[Sdpg] Don't Miss Farm to School Event here!!! SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2004 (9:30-NOON) San Luis Osbispo CA

[Wesley Roe and Marjorie Lakin Erickson]

Hi Everybody,
A rare opportunity to hear experts from Ventura County, this briefing 
session that will teach us all how to create farm to school programs here 
in SLO County school districts. Benefits to everyone, from farmers to 
children and their families. Whether you are a grower, gardener, teacher, 
school administrator, food service personnel, student or parent, bring your 
questions and curiosity so that we can have a healthier, economically 
viable relation between schools and farmers! Bring anyone with you who 
might have an interest.

If you would like more information or need directions to the place this 
event is held, please call Liana Forest, 528-4510 or bearforest at earthlink.net.

We are hoping you'll be able to attend. Put Saturday morning, August 28, on 
your calendar now!

See Flyer below, plus extended bios for the presenters below that.

Liana Forest for
Community Food System Project of SLO County






How to Launch a Model Farm to School Program:

Lessons from Ventura and Ojai School Districts


Presenters:

JUDY BLUE, Regional Coordinator Community Alliance with Family Farmers,
focusing on Farm to School in Ojai and Ventura School Districts
      and
JIM CHURCHILL, Farmer, Initiator of the Ventura Unified School District Farm
to School Salad Bar, CAFF South Coast Regional Coordinator





SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 2004




9:30 - Noon
Tierra Nueva Co-Housing Community Building
Oceano, CA







Come prepared to ask questions such as:



 What is a Farm to School program and how does it differ from the present 
food system as it affects schools?

 How does a Farm to School program benefit school children, parents, 
teachers, and local farmers?

 What would be my role in a food system that included a Farm to School 
program?

 How do the various components of a Farm to School program (school 
gardens, class curriculum, farm visits, local food in school lunches or 
snacks, nutrition education) work together?

 How can we get a Farm to School program started in SLO County?


For more info. contact: Liana 528-4510 or bearforest at earthlink.net



Judy Blue, Regional Coordinator for CAFF has been involved with family 
farming through her work as Market Manager of over 15 years with both the 
Marin County Farmers Market Association and The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market 
in San Francisco.  For the last year and a half, her work has been focused 
on Farm to School programs here in the Gold Coast area, as regional 
coordinator for Community Alliance with Family Farmers.  Besides helping 
school districts and institutions formulate a Farm to School program that 
fits their needs, she has also been instrumental in starting the Gold Coast 
Growers Collaborative.  The GCGC is a group of local farmers who work 
together and make distribution from the farm to the schools, possible.

Jim Churchill, CAFF South Coast Regional Coordinator

Jim Churchill was the coordinator of CAFF¹s Ventura County Lighthouse Farm 
Network meetings from March 1999. He initiated the Ventura Unified School 
District¹s Farm-to-School Salad Bar in 1999, and has worked closely with 
the District and primary partners since.  Jim¹s work has focused at 
different times on farmer recruitment, produce sourcing, program design, 
and fundraising..

Outside of his work for CAFF, Jim grows thirteen varieties of tangerine 
plus assorted other citrus, and avocados on 17 acres. He sells his produce 
locally at the Ojai Farmers' Market; but most is wholesale, where the 
challenge is introducing new varieties to the market and expounding the 
virtues of freshness to wholesalers, produce buyers, and individual 
customers. Jim is a founding member of the Ojai Valley Pixie Growers 
Association which has been developing a market for the pixie tangerine 
variety as an identity-preserved fresh produce product.  The Ojai Pixie 
Growers have increased sales from 160,000 pounds five years ago to 500,000 
lbs. and anticipate sales may top a million pounds within a few years.





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