Jeanette munches a carrot from School Garden
Students gather eggs & learn the benefits of a chicken tractor
Grant Street School students harvest tomatoes from their School Garden
Thank You For Your Support
Spring is almost here and garden classes are starting up. Your support has been instrumental in making this happen! We want to let you know of all the other great things that have happened this past year.
2011 Accomplishments
- Revised PTSD wellness policy JCFS worked on revising the Port Townsend School District’s Wellness Policies to improve school meals in ways such as: including more fresh fruits, vegetables, whole and local foods, and reducing processed food. Port Townsend SChool Board approved the revised Wellness Policy.
- JCF2S became a federally recognized 501©3 non-profit organization so we could accept tax-deductible donations and conduct major fund raising efforts.
- Training for food service directors and farmers JCF2S collaborated with WSDA to provide training for food service directors and farmers from all over the Olympic Peninsula. The training had the largest attendance of all WSDA trainings offered in the state. Food service directors prepared a USDA approved school meal using local foods harvested that morning.
- Harvest of the Month at Quilcene School A local food was featured monthly in the “Harvest of the Month” program and the school used 10% of their food budget to purchase local foods.
- Grant Street School improved school breakfast and some lunches to include local foods. Funds from the Giving Circle helped bring this goal to fruition.
- JCF2S began supporting the JC School Garden Program, which serves 500 students weekly for six months in the Port Townsend and Quilcene School Districts. A JC Dept. of Public Works/Dept. of Ecology Grant started and supported the program for two years and that grant ended in December of 2010.
2012 Accomplishments
- Quilcene school levy Quilcene school continues to support the school garden program and has now included it in the list of program to be supported by levy.
- Revised Quilcene wellness policy The wellness committee revised their policy. It is going before the school board for the final reading soon.
Thank you for caring so much about the children in Jefferson County. Your support and dedication menas so much to us.
Have a wonderful spring,
Jefferson County Farm to School Coalition members
Watch the new JCF2S School Garden Video!
School Gardens Grow Healthy Kids is a two minute video featuring JCF2S students working in their school garden at Grant Street Elementary. Check it out here.
Give the Gift of Garden Learning!
We all know most of us have enough “stuff”, so why not honor upcoming birthdays or anniversaries with the gift of a donation instead? Our printable cards, with images created by local school gardeners, will help you spread the Farm to School message and provide a fun way to share your gift. For more information, see our “Donate!” page.
“Your work with these students is one of the most important things I have seen in public schools in the past 30 years. I wish my parents were alive to see this happening. Thank you so much for your efforts.” – JCF2S donor
Port Townsend School District Passes Wellness Policy
After nearly a year of deliberation by the Wellness Committee, the School Board recently passed an new Wellness Policy which provides guidelines for nutrition & physical fitness. The policy opens with these statements:
The Board recognizes that optimal nutrition is essential for lifelong health and optimal
academic performance. The Port Townsend School Distinct is committed to providing an
environment that promotes healthful food choices in its lunch and breakfast programs and
also encourages healthy choices in the school vending operations, student stores, fundraising
sales, clubs, activities, organizations and any other foods available on campus both during
and outside of the academic day.
Farm to School training draws participants from all over the Olympic Peninsula
On a beautiful fall day, nearly 30 school nutrition staff, farmers and community members attended the WSDA (Washington State Dept. of Agriculture) Farm to School food service and farmer training held October 19thon the Olympic Peninsula. It was the most widely attended training event held in the state so far. Food service staff traveled from as far away as Olympia & Neah Bay to learn the benefits of Farm to Cafeteria programs.
