an opportunity to strengthen Maine’s health, food security, working landscapes, and local economy.
Based in the Midcoast area, Sarah enjoys growing food, cooking with friends and family, and exploring Maine’s beautiful natural spaces.
Anna Libby
alibby@mofga.org
Community Education Director | Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
Anna Libby works as the Educational Programs Coordinator at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). Her work at MOFGA focuses on programming for gardeners, homesteaders, and those who love to enjoy the food our farmers produce. Anna grew up on a small farm in Maine where she and her family raised sheep and chickens alongside their garden and orchard. She still gardens and raises chickens on the same property, where she now lives with her husband, dog, and cat. She appreciates the connections the Farm to School Network helps to build both within Maine's communities, as well as between growers and students.
Ashley Edmondson
ashley.edmondson@mainehealth.org
Program Manager | Maine Health Let's Go!
The Let’s Go! program supports early care and education, out-of-school programs, schools, and school nutrition programs in adopting policy and environmental change. Ashley oversees the technical assistance, resource development & trainings for Let's Go! partner sites.
With nearly 20 years of public health experience, Ashley is a trained facilitator, presenter and project manager and holds a BA in sociology with a minor in holistic health from the University of Southern Maine. She lives in Portland, Maine with her husband, daughter and son and loves to hike, paddle board and play in the outdoors!
Katie Knowles
Farm and Sea to School Coordinator | Maine Department of Education
Kristina Kalolo
kkalolo@sewallfoundation.org
Food Systems Community Partner | Sewall Foundation
Kristina is passionate about working at the intersections of social change, sustainable food systems, and collective healing.
Most recently, she was the Program Manager for the MaineHealth Food Pantry at Maine Medical Center. She also worked as the Markets Manager for the Somali Bantu Community Association and oversaw the Cumberland County Food Security Council’s child nutrition programming.
Martha Poliquin
Martha was the Food Service Director for the Falmouth School Department, overseeing three production kitchens providing healthy meal options to 2100 K-12 students. The nutrition program uses scratch cooking and local foods to the greatest extent possible. Martha was also the coordinator of Falmouth’s Farm-to-School program which roots the farm-to-school movement into Falmouth’s cafeterias, classrooms, and learning gardens. Martha fell in love with the Maine woods, lakes, and coast at the age of 16 and has made Maine her home ever since. She is a graduate of the University of Maine (BS in Botany) and Southern Maine Technical College (Assoc. Degree in Culinary Arts). Favorite foods are pie and barbecue.
Farm to School Area of Expertise: Local Procurement for School Nutrition Programs
Melissa Persico
Owner/Founder Red Root Collaborative
Mike Flynn
Director, Student Nutrition Services at Sheepscot Valley RSU #12
Mike Flynn is a certified executive chef and school nutrition director for RSU #12. Mike has been involved in food services for the past 35 years, during his career he has worked in Maine. Texas, California and Japan purchasing regional/local foods as close to the farming source as possible. The past 15 years Mike's focus has been on child nutrition, exploring ways for students to consider asking questions about where their food comes, discussing how valuable local farmers are for a lifetime of good health and good food.
Molly Standish
Student Research Intern | Healthy Communities of the Capital Area
Molly Standish is a senior at Colby College, double-majoring in Global Studies and Government. Originally from the Minneapolis area, her passion for local food systems began during an internship at Liberty Farms, an organic vegetable garden in Ghent, New York. That experience led her to get involved with the Colby Organic Farm on campus. She is currently interning with the Maine Farm & Sea to Institution Network, supporting research for the Farm-to-Long-Term-Care initiative, and is excited to contribute to this important project.
Robin Kerber
Robin is the Associate Program Director at Full Plates Full Potential, as well as the Sales Manager at Daybreak Growers Alliance. Robin grew up in Freeport where her parents ran a bed and breakfast for nearly two decades. It was here that her foundation of sharing meals with others grew into a lifelong passion for using food as a connection to community and people. She left Maine to study and work as a classically-trained pastry chef, earning degrees from the Culinary Institute of America and Drexel University. Since returning to her home state in 2013, Robin has continued to work in food systems, trying everything from dairy farming to selling seafood, always with an interest in expanding her skills and palate. Robin has worked in jobs across the food service and farming sector, all with the goal of supporting markets for farmers and producers while keeping local, fresh food at the heart of the community. She is committed to reducing barriers to healthy food and making sure that everyone has equitable access to food that keeps our bodies and environment healthy.
Robin lives in the Midcoast area where she is slowly, seed by tiny seed, starting a goji berry farm.
Sophie Scott
Sustainable Seafood Project Manager | Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Sophie works at Gulf of Maine Research Institute to get more underutilized Gulf of Maine seafood onto peoples’ plates. The goal of this work is to support an economically and ecologically vibrant seafood industry in the Gulf of Maine by increasing consumer demand for sustainable local seafood. She has experience in almost every step of the seafood supply chain, from cultivating oysters, to delivering shellfish, to serving Gulf of Maine seafood to consumers in some of Maine’s best restaurants, to working on her uncle’s boats mastering the art of baiting bags and banding lobsters.
Sophie has been committed to sustainable food systems for the past 15+ years. Coming from a fishing family, her undergraduate work was focused on sustainable food systems and ecological agriculture and in her decade as a waitress, she established garden plots at the farm-to-table restaurant where she was employed. Her graduate research focused on bridging the gap between science and policy and in her current role at GMRI she works closely with institutions to help them serve local seafood. In addition to her love of food, Sophie enjoys spending time outside – swimming in the ocean, cross country skiing, and exploring nearby trails with her family.