The 18 school garden schools include: Southport, Riverbank, Westmore Oaks, Elkhorn, River City High, and Our Lady of Grace in West Sacramento; Gibson, Woodland Christian, Beamer, Woodland Prairie, Whitehead, Zamora, and Holy Rosary in Woodland; Korematsu, Cesar Chavez, Emerson Junior High, and Davis Waldorf in Davis, as well as Esparto Middle School in Esparto.

The school gardens that received grants are at various stages of development. Grants will allow some schools to plant a garden for the first time. At Woodland Prairie Elementary, a first time grant recipient, garden coordinator Odette Christensen states, “Our goal is to create an edible school garden that will become a living laboratory where our students can discover, experiment, observe and learn.”

Planned garden projects are as diverse as the schools themselves. In Davis, Korematsu Elementary plans to expand their chicken coop and add a sensory garden to support a “project-based Kindergarten unit, Social Emotional Learning (SEL), and Mindfulness lessons.” While, in West Sacramento, Westmore Oaks Elementary will purchase a greenhouse for starting seeds and a wheelbarrow compost screener. Teacher Barbara Butler explains, “We use scraps from our cafeteria and debris from our garden to create amazing compost. We just need a method for screening it back into our garden.”

At River City High School in West Sacramento, teacher Andrew Tait has launched the Diggers & Diners Club. This student organization is dedicated to growing and eating locally grown vegetables. The club has also launched a student-run CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) project. “We recently delivered Swiss chard and celery to 12 teachers on campus,” he shares, and the grant funds will help the students expand their new venture.

Both La Tourangelle and Nugget Markets are local Yolo County family-owned and operated businesses. Devoted to community since the first Nugget Market opened in 1926, Nugget Markets remains committed to offering quality products and to supporting local area farmers, producers, and local neighborhoods. With artisan oil production facilities in both France and Woodland, La Tourangelle is one of the few remaining oil mills keeping the 150-year heritage of quality nut oils alive using nuts grown in the fertile Central Valley of California. La Tourangelle is committed to a high quality of life for their employees as well as their community. You can purchase La Tourangelle Artisan Oil products at Nugget Markets. For more information, visit www.nuggetmarket.com and www.latourangelle.com.

 

The George W. Hinkle Memorial Fund was created to honor the life and legacy of a High School Principal and Teacher. Mr. Hinkle was an active and involved community volunteer, touting his mantra, “The body achieves what the mind believes!,” living his life to the fullest, stressing a healthy diet and exercise.

 

Yolo Farm to Fork is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing locally grown, farm-fresh food to school lunches, establishing recycling programs, supporting school and community gardens, and helping Yolo County residents get to know where their food comes from and the farmers who grow it. For more information, visit www.yolofarmtofork.org.

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