What is the Farm To School Apple Program?

The Farm to School Apple program is a partnership that includes Organically Grown Company -- the Pacific Northwest’s largest Organic produce distributor (OGC), our co-op, participating organic apple orchards, the Community Wellness Project and you --the environment, the child, the eater, the future. The goal of this partnership is to leverage the organic trade’s passions for good nutritious food and cooperative endeavor to fund Farm to Schools efforts in the communities where we live and do business.

Farm to School Apple Program Mission:

These funds are used to support non-profit programs, which provide farm to school education to K-12 students, including activities such as farm field trips, school gardens, cooking in the classroom, or tasting tables in the cafeteria and/or support schools in purchasing more local and organic products to be served as part of a lunch or snack program. It is the intent of the program that these funds will promote greater access to local and organic fruits and vegetables in schools.

A note from our local partners: The Community Wellness Project finished 3Q with another bang!

1. Even though the 3rd quarter included summer vacation, the CWP was busily helping the Chimacum School district plan both the Chimacum Creek Primary School (CCP) and Elementary School (CES) gardens. We’ve begun ordering various structures and the CCP has a load of donated dirt waiting for tiny hands.

2. Our garden coordinator, Alexa Helbling, tended the elementary garden throughout the summer and donated produce to the Food Bank and to the Y Lunch Program.

3. We have extended our contract with Alexa to work with grades Pre-K through 6th grade; each class will spend time every other week throughout the school year.

4. Alexa has been working with the PT garden coordinator and a curriculum expert from South Whidbey Island to create a garden curriculum that will mesh with the school’s core (STEAM) curriculum.

5. CWP voted to approve a grant to the Chimacum Food Services department to attend a two-day training session this fall.

6. We began a new committee called “GrandFamilies”, what is hoped to become a support group for grandparents who are raising grandchildren; this group will meet monthly at the Chimacum Creek Primary School beginning on Wednesday, October 16th.

7. Our biggest current effort is to sell tickets to our 3rd Annual Harvest Dinner, which directly benefits the Port Townsend and Chimacum food services teams. I have attached a graphic that can be used if you have an appropriate way to include it!

Thank you SO MUCH for your continued support. We are seeing results and it is because of this community that it happens!