About Maine Course

1. Foster a strong Maine economy through the creation of inclusive market opportunities for local producers, aggregators and fisherpeople
2. Promote a sustainable food system culture by ensuring that all foods are used for their highest and best purpose and not considered waste
3. Cultivate intentional collaboration and transparency across multiple dimensions of diverse communities** as foundational to our work to ensure racial equity and continue with a concerted effort to remove structural barriers for market entry. **SWMBE, gender, sexual orientation & gender identity (LGBTQ+), generations, race/cultures/origins, disabilities
4. Inspire Sodexo chefs and managers with the resources they need to expand their local impact

The Maine Course is aligned with the goals and values of Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow 2025 plan and Sodexo’s Supplier Code of Conduct.

Maine Course governance is made up of a combination of Sodexo employees and Maine food system stakeholders. This provides Maine Course internal advocacy and support as well as expertise and perspective from the broader Maine food system.

• The University of Maine System

• Southern Maine Community College

• Central Maine Community College

• Maine College of Art

• Maine Maritime Academy

• Thomas College

• Central Maine Health Care Center

• P & G Tambrands

• Maine-Made: Maine grown, harvested and produced products

○ In order to count as local, the item must tick two out of three boxes:

• Maine grown
• Maine owned

Maine produced/manufactured/processed

○ UMS Local Definition:

• Ingredients produced within 175 miles (as the crow flies) from any of the 7 primary campuses § Processed foods with at least 51% local ingredients as defined above
• Water will not be considered a local ingredient or a processed food
• Non-indigenous foods prepared and processed in Maine by an in-state owned and operated company where the majority of the owners are Maine community members with full autonomy and decision-making authority with respect to business practices § Processed foods made from locally unavailable ingredients but prepared and processed in Maine by an in-state owned and operated company where the majority of the owners are Maine community members with full autonomy and decision-making authority with respect to business practices

Priority Products

• Commitment to source local Priority Produce Products 100% when in-season and available from partners

• Includes: Apples, Beets, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrots, Corn (fresh & frozen), Green Beans, Onions, Potatoes (chef, red, russet), Squash, Tomato, Blueberries

Seafood Commitment

• June 2015, Sodexo committed to purchasing 100% GMRI-certified, responsibly harvested fresh white fish by 2020. This was accomplished by January 1, 2020

• This commitment was made in partnership with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

Maine Grain Commitment

• Over the next five years, Sodexo chefs at all Maine locations will double the number of menu items that include local grains and increase local grain purchasing by 50%.

• Products that count towards this commitment:

○ Barley, Farro, Yellow Pea (whole & flour), Rolled Oats, Flour (Maine-grown wheat), Maine-grown beans/legumes

• Expectations of the accounts:

○ Double the number of menu items that include local grains, as well as increase local grain purchasing by 50%

○ Maine-grown grains must be menued at least three times a week and include daily menued scratch cookies.

Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership

• Sodexo is proud to sign on as a Northeast Organic Family Farm partner to support organic dairy farms in the Northeast and to help secure the future of organic dairy. We're committed to purchasing organic dairy products from brands that source their milk from our region.

• To learn about our commitment and the partnership, please visit: www.saveorganicfamilyfarms.org

In June 2016, Sodexo took over six of the University of Maine accounts. Sodexo committed to purchasing 15-20% local food within the first year of operations as part of the Maine Course initiative. Minimum of 20% local spend with a minimum of a 1% increase year over year end goal of 20% in 2020. We achieved 20% by 2017.

• Hit 19.5% in the first year (Sodexo alone)

• Hit 23% by December 2017 (Sodexo and Orono)

FY19 (July 1st, 2018 – June 30th, 2019): UMS: 23.7%

FY20: UMS: 25.7%

FY21: UMS: 25.4%

FY22: UMS: 25.9%

• Increase purchasing of local Maine produce, proteins, and products

○ Robust local purchasing tracking system for all Maine accounts

○ Launched Priority Products: Priority Products are products Maine Course has identified as products that are best-fit for use in Maine institutional markets, based on local supply and institutional demand

○ Work closely with the Maine Course, and the ad-hoc Priority Product sub-committee, made up of stakeholders from across Maine’s food system, to identify local purchasing opportunities

○ Use local purchasing data to create purchasing goals for products and individual accounts

○ Host statewide training and networking forum between Sodexo and Maine producers, distributors, technical assistance service providers, food hubs, and other food system stakeholders

○ Communicate product demand throughout the Maine supply chain

• Grow partnerships with our local community

○ 2016: Hired Maeve McInnis, Maine Course Director, to manage and grow relationships with Maine agriculture community

○ Coordinate tours of area farms and food businesses for our Maine accounts

○ Host networking and local food themed events and meals

○ Partner with local organizations and sponsor events and gatherings that are in line with Maine Course goals

• Develop shared values and bring awareness of Maine products and sustainable practices to our customers in all dining locations

○ Marketing materials in each dining unit to identify the local products featured in the menu, the Maine Course goals, and the stories of the producers and processors supplying our food.

○ Student internships to increase awareness about Maine Course, offer peer-to-peer engagement on campus, and educate students about the Maine and regional food system.

○ Dedicated Data Intern assists in formatting monthly data report alongside Maine Course Director

• Provide Sodexo chefs and managers with the resources they need to expand their local impact

○ Offering a “Local Food Buying Guide” for chefs and managers at each account, identifying how to identify local food options through current vendors and maximize local purchasing opportunities

○ Strengthening the network and means of communication between all Maine Course accounts to share best practices and local sourcing tips

○ Collaborating and training accounts on implementing local food purchasing tracking system and support in analysis of results

2024-2025 Accomplishments

○ Summer Farm tours: This summer, Sodexo chefs and staff toured Maine Course partners, including Milkhouse Yogurt, The Good Crust, Mic Mac Farms, and Short Creek Farm.

○ Kendall Food Vision Prize: Won a Kendall Food Vision Prize in partnership with Skowhegan Economic Development Corporation, Maine Grains, and the University of Maine System. The prize supports the initiative to create healthy, ready-to-eat, upcycled grain-based snacks for college students by transforming local byproducts, such as those from milling, cheesemaking, seaweed, blueberries, and soy, into nutritious, high-value packaged foods for campus dining.

○ In the Fall, Maine Course held statewide tasting events featuring locally grown grains. University of Maine campuses celebrated the revival of Maine's grain economy with meals featuring Aroostook County grains stone-milled in Skowhegan, highlighting the Maine Course partnership with Maine Grains and the Maine Grain Alliance.

○ In the fall, University of Maine campuses celebrated Maine's local food bounty with "Eat Like a Local" events in campus dining halls, showcasing dishes made from Maine Course partners of locally grown and produced ingredients.

○ In October and November, Maine Course held its second annual Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrations across the University of Maine campuses. The celebrations featured Indigenous-inspired dishes by Sodexo chefs and performances by Wabanaki Nation members, including storytelling, flute music, and drumming.

○ First annual Battle of the Chefs event. To celebrate the significant achievement of completing its 5-year goal to double the use of Maine-grown grains—and to kick off a renewed 5-year commitment—Maine Course hosted its first annual Battle of the Chefs at UMaine. Five Sodexo chef teams from campuses across Maine competed in a local grain-focused cook-off, emceed by celebrity chef Kerry Altiero.

○ During Earth Week, campus dining halls across Maine celebrated sustainability with themed events offering diverse dishes. The events highlighted local food, plant-based meals, waste reduction, composting, and food donations. Students were treated to various dishes from Maine Course partners like North Coast Seafoods' kelp meatballs and Tootie's Tempeh, reinforcing the power of everyday choices to support a healthier planet.

○ Hosted FINE (Farm to Institution New England) Summit Welcome reception.

○ Maine Course received the 2025 Gulf of Maine Tastemakers Award from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, recognizing Maine Course for leadership in climate resilience, innovation, and local seafood sourcing. Since 2015, we've worked toward using 100% Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested® fresh white fish in our dining halls—a goal we proudly achieved in 2020!

2023-2024 Accomplishments

Continued to grow our partnerships with our local community.

○ Maine Course renewed its commitment with the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership to source organic dairy from Maine-based brands using Maine Milk through our collaboration with Maine Milkhouse Dairy.

○ Expanded our relationships with local meat providers, including Short Creek Farms' small-batch pork products from regional farms processed at their Maine butchery.

○ In our efforts to bring more locally raised poultry and meats to our dining tables, Maine Course forms a partnership with Maine Family Farms.

Indigenous Peoples' Day

○ In October and November 2023, Maine Course celebrated Indigenous Peoples' Day and Heritage Month in collaboration with the University of Maine campuses. The dining halls featured a special menu filled with Native American-inspired dishes from traditional recipes, making this a culturally rich culinary experience.

Eat Local

○ On September 20, 2023, Maine Course's "Eating Like a Local" event transformed campus dining halls into a celebration of New England's bounty. Students and staff enjoyed dishes with locally sourced ingredients, reflecting Sodexo's sustainability and commitment to regional sourcing, showcasing its rich agricultural heritage. This event was a testament to the power of thoughtful sourcing and the delicious possibilities of eating locally.

Earth Day

○ During Earth Day week, Maine Course celebrated sustainability and local sourcing with themed events. Each day highlighted a different commitment: eating local, plant-based dishes, reducing food waste, composting, recycling, and food donations. The festivities reminded everyone of their responsibility to care for the planet for future generations. By engaging students and staff, the week underscored the importance of thoughtful choices and community action in preserving our environment.

2022-2023 Accomplishments

Broccoli Takeover Event

○ On January 31, we hosted 11 events across campuses in Maine to celebrate the release of the Harvesting Good frozen Maine broccoli florets. This event marked the culmination of our six-year partnership with Good Shepherd Food Bank and Harvesting Good. We are thrilled to see it come to fruition, knowing the positive economic impact it will have on the Maine food economy and Maine farmers and food processors. Plus, a portion of this product goes to feeding food-insecure Mainers.

Vertical Harvest Tastings

○ In April, we coordinated statewide events with our partner Vertical Harvest. They are building a hydroponic farm in the heart of downtown Westbrook to bring fresh produce to urban markets. One of their core values is hiring and training people with unique abilities, a value we share.

2021-2022 Accomplishments

• Local Purchasing FY22 17.9% (UMS percentage 25.9%)

• Milestone with Kendall Food Vision Prize: planting the first broccoli crop

• Signatory of the Northeast Organic Family Farm partnership

• Good Crust pizza tasting at all campuses

• Kelp Tasting events on all campuses

• Farm Tours: Bixby Chocolate Co in Rockland, Maine, Atlantic Sea Farms in Biddeford, Maine, Passamaquoddy Wild Maine Blueberry barrens, and Circle B Farms in Caribou, Maine

• Pandemic: Continues to cause inflation and supply chain issues

• Won a Kendall Food Vision prize in partnership with Good Shepherd Food Bank to continue work we've done on bringing frozen Maine-grown broccoli to the institutional and retail markets in New England

2020-2021 Accomplishments

• Local Purchasing for FY21 16% (UMS percentage: 25.4%)

• Conference Presentations: Maine Agricultural Trade Show

• Pandemic: No in-person dining, only serving take-out meals, and the majority of students studying remotely

2019-2020 Accomplishments

• Local Purchasing for FY20: 17.2%; UMS percentage: 25.7%

• Achieved commitment to shift 100% of our fresh whitefish to Gulf of Maine Responsible Harvested whitefish (Celebrated achievement at the Blaine House)

• Made the Maine Grain Commitment – see above for details

• Won a Kendall Food Vision Prize with UMF, UMPI, and Good Shepherd Food Bank for our frozen broccoli project

• Conference Presentations: Maine Agricultural Trade Show, FINE Farm to Sea Webinars: Sustainable Seafood and Maine Grains

• In March, the pandemic hits, and everything shuts down

2018-2019 Accomplishments

• FY19: 13.5% Maine Course, UMS 24.1%

• Frozen Produce Pilot (Research intern completed study on regional frozen produce businesses)

• Conference Presentations: Farm to Institution New England Summit, April 2019

• Farm Tours

2017-2018 Accomplishments

• 13.5% Local for Maine Course

• Sodexo and Orono hit 23.7% local by December 2017 (FY18), ahead of that year's target

• Recognized at the 2018 Agricultural Commissioner's Luncheon at the Agricultural Trade Show in January 2018 that we hit our target 3 years ahead of schedule

• Committed to Local Produce Priority Products

• Partnership with Circle B Farms – Northern Maine Local produce distributor

• Introduced Jarva cakes to PFG for distribution

• Added Local Poultry to contract with Central Maine Meats

• Conference presentations: AASHE, October 2017, and Maine Farm to Institution Summit, February 2018

• Working group: Frozen produce pilot run with Lakeside Family Farms and Central Maine Meats (Further research required to understand the viability of the project)

2016-2017 Accomplishments

• Automated Data template created with Maine Course and Sodexo Finance

• Central Maine Meats partnership

• Scaling Up event

• Working with the UMS economist to do an economic feasibility study on our local commitment and the state impact

• Maine Farm to School, October 2016

• Conference presentations: FINE, April 2017, and National Farm Viability Conference, May 2017

• 12.5% Local for Maine Course (year one)

• 19.5% Local for UMS contract 2015-2016 Accomplishments

• June, the creation of the Maine Course initiative in partnership with GMRI, with our underloved whitefish commitment

• Creation of the Shark Bites in partnership with GMRI, Maine Shellfish, and Elevated Brand