FARMINGTON — The ninth annual Maurer Meals will be held Friday, Oct. 18, and Saturday, Oct. 19, at 14 locally owned restaurants and one hospital café throughout central and Western Maine.

The restaurants will offer special menus featuring locally grown food products, including organic and all-natural foods. Money raised goes to the Justin A. Maurer Memorial Scholarship Fund for a University of Maine at Farmington student enrolled in the Community Health Program.

Maurer Meals is held in memory of Justin Maurer, a 2004 magna cum laude graduate of that program.

“Justin was a supporter of the small farm in Maine, and he recognized the necessity of producing food without poisoning the Earth or our bodies,” Gary Maurer of Leeds said of his son. “We thought this project might be a good way to carry on his beliefs and honor his legacy.”

The goals of Maurer Meals include supporting local agriculture and locally owned businesses as well as the scholarship fund. The Maurer Meals Project works to keep money local, keep the land sustainable and encourage people to make conscious decisions about food, health and community.

To date, Maurer Meals has raised more than $18,000 and eight UMF Community Health students have benefited from the scholarship fund.

“Maurer Meals is an excellent way to support local farmers and local businesses while eating healthy and raising money for a good cause,” said Nicole Ditata, Healthy Maine Partnership director with the Healthy Community Coalition of Greater Franklin County.

Each year, area restaurants serve a variety of dishes created with local foods. Gary Maurer, founder of Maurer Meals, commends the restaurants for their diligence and creativity.

“The participating restaurants do an outstanding job of incorporating local foods into sometimes surprising, but always delicious, specials,” he said.

Maurer Meals is organized with the help of the following organizations: Healthy Community Coalition of Greater Franklin County, Healthy Oxford Hills, River Valley Healthy Community Coalition, Greater Somerset Public Health Collaborative, Redington-Fairview General Hospital, Healthy Androscoggin, The University of Maine at Farmington and Western Mountains Alliance.

The participating restaurants and hospital café for the 2013 Maurer Meals are:

* The Homestead Bakery of Farmington, 778-6162

* The Sedgley Place of Greene, 946-5990

* The Olde Mill Tavern of Harrison, 583-9077

* LaFleur’s of Jay, 897-2117

* Forage Market of Lewiston, 333-6840

* She Doesn’t Like Guthries of Lewiston, 376-3344

* Nichols Top of the Hill Grill of New Sharon, 779-0973

* Café Nomad of Norway, 739-2249

* 76 Pleasant Street of Norway, 744-9040

* Brian’s Bistro in Rumford, 364-3300

* The Bankery in Skowhegan, 474-2253

* The Heritage House in Skowhegan, 474-5100

* Kel-Mat Café in Skowhegan, 474-0200

* Redington-Fairview General Hospital Café, 474-2381

* Calzolaio Pasta Company of Wilton, 645-9500

For reservations, call the participating restaurant. For information about the scholarship, call Pat Carpenter of UMF at 778-7091. For information about the Maurer Meals Project, call Gary Maurer at 524-2060 or go to the website maurermeals.org or Facebook.