North Powder Takes Off
After the March 5th Farm to School workshop an excited group of teachers, parents, and producers really wanted to see a Farm to School program happen at the North Powder school district.
Photo by Shaun Daniel
I know this is a little late, but I wanted to share with readers some of the exciting things that have been happening as part of Oregon Rural Action’s Farm to School Program. I was reading over previous blog posts yesterday and realized we had not yet posted anything about the great things that are going on over in North Powder.
After the March 5th Farm to School workshop there was an excited group of teachers, parents, and producers that really wanted to see a Farm to School program happen at the North Powder school district.
On April 1st the newly formed North Powder Farm to School Committee met for the first time with the goal:
“To provide healthy food and education about it to those that attend North Powder School and help promote healthy lifestyles with a sustainable food system”
The group formed committees to work on:
- School and Community Awareness
- Curriculum and teacher involvement
- Canning and food preservation
- Gardening
- Green House
- Purchasing from local producers
- Composting and waste reduction
I got the opportunity to see the North Powder Farm to School Committee in action when ORA staff and OHSU nursing students came to North Powder for the first Harvest of the Month tasting table. All we had to do was call up the school and pick out a date. When we arrived all of the teachers were aware of the project, and supportive. We even had parent volunteers, whose help was invaluable. It was great coming to a school and immediately feeling welcomed and encouraged.
The North Powder Farm to School committee will meet again on June 3rd at 3 pm in the Powder Valley School. There is still plenty of room on all of the committees. Please contact me at Oregon Rural Action if you would like more information about how to get involved in the North Powder Farm to School Committee. I would also be excited to help anyone who is interested in working on a Farm to School program in her or his school.
The North Powder Farm to School Program is a powerful reminder that, yes, Farm to School is possible in Union County! Hopefully the lessons learned through their efforts can provide ideas and inspiration for other schools interested in connecting more students with the food that they eat.
