A Resounding Crunch! Maine Apple Crunch Day Celebrates Local Apples and School Communities

Students from Old Orchard Beach, RSU 23 celebrate 2026 Apple Crunch Day.

Schools across Maine celebrated Maine Apple Crunch Day on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, bringing school communities together to enjoy fresh, locally grown apples. From cider taste tests to a chorus of synchronized crunches, this year’s celebrations showcased the many ways Maine’s apple harvest connects students with local food and the people who grow it.

Promoted by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Child Nutrition team, Maine Apple Crunch Day highlights the connections between local agriculture, nutrition, and learning. The event also helps highlight October as Maine Farm & Sea to School Month, building on Governor Janet Mills’ proclamation recognizing the month in 2025.

Apples are a popular local food item purchased by Maine schools, making them a fitting centerpiece for this annual fall celebration. It also offers an opportunity to introduce students to Maine’s agricultural heritage while celebrating the orchards and growers who help bring fresh foods to their plates.

To support local purchasing throughout the year, Maine’s Local Foods Fund reimburses schools for up to 50% of eligible local food purchases, up to $11,000 a year per district. This support helps schools bring Maine-grown and harvested foods to students while investing in the state’s farms, fisheries, and food businesses

In Old Orchard Beach at RSU 23, students enjoyed a special taste test featuring local apple cider and apples from Brackett Orchard.

Old Orchard Beach, RSU 23 celebrates 2026 Apple Crunch Day.

“Apple Crunch Day is a fun way to celebrate the local apples we proudly serve every day from Brackett’s Orchard. Many of our students visit the orchard on fall field trips, making it extra special to see those same apples show up on their school lunch trays,” said Leah Botko, Nutrition Director for RSU 23. “These connections between the farm, the classroom, and the cafeteria bring Farm to School to life, helping students build a deeper appreciation for local food while strengthening the communities that nourish them!”

At RSU 17 in Oxford Hills, students bit into delicious local apples together, creating a resounding CRUNCH!

RSU 17 celebrates 2026 Apple Crunch Day

At Connors Elementary School in Lewiston, students sampled different local apple slices during lunch, bringing a taste of Maine’s harvest to the cafeteria.

Connors Elementary School, Lewiston Public Schools, celebrates 2026 Apple Crunch Day

Hall-Dale Elementary School, RSU 2 celebrates 2026 Apple Crunch Day.

Thank you to the school nutrition teams, educators, childcare providers, farmers, and community partners who helped make this year’s Maine Apple Crunch Day a success. Whether served whole, sliced for a taste test, or enjoyed together in one big crunch, Maine apples gave students plenty to celebrate!

To learn more about Maine’s Farm and Sea to School programs visit the Maine DOE website or reach out to Maine DOE Farm and Sea to School Coordinator Katie Knowles at Katie.Knowles@maine.gov.

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