School Gardens in Summer!

We’ve been fortunate to be able to continue work in the school gardens, even though haven’t been in classrooms and gardens since mid-March. Our Garden Coordinator, Corey Chin, has been busy adding new beds to the Chimacum Elementary School garden. The space is large enough to hold the large greenhouse, an orchard, a tea garden, a pizza garden, a sensory garden, native plants, a willow tunnel, many veggie beds and a pleasant gathering circle. Several educational projects are in the works: worm bins/compost, mushroom logs, and water catchment; additionally we will add ADA accessible raised beds. We are currently working with school administration to plan for some outdoor classrooms so that students will be able to stay socially distanced when they return to school.

The Chimacum Creek Primary School garden has been planted, harvested (!), and now replanted. Corey is making weekly donations to the Food Bank through the Food Bank Farm & Gardens, and is now planting fall crops (root veggies, purple sprouting broccoli, etc.)

We are also assisting Margaret Garrett, the CSD Food Services Director, with weeding and spiffing up some High School Garden beds so she can harvest fruits (strawberries and blueberries) to freeze, and to plant some goodies to use in her creative kitchen offerings.

Three Local Groups Cooperate to Build Food Security in Jefferson County

July 26, 2020, Port Hadlock, WA. Combined efforts of The Community Wellness Project, The Jefferson Community Foundation, and The Irondale Church have resulted in the installation of a Little Free Pantry, providing free food resources for those who need them in the local area, available 24/7. The Little Free Pantry Movement’s motto is, “Give what you can. Take what you need.”

The Community Wellness Project (CWP), based in Chimacum, has been working since 2007 to build food resilience in the county through various avenues, including the support of local school gardens and food service. According to board member Abby Jorgensen, “The Little Free Pantry movement is something we saw modeled at the Dove House in Port Townsend. It activates neighbors to support neighbors, as one solution to immediate and local need. Especially now, with all of the added insecurity, we decided to pursue construction and installation of several pantries in other parts of the community.”

To fund the pantries, CWP applied to Jefferson Community Foundation’s Jefferson County Covid-19 Response Fund, a weekly grant program dedicated to organizations that are working to meet immediate needs as well as long term recovery efforts during the pandemic. $542,000 has been raised and distributed in the county by JCF since March 27th. Other funds have supported housing, mental health, education, child care, etc.

“We were grateful when Pastor Jeremy Botkin and the congregation of the Irondale Church expressed an interest in housing the first Little Free Pantry in their church parking lot. It’s a great location, easy to access and on a site already known for providing the Community Soup Project,” explained Jorgensen. “Volunteers are signing up to ‘adopt’ the pantry for a month at a time; businesses, service organizations, other churches, and groups of friends. We’re also looking for a home for the second pantry currently under construction.”

This project joins with the larger work that CWP is doing in the area to increase food access, equity and resilience such as school garden development, community connected youth enterprise (Chimacum High School Food Truck), and Neighbor Loaves Community Bread Project.

To get involved with the project in any way, contact us here: pantry(at)jccwp.org

Jumping Mouse Hiring for Chimacum Schools Partnership

Jumping Mouse Children’s Center is hiring! See full job description here.

Seeking School Support Specialist– Do you want build a better world for kids? We offer unparalleled support for our staff, health benefits, and opportunities for professional growth.

Do you want to make a significant difference in the lives of children and their community? Jumping Mouse Children’s Center is a highly regarded nonprofit in Port Townsend, Washington, and the only organization in our region providing long-term, in-depth mental health therapy to young children. We offer:

• Health benefits

• Retirement plan

• Discretionary leave policy, where each employee is afforded the flexibility to utilize paid time off as needed

• Professional development funds

•  Relocation assistance

About Jumping Mouse: Located in Port Townsend, Jumping Mouse Children’s Center is a nonprofit founded in 1999 to address the gap in children’s mental health care in our rural area. Our unique therapy model is led by the child’s need and therapy lasts as long as necessary. We also offer education and support for our children’s and caregivers, and advocate for children in the schools and wider community. Since accessibility is one of our core values, no one is ever turned away for inability to pay. 

The Job:  The purpose of the School Support Specialist is to support educators and school staff in our local school districts in providing a safe and compassionate school environment where all children can thrive. Candidates will have a demonstrated knowledge of trauma-informed practices in a school setting, experience in facilitating groups, and an understanding of child development and the effects of childhood trauma. Licensed graduate degree in counseling, psychology, education, or social work preferred. The School Support Specialist is a 22/hour a week non-exempt position with a salary range of $28,000 – 30,000 per year, DOE, plus benefits. See full job description here.

Note: Jumping Mouse prioritizes the safety of our staff, clients, and community and is following all state and local health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. This position will need to adapt to the school model for the upcoming school year and is likely to include a hybrid of in-person and remote work 

The Location: Jumping Mouse Children’s Center is located in beautiful Port Townsend, Washington, a maritime city renowned for its historic charm and stunning natural setting. With a thriving arts community, vibrant walkable downtown, Victorian seaport heritage, and nearby award-winning organic farms and Olympic National Park, Port Townsend offers numerous activities for everyone. 

Why Should You Apply?

You are a caring, compassionate, and open-minded professional who wants to be part of a dedicated and collaborative team, and you are seeking:

•  To transform children’s lives and make a lasting difference in the community that surrounds them

• Opportunities for professional development

• A beautiful location in a thriving community

• A supportive work environment with an amazing team

Interested? Please go to jumpingmouse.org/jobs for detailed application instructions and job descriptions

From Our Family to Yours: Neighbor Loaves

By Guest Writer & Spring 2020 COVID-19 Food Access Coordinator Jack Pokorny

The Neighbor Loaves initiative is feeding around two hundred and fifty Chimacum families tasty bread baked at Pane D’Amore with whole wheat flour sourced from local farms. The loaves arrive with the school bus. Kids from elementary school to high school wait at their bus stop, wave to their driver who during normal times would whisk them off to school, and approaching the steps of the bus accept not only a brownbag lunch, but also a sliced loaf of wondrously soft bread. The crust is thin and brown and the smooth mellow texture leads adults to question the nutritious quality while leading kids to eat the whole loaf. 

The program began with the belief that the food we grow here should be eaten and loved by all, not just those who can afford to. The COVID-19 pandemic nudged our community towards grasping the American agricultural system is one of great inequality, one that provides cheap unhealthy food to the poor while prioritizing healthy nutritious food for the wealthy, privileged few. It would be a mistake to not see how that paradigm has extended into our own community; despite the tremendous intimacy we share with our food growers, bakers, and chefs.

After receiving a $4,200 grant from the Jefferson Community Foundation, the Community Wellness project set out to begin the transformation of our local food systems, one loaf at a time. The Neighbor Loaves project works by giving community members an opportunity to purchase a loaf at Pane D’Amore, the cost of which covers an additional loaf to be donated to community food support programs. The fund is managed by the Community Wellness Project and is the beginning steps towards a radical re-envisioning of local food system resilience and accessibility. 

It is our hope that in this time of crisis, we veer away from fearful individualism and towards greater love, appreciation, and commitment to neighbors. Neighbor Loaves is a commitment between people to share the best our community has on offer.

Delicious & Nuritious

Chimacum First Grader with a school bus delivered Neighbor Loaf

March FEED Lecture features...baby goats!

The Food Education & Enterprise Development Lecture series at Chimacum Junior/Senior High School brings local farmers, growers, and food entrepreneurs together with high school students once a month to talk about the joys and challenges of making a living in the local food & farm industry. This year students have heard panel presentations from local experts on:

• Vegetable Farming

• Growing & using local grains

• Local meat production

• Shellfish production and seafood harvest

• Local dairy and cheesemaking (featuring baby goats from Mystery Bay Farm)

• Value-added food production

• And a grand finale networking event for students and local food and farm business owners!

This lecture series gives students of the Culinary Arts & Horticulture Career & Technical Education programs a sense of the diversity of career pathways in the food and farm industry, real answers on the challenges of making a living in the food and farm economy, an insider’s look at the local food system, and an introduction to many of the innovative entrepreneurs who make this such a great place to live, work, and eat!

Yellow potatoes, for the win!

Students at Chimacum Creek Primary and Chimacum Elementary were treated to a “potato taste-off” as part of their spring garden planning. Garden Coordinator Corey Chin and Food Service Director Margaret Garrett worked together to prepare samples of purple, red, and yellow potatoes, and students in each classroom had the opportunity to taste, compare and contrast the flavors and textures, and vote on their favorite.

Purple is out! Yellow is in!

Students will see these oven roasted yellow potatoes on lunch menus, and plan them in their school gardens this spring.

What color do you like best?

Tickets on Sale for 2019 Harvest Dinner!

Buy your tickets today!

Taste Washington Day comes to Chimacum Schools

Finnriver Farm, Chimacum Washington. Photo by Calisch.

Chimacum School District is proud to participate in this year's Taste Washington Day on October 2nd and 3rd!

Join us in celebrating the farmers that grow our food.

Students will enjoy our special menu filled with locally-grown foods, including delicata squash, purple potatoes, rainbow carrots, and watermelon radish, with roasted chicken leg, a hot roll, and Washington apples.

October 2nd is Taste Washington Day: students across the state will eat school lunches made with locally grown foods. Students at Chimacum Creek Primary will get a chance to meet the farmers from Red Dog Farm and see a farmer's market table of beautiful fresh produce.

Chimacum Junior/Senior High School will celebrate Taste Washington Day October 2nd; students from the Culinary Arts class will help to prepare and serve the meal, as we celebrate our heritage and identity as a community that grows beautiful food.

Chimacum Elementary will celebrate Taste Washington Day October 3rd. Elementary Students will meet Finnriver Farmer, Janet Aubin, when she joins our lunch and shares stories of life on the farm.

Learn more about Taste Washington Day.