FARMS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing area students and their families closer to local agriculture and healthy eating, has recently hired Youth Program Director Karen Kleinkopf to lead a growing program of classes and educational offerings for children at the FARMS Community Kitchen, located above Rising Tide Market in Damariscotta.

Kleinkopf holds a B.A. in sociology from Clark University and a M.Ed. in creative arts in learning and elementary education from Lesley University. She taught first grade for nine years in the Maine public school system and one year on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. Karen founded Miles of Friends, an intergenerational program between elders and second graders in Lincoln County. In 2004, Karen co-founded FARMS, Focus on Agriculture in Rural Maine Schools, and since 2010, has been the Farm to School Coordinator for AOS #93. In this role, Karen has collaborated with kitchen staff, teachers, students, farmers, parents and community members to bring local foods into the schools through weekly cafeteria offerings, school gardens, classroom taste tests, a healthy snack program, cooking clubs and the annual Harvest Lunch event.

At FARMS, young people are taught about healthy food choices and are supported by their teachers, local chefs, and local farmers to create a holistic approach to school nutrition and healthy eating habits. Locally grown foods, and by extension, the entire cooking and eating community, are brought together for collective support, better nutrition and a greater understanding of health that is powered by a nutritious lifestyle.

FARMS believes that in order for children to eat well, their entire community needs to eat well with them. The Community Kitchen was established in order to provide a venue where community members of all ages can gather for hands-on cooking classes and gain access to books and resources that support nutrition, gardening, and food preservation skills.

Several FARMS events are scheduled for 2015 including cooking classes, a film festival, and lectures focused on the environment and healthy eating. For a complete list of upcoming events and classes for both youth and adults, please visit: www.mefarms.org