CLEARLAKE OAKS >> After three attempts, North Coast Opportunities finally gathered Lake County’s school food service staff members to discuss healthy eating and the Farm to School program.
The event had been set last year, but the series of devastating fires forced a series of date changes and finally postponement until Wednesday.
Food service staff from the county’s school districts met at Brassfield Estate Winery in Clearlake Oaks for information on school gardens, procuring local fruits and vegetables through the MendoLake Food Hub, and the services offered by organizations such as the NCO and the Lake Family Resource Center.
Miguel Villarreal, Food Service Director at Novato Unified School District, provided the keynote. Villarreal helped pilot “the Joyful 12,” a program which connects the 3 Cs of: Cafeteria, Classroom, and Community. According to Terre Logsdon, NCO’s Lake County Farm to School Coordinator, the effort demonstrated that when an entire school community is brought together, behavior change can be impacted by creating a culture around food education and healthy eating.
The goal, Logsdon added, is to entice students to consume more vegetables and fruits while at school.
Villarreal is an active member of the National Farm to School Network, California Food Policy Advocates, California Farm to School Taskforce, and the Marin Food Policy Taskforce.
The event, “Feeding our Future: A celebration of healthy school food and nutrition services,” included training on Farm to School and culinary skills that count as Continuing Education Units (CEUs) — without traveling out of County.
Attendance was paid for through a Specialty Crop Block Grant received by NCO.
North Coast Opportunities, Inc. (NCO) is a private non-profit corporation focused on serving Lake and Mendocino Counties, as well as Del Norte, Humboldt, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties.
This marked the first time the program was held in Lake County.
