Announcing the 2023 Grow Fund Selection
The Community Wellness edible and medicinal native plant garden project has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Food Co-op’s GROW fund.
The Community Wellness Project will use this year’s GROW fund (totaling $1393) to add an edible and medicinal native plant garden at the front entry to Chimacum School’s campus, near the flagpole. We envision this project would include planning, learning, and implementation integrated into elementary school curriculum. It will be managed by school garden coordinators, with assistance from classroom teachers, nonprofits partners and local experts.
As part of garden programming, students will research 10-15 native plant species used traditionally by indigenous people and settlers as food and/or medicine.
Students will help collect and propagate chosen plant species, then install in the native garden. We hope to use some of the GROW funds as stipends and honoraria for speakers and presenters, including tribal partners, herbalists, and other experts.
A “Welcome to Chimacum” sign in English and Salishan will direct visitors to a website with student-curated content. It will include Latin, common, and Salishan names of plants, as well as their natural history and traditional uses.
The welcome garden will include large sitting stones or benches (purchased with other funds) where parents and students can gather during drop-off and pickup.
At the same time, community, knowledge, and sense of place can GROW and flourish!
The Community Wellness Project is dedicated to cultivating the health, resilience and well-being of students and families.
A few of their main goals include:
Ensuring local, healthy food options in the schools by assisting school staff with school gardens at all levels.
Promoting educational opportunities for students to acquire vocational skills in the culinary arts.
Supporting the school board and administrators, food service providers and farmers to overcome barriers to buying and serving local and regionally grown foods.
CWP has a long track record of successful project implementation. They currently manage a robust school garden program for PreK-6 grades at Chimacum, where students receive weekly garden classes focused on the art and science of growing, preparing, and enjoying plants. The overall vision is to raise healthy kids by giving them knowledge and exposure to fresh, local food and medicinal herbs. It will also provide garden experiences that align with and augment educational standards. This project will deepen students’ cultural and historical understanding of Chimacum, give students and families tools to support their own health and well-being, and create a welcoming space in the heart of our Chimacum community.
The Food Co-op’s Community Engagement Committee (comprised of staff, board members, and members) especially likes how the Project aligns with many of our values: cooperation, food access, food education, and inclusion. It also ties directly with our mission of “Working Together to Nourish Our Community”.
