Sacramento Valley Report
The salad bar, begun at the Pioneer Elementary School in Davis last spring as part of the Farm-to-School program, has re-opened and the district is exploring the feasibility of expanding this option for other schools. This is great progress. It not only establishes the long-term viability of this program, but also reveals the potential for this to develop into a direct marketing alternative for farmers and a keystone for local food systems. We are also concentrating on linking farm visits and garden activities to curriculum standards. Classrooms will take field trips to local farms in order to fulfill the state mandate that they understand the farmerŐs role in food production. The visits are accompanied by a lesson entitled "Farmers Grow My Food"and followed by a storytelling activity to help them process their experience once they return.
We are also working with the Davis United Methodist Church to determine the feasibility of connecting congregations with CSAs. A bundled CSA provides extra marketing power without compromising the return.
We started collecting information on the Solano County watersheds for a new program entitled "Educating Farmers and Landowners in Biological Resource Management." This is a restoration and education project working to raise awareness about watershed issues and help stakeholders improve their management practices.
On October 30 we will be hosting a hedgerows workshop with the Yolo County Resource Conservation District in Esparto to demonstrate the benefits of hedgerow plantings and provide information about how to plan and plant your own. Hedgerows are useful tools in reducing erosion and supporting biological diversity, which can reduce pest problems. Look for a write-up of this workshop in the Winter Agrarian Advocate
For more information on what CAFF is doing in the Sacramento Valley, contact CAFF Sacramento Valley Regional Coordinator Karrie Stevens at (530) 756-8518, ext. 14, or e-mail karrie@caff.org.
