Veggies, Grains & Growing Brains
Updates from The Community Wellness Project (CWP) - 2025 Activities to support the Farm To School Program!
6th Grade Annual Garden Project:
Chimacum Elementary School’s 6th grade class has a (recent) tradition of preparing pizza “from scratch” for the past couple of years. This tradition was enhanced this year by including a field trip to learn about grains, dough-making, and the tasty results in a wood-fired oven!
On Tuesday, May 27, they traveled to Chimacum Valley Grainery, where they divided into 4 groups. They rotated from the Press Pad (“Grow, Harvest, Store”) to the Mill Room (“Stone Milling”) to the Bakery Yard (“Sourdough Fermentation”) to the Bakery Pavilion (“Baking”). They had a hands-on activity in each location and were amazed at the various whole grain textures, aroma, and shapes. They compared and contrasted flours and helped with milling. They “worked” sample doughs and of course tasted (and noted observations) pizza and cookies from the special oven. And then the final making their own pizzas in the wood-fired oven!!! Criterion: 2 vegetables!
Chimacum Primary School
These littles learning to like their veggies by getting to sample a variety of different vegetable flavors and textures.
Port Townsend High School Garden
Lots of learning about soil and planting flowers and potatoes were some of the activities they participated in.
Other Farm to School News:
The Chimacum F2S Committee made a final report to the FEED Institute in May, following a year of having a coach and following a process to create goals and monitor progress. The group has been merged with the Chimacum School Board’s Wellness Committee, due to the common membership.
A new 2025-26 action plan picks up where we are now (some goals completed, some just “germinated”). Next year’s projects will increase local food consumption, involve more stakeholders and students, and concentrate on sustainability (e.g., recycling and food waste reduction).
We are so grateful to the Food Coop for supporting these wonderful offerings in East Jefferson Schools!
To learn more about the Farm to School Program and The Community Wellness Project please visit their website at: https://jccwp.org/