From Boat to Cafeteria — Bringing Maine Fishcakes to School Lunch

When the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association (MCFA) set out to bring more local seafood into school cafeterias, they weren’t just developing a new product, they were building a local supply chain. With support from the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, this vision is becoming a reality in the form of a locally sourced fishcake that is winning over students and school nutrition teams across Maine.

The fishcake is made with dab flounder fillets – a species that is abundant in Maine waters but often underutilized – and is combined with Maine-grown potatoes and carrots. Through trial and error, MCFA and their production partner, Graffam Bros Seafood, created three formats—a 4-ounce cake, 1-ounce tots, and a loose mix (including a gluten-free option)—to ensure flexibility for different age groups, kitchen capacities, and staff comfort levels with seafood preparation.

Sea Salt, a small seafood business expanding its operations, used a portion of the funding to invest in icing and blast-freezing capacity, enabling them to buy fish at optimal times and process it into fillets for fishcake production. This innovation streamlined the supply chain and created a scalable, cost-effective model—one that no longer requires MCFA staff to physically transport fish between partners.

With the fish ready for student tasting, MCFA conducted sampling events in 15 school districts—ranging from large districts like Bangor and Lewiston to smaller coastal and inland communities. 83 percent of students reported that they “liked” or “loved” the fishcakes and for many students, it was their first time trying fish. Reactions ranged from “Better than a chicken nugget!” to “This is probably the best fish I’ve ever tasted.”

 Behind the scenes, regional farm to school coordinators and school nutrition leaders have played a critical role in introducing the product, organizing tastings, and building excitement among students and families.

The project has also helped advance broader food systems change. MCFA successfully qualified the fishcakes for the Maine Department of Education’s Local Food Fund, allowing all Maine school purchasing the product to take advantage of the incentive program. In partnership with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, the team has hosted professional development trainings, created educational materials like “meet-the-fishermen” posters, and developed recipes to help schools incorporate the fishcakes into menus—from sandwiches and tacos to breakfast dishes and salad bar offerings.

With production capacity increasing, the focus is now on distribution and market expansion. Maine-based distributor Peak Season has committed to carrying the fishcakes, and conversations are underway with other regional distributors. There is also growing interest from higher education dining programs, signaling an opportunity to expand beyond K–12 schools.

At the same time, the project is sparking new ideas and collaborations. Building on the success of the fishcakes, MCFA has partnered with other producers to develop more seafood products for schools, including soups made with locally sourced fish. Creative menu applications—from a “fish parm” sandwich served with Maine Marinara and fish tots served “bánh mì-style”—are helping reimagine what school meals can look like when local ingredients take “center of the plate.”

Perhaps most inspiring is the response from students themselves. Across grade levels, Maine kids are embracing local seafood, often for the first time, and asking for more. These moments in the cafeteria are a powerful reminder of what’s possible when regional food systems connect directly with the next generation.

What began as a product development effort has grown into something much larger: a model for how to build resilient, locally rooted supply chains that benefit fishermen, processors, schools, and students alike.

TagsK12, Leadership, Seafood, Supply Chain, Value-added