Fresh, local food in school cafeterias = healthy kids + healthy community.

What is Farm to school?

Farm to school enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and early care and education sites.

-National Farm to School Network

Kids who eat healthy, fresh, nutrient-dense food can think better, learn better, and behave better at school and in life. Students who learn to eat well in the early grades form eating habits that will last a lifetime. Students who eat fresh vegetables at school are more likely to eat fresh vegetables at home—and so are their families! Schools who purchase food from local farms and food producers help energize local economies and deepen ties to the communities that support them. For all of these reasons, Farm to School is a winning proposition.

Chimacum School District updated their Wellness Policy in 2018 to lay the foundation for a Farm to School program and school gardens. Since then, Food Service has been slowly adding locally grown produce to the school menus through salad bars, taste tests, and special events like Taste Washington Day, a celebration of food grown in Washington State.

Annual Harvest Dinner & Dessert Auction

Each year the Community Wellness Project holds a Harvest Dinner & Dessert Auction in autumn. Community members from across East Jefferson County come together to share a beautiful meal prepared with local food by Chimacum and Port Townsend Food Service Directors and friends, and served by Culinary Arts students from local high schools. Chefs, bakers, and local patisseries donate sumptuous desserts which are auctioned to the highest bidder. Funds raised are shared between participating schools to purchase locally grown food for school meals; generous donors have helped raise $20,000 over the past two years!