The Second Annual Read "ME" Agriculture is a project offered by Maine Agriculture in the Classroom that celebrates Ag Week in March.  This year Ag Week is March 16th - 21st. Volunteers will read and donate books about agriculture to Kindergarten thru 4th Grade classrooms across the state! Volunteers will share with the students stories and pictures of their farms or connections to agriculture and provide lessons and information for the teachers to use. [Books and materials are donated to each participating classroom.] In 2008, over 180 classrooms participated with over 3500 students! 

Maine's First Lady, Karen Baldacci, will once again start the 2009 program off for us on Tuesday, March 17th and then Volunteers will read to classrooms on Wednesday - Friday, March 18th - 20th.  March 19th is officially National Ag Day [http://www.agday.org/].  Volunteers will read excerpts from the book All Around the Farm that focus, as much as possible, on the type of agriculture each volunteer is representing. They are also encouraged to bring additional information about their own farm or commodity to share with the students.
 

NOTE: If you intend or expect to sign up several volunteers for the same school or couple of schools, our 1-page signup spreadsheet that you can download may save you some time and simplify the process. [MS Word or pdf]

Maine's First Lady, Karen Baldacci, began our 2008 program (on March 17th) by visiting a first and second grade multi-age class at Winthrop Elementary School taught by Alice Olson. In the afternoon another first grade class, this time at James Bean School in Sidney, received a visit. The Sidney class is taught by Ms. Jamie Routhier.	Maine's First Lady at Winthrop Elementary School last March.
The classrooms and volunteers that would like to sign up for a visit in March 2009 are encouraged to use our online signup form (for individuals), or our hard copy 'group' signup sheet (MS Word or pdf) and to contact Maine Agriculture in the Classroom with any questions you might have, at maitca@maine.gov or MAITCA, 28 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.
Lessons available for teachers to use in the classroom before the presentations: Farmer grows a rainbow Other grade-specific lessons to consider, for studying nutrition and the USDA My Pyramid: 1). National Cattleman's Beef Association (free sheets or posters available to teachers on My Pyramid); 2). Tomatoes to Ketchup, Chickens to Omelettes (pdf) (2.77 mb) (Lesson from Food, Land and People, which promotes approaches to learning that helps people better understand the interrelationships among agriculture, the environment and people of the world); 3). Maine Wild Blueberry Curriculum (possible online access to some of the lessons from this curriculum coming soon.) 3). Activities from the Dairy Council's most popular programs that make nutrition learning fun with hands-on, interactive activities for pre-k through upper elementary grades.