Maine School Garden Network

### Context Profile for Maine School Garden Network

1. **Organization Mission & Cause**:
   - The Maine School Garden Network (MSGN) is dedicated to supporting and promoting school gardens across Maine. Their mission is to connect children with nature and the food system through hands-on gardening experiences. They aim to foster environmental stewardship, healthy eating habits, and community engagement among students and educators.

2. **Type of Activities**:
   - MSGN organizes various activities, including:
     - **Workshops**: Educational sessions for teachers and students on gardening techniques, ecological practices, and integrating gardening into the curriculum.
     - **Annual Meetings**: Events that bring together the school garden community for networking, sharing experiences, and celebrating achievements.
     - **Community Programs**: Initiatives that encourage schools to develop and maintain gardens, providing resources and support.
     - **Fundraising Campaigns**: Events like potluck dinners and door prize giveaways to support their programs and initiatives.

3. **Tone of Voice**:
   - The tone of MSGN’s communications is friendly, inspiring, and engaging. They use inclusive language that encourages participation and community building. The content is accessible and designed to motivate educators and community members to get involved in gardening initiatives.

4. **Emoji Usage**:
   - MSGN uses emojis sparingly but effectively in their communications. For example, they include a location pin emoji (📍) in their email reminders to highlight event locations. This adds a friendly touch without overwhelming the message.

5. **Key Facts**:
   - **Founding Info**: MSGN was established to enhance educational opportunities through gardening in schools.
   - **Scale**: The organization has a growing network of school gardens across Maine, impacting numerous students and educators.
   - **Impact Metrics**: While specific metrics are not detailed on the website, the emphasis on community engagement and educational workshops suggests a significant positive impact on local schools.
   - **Volunteer Info**: Volunteers are likely involved in supporting garden initiatives, although specific details on volunteer opportunities are not provided on the website.

6. **Writing Guidelines**:
   - **Style**: Use a conversational and encouraging tone. Aim to inspire action and participation.
   - **Structure**: Keep content clear and organized, using headings and bullet points for easy reading.
   - **Language**: Use simple, relatable language that resonates with educators and community members. Avoid jargon unless it is commonly understood in the gardening community.
   - **Call to Action**: Include clear calls to action in communications, inviting readers to participate in events, workshops, or volunteer opportunities.

This context profile serves as a guide for creating personalized and effective content for the Maine School Garden Network, ensuring alignment with their mission, values, and communication style.

General admission

This price will include a sample of the 2026 School Garden of the Month Calendar.  For more information, go to www.msgn.org/fundraisers

General admission + 2026 Calendar Sample

Hi <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style style="background-color:rgb(248, 248, 255);border:1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255);border-radius:4px;color:rgb(42, 42, 196);padding:1px 8px;font-size:11px;display:inline-block;margin:0px;overflow-wrap:anywhere;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit">First name , Thank you for registering for Maine School Garden Day 2025! Please be on the look out for a follow up email to select your afternoon workshop preferences. Reach out if you have any questions! Please note: this ticket is nonrefundable after April 30th. Save the Dates:- Summer School Garden Tours: Check our website and follow us on Facebook to hear about tours happening around the state!- Annual Meeting 2025: Friday November 7th in Falmouth, ME  Rachel Solomonrachel@msgn.org

Maine School Garden Day 2025: Hands in the Soil, Eyes on the Future!  Inspired by Governor Mills’ proclamation of 2025 as the Maine Year of Youth in Agriculture, this year’s theme celebrates the incredible work being done across the state to engage and inspire the next generation of farmers and land stewards. Join us for this opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together! We will kick off the day with a Keynote Address from Melody Larson, Farm Education Coordinator at Wolfe’s Neck Center. Melody will highlight WNC’s experiential education programs that connect food, agriculture, and the environment. She will share successes and challenges in garden-based learning, including strategies for making gardens accessible to all learners, engaging students of all ages, and adapting lessons to different learning styles. She will also discuss the value of outdoor education and what inspires WNC's work. The rest of the morning will be dedicated to connection and exploration. Participants will take part in our annual network breakout sessions by county and have the opportunity to tour both Messalonskee High School and Middle School. This year's hosts, Beth Prelgovisk and Amanda Ripa, will lead groups through their school gardens, greenhouses, and showcase various indoor growing techniques. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn from peers, exchange ideas, and gain inspiration to bring back to your own school garden! Lunch will be provided by Sunrise Bagels, featuring a delicious assortment of sandwiches and salads. During lunch, join us for our Calendar Launch Party celebrating the 2026 MSGN School Garden Calendar Fundraiser! MSGN Coordinator Susan Sager will lead the launch, recognizing this year’s photo contest winners. To mark the occasion, a special dessert will be served. The afternoon will be packed with engaging workshops covering a variety of topics, from composting with worms to securing funding for your school garden projects. Each guest will have the opportunity to choose three out of six workshops that best align with their interests and goals. (descriptions listed below) The day will conclude with a giveaway of exciting door prizes, generously donated by our supporters. Agenda:  8:30 - 9:00 am: Guest Registration, light breakfast 9:00 am: Welcome Remarks 9:10 am: MSGN 2026 Calendar Preview 9:20 - 9:55 am: Keynote speaker: Melody Larson, Wolfe’s Neck Farm 10:00 - 11:00 am: Networking Groups 11:05 am - 12:05 pm: Garden tours: Messalonskee High School and Middle School  12:15 - 1:00 pm: Lunch &amp; Calendar Launch Party 1:10-3:30pm: Afternoon Workshops:1:10 - 1:50: Workshop Session 1 2:00 - 2:40: Workshop Session 22:50 - 3:30: Workshop Session 3 3:40: Closing remarks and door prizes Afternoon Workshops (guests will choose 3): 1. Worm Composting for Beginners with Jock Robbie In this workshop, participants will learn about composting with worms using a worm bin, covering topics such as its benefits, necessary considerations, moisture and insect control, feeding, ventilation, and odor management. The presenter will also discuss harvesting, drying, storing, and using worm castings, as well as making aerated worm tea. 2. How to Fund School Garden Projects with Susan Sager, MSGN This workshop will provide school garden coordinators with practical information on financing a garden project, including grants, donations from local businesses, and fundraising opportunities like calendar and plant sales. Participants will also create a simple financial plan to help them get started as soon as they return to school. 3. School Composting: You know the "why", let's dig into the "how" with Ryan Parker, FoodCorps School food waste management can be intimidating, especially for school stakeholders, often due to improper practices. In this workshop, participants will learn how to compost effectively in a school setting, address potential challenges, and find ways to involve students while minimizing the workload for teachers and staff. 4. Rooting Around for Stories with MAITC and Jacqueline Briggs Martin Jacqueline Briggs Martin is the author of Caldecott winner “Snowflake Bentley” and “Farmer Eva’s Green Garden Life”, the 2025 MAITC Readme Agriculture Book. She will talk about where writers find stories, and how she came to write Farmer Eva's Green Garden Life. She will explore how to share this book with students and some tips to encourage students to write and find stories in the garden. 5. "Good Grains on the Go" - Inspiring Youth to Grow, Eat, and Appreciate Maine-grown Grains with Heather Kerner, The Good Crust, and Pediatric Occupational Therapist Be inspired to learn how a group of collaborative partners, committed to regional food systems, are working together to transform school nutrition with new options for showcasing Maine's own grains on the school lunch menu.  Key to engaging child stakeholders is a hands-on focus on pizza gardening, stone milling, dough tossing, and classroom curricula! 6.  Making Gardens Accessiblewith Bella Russo, RYT 200, Extension ProfessionalOverview of general garden modifications to make working in gardens more accessible for all. There will be an opportunity to learn more about different tools that can help make gardening less painful and more accessible to anyone.

Maine School Garden Network

Maine School Garden Day 2025

131 Messalonskee High Drive

General admission

$50

General admission + 2026 Calendar Sample

$60