"Read ME Agriculture" is a great new project being offered by Maine Agriculture in the Classroom and sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture that celebrates Ag Week each March.  This year Ag Week was March 17 – 21, 2008, and volunteers read and donated books about agriculture to 180 Kindergarten thru 3rd Grade Classrooms across the state! Volunteers then told the students about their farms or connections to agriculture and provided lessons and information for the teachers to use.

Maine's First Lady, Karen Baldacci, started the program off on Monday, March 17th.  In the morning she visited 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 visits Winthrop Elementary School to launch the "Read ME Agriculture" project

Tuesday, March 18th the Maine Department of Agriculture hosted "Ag Day at the Maine Legislature” in the Hall of Flags. The Maine State Grange served lunch to over 100 legislators and exhibitors at their state headquarters. During the remainder of National Ag Week volunteers read to 180 classrooms across the state from Biddeford to Eastport, Rockland to Caribou. March 20th was officially National Ag Day. More information is available at http://www.agday.org/.

Each volunteer reads a book on agriculture and talks to the students about Maine Agriculture. The books and materials are donated to the participating classrooms.

Additional classrooms that would like to sign up for a visit in March 2009 should contact Maine Agriculture in the Classroom at maitca@maine.gov or MAITCA, 28 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.