In case you haven’t noticed, Mendocino County is quietly transforming into a rather happening player in the “Real Food Revolution” that is gaining momentum across the nation! For the past 10+ years, a wide range of activated citizens from the Coast to Covelo and every nook in between have been steadily building a healthy local food system, by strengthening our farmers markets, growing gardens at schools across the county, educating a new generation of farmers to feed our community, and strategizing towards a shared vision for a more sustainable and delicious future.

Thanks to these efforts, production is steadily increasing and community support of and demand for local food is at an all time high, but we still have much work to do before our daily meals, throughout the seasons, feature the bounty of the county. The time is ripe to take the next step and engage the large food purchasers in our community--the schools, hospitals, restaurants and markets—in this movement. If we can capture their significant purchasing power, we will infuse the local food economy with dollars grown and raised right here in Mendocino County, ensure food security for our community, and improve the quality of food served to our children, patients, customers and ourselves. This is where the Farm2Fork project comes in.

Farm2Fork is a new initiative of North Coast Opportunities/Community Action aiming to ramp up institutional purchasing of local food in Mendocino County. Launched at the beginning of February, Farm2Fork is coordinated by Susan Lightfoot, who will be facilitating connections between local farmers and the schools, hospitals, restaurants and stores that purchase significant volumes of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), this 2-year Specialty Crops Grant aims to increase the capacity of both local farmers and Food Service professionals to get fresh, healthy food from the field to the plate.

While the grant focuses primarily on creating Farm to School partnerships across the county, providing resources for training and equipment for schools to meet this goal, Farm2Fork will also work with restauranteurs, chefs, and produce managers who are interested in offering more locally-produced food on their menus and shelves. Susan is eager to connect with interested community members, farmers, food purchasers, chefs and distributors across the county to identify opportunities, trouble-shoot challenges, and synergize efforts towards a thriving local food system in Mendocino County. For more information, please contact her at (707)467-3238 or email slightfoot@ncoinc.org.

About Susan Lightfoot: Lightfoot is the Co-Founder and former Executive Director of the Noyo Food Forest and was instrumental in setting up the organization’s lauded Farm to School partnership with Fort Bragg Unified School District. She has been working in the grassroots on local food issues in Mendocino County since 2004 and is beyond excited about moving from the Coast to Ukiah to take on this new position as Farm2Fork Coordinator at NCO Community Action. An avid surfer and dancer, Susan truly loves working and connecting with all kinds of people and looks forward to making new friends on this side of the hill.

Now is the time to start growing your medicinal herb garden!
Check out our new resource under the "Herb Gardens" section on our "How to: Grow Food" page, all about herbs that grow well in this area of California, including their care instructions and companion plants!

The Gardens Project of NCO has begun an intensive Gardener Leadership Program to train community gardeners to share, organize, lead, and continue to build the movement for expanding and sustaining spaces for community and school gardens.

The Leadership Program (we're still searching for a catchy name if you've got one), began in January and brings together 24 gardeners from 11 different community and school gardens in the greater Ukiah area and Anderson Valley. We will meet every six weeks through November to teach each other greater skills in: Building Community and Communication, Effective Leadership, Accessing Resources and Hosting Work Parties, Marketing Opportunities, and Garden Advocacy.

By the end of the year long training, the participants will comprise our new Leadership Council that will continue to meet, share, plan, and advise The Gardens Project. In year two, the training will move to gardens in Northern Mendocino County (Willits, Covelo, Laytonville, Legget), and then year three on the Coast (Point Arena to Fort Bragg).

The Leadership Program is a component of NCO Community Action successfully receiving a USDA Community Food Projects grant to train community leaders in food production and work to alleviate poverty through re-building our local food system.

The gardens represented at this year's training are: Washington Community Garden, Grace Lutheran Community Garden, Anderson Valley High School Garden, Jack Simpson Senior Garden, Cleveland Lane Community Garden, Orchard Apartments Garden, Plowshares Garden, Oak Manor Elementary School Garden, Yokayo Elementary School Garden, Northern Circle Indian Housing Garden, and the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas Community Farm and newly developing school gardens. For more info, contact The Gardens Project.

Wintertime is a great time to start your plants indoors to extend your growing season and beat wintertime blues!

Mother Earth News just published a great story on how to start seeds indoors, the link to the article is on our "How To: Grow Food" page. Check it out for more information on seed starting!

Some great tips from the article:
Don't start beans, peas or root crops indoors, they don't transplant well.
Use 1/3 coir 1/3 compost and 1/3 soil.
Moisten the mix before sowing your seeds, plant 2-3 seeds per cell/pot.
Cover with a plastic dome or plastic wrap until seeds sprout. After that, water only when soil is almost dry.
After 4-6 weeks, move them outside on a porch or protected area during the day, inside at night for one week, then transplant into your garden!

The Plowshares Garden has been busy!
Read below and visit their webpage to learn more about what's been going on in the Plowshares garden, and get some new ideas for your garden too!

Garden Leadership Training:
The Garden Project http://www.gardensproject.org/ has begun a year long training of garden coordinators, and Plowshares is well represented. Five of us attended the first meeting and were warmly welcomed by representatives from many gardens in the area. Together we will learn leadership, outreach, coordinating work days, honoring volunteers, building community, accessing resources, and increasing food production! The goal is that through our efforts and networking we will help to build a safety net of food security for our community.

Donations:
Julie Price of Solid Waste Systems just sent us 20 yards of rich, black compost made from leaves and green waste from all the homes around Ukiah. It's symbolic of Plowshares being nurtured so richly by the whole community.
Last week North American Organics donated five yards of compost also, beautiful, rich compost! The fig trees from Mendocino College are settling into their new home. The starts from Lovin' Blooms are growing steadily. And Rainbow Ag brings us straw and hay as mulch. The community supports our work!

Kitchen survey:
Our friends at the garden of the City of 1000 Buddhas expressed garden leadership well, with "THE KITCHEN IS BOSS". We have asked our kitchen what we should grow and there seems to be general agreement that salad ingredients are top priority, onions and garlic and cooking herbs are very high priority, and, listed in order by number of votes received are: zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, green beans, beets, squash, chard, broccoli, cucumbers, kale, bok choy, leeks, and collards.
We're bound to grow!

Invasive plants are plants that evolved in one part of the world, that humans moved to another region. They can crowd out native vegetation and the wildlife that feeds on it because they no longer are controlled by their natural predators. Learn more by visiting the new section on Invasive Plants in the How To: Grow Food section of our website!

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, several Healthcorps and Rural Health Scholars began building a cob kitchen at the Talmage Preschool garden.
Cob is a natural building material, consisting of clay, sand and straw, which, when given a good roof and foundation, can last... a really long time. It's a sustainable method of building, involving the use of local materials, like the clay/soil on site, and found materials like rocks, bottles and old concrete blocks.
The volunteers began constructing a foundation for the counters, which will attach to the existing cob oven, under the existing roof structure.
The counters will surround the oven, creating a complete kitchen that the preschool will use for outdoor cooking. The inside of the counters and oven will be gated to limit preschooler access, and there will be an attached smaller counter on the outside for preschoolers to use to help cook!
MCOE Youth will be finishing the project along with Gardens Project Healthcorps, Katrina Hanson.
We'll keep you posted with more updates as the kitchen evolves.

Adriana and Montana, BEANS teen peer educators, were greeted with smiles and hugs when they arrived at Nokomis Elementary’s after-school program last Wednesday. The 3rd and 4th graders who are part of the six-week long “BEANS Cooking Club” couldn’t wait to find out what the recipe of the day would be. It was “Apple Smiles”… a sticky, crunchy, crisp apple snack! The students eagerly answered questions about food groups, healthy snacking ideas, and trying new foods… then they each practiced reading and following the recipe. Happy chatter filled the classroom as students tasted their snacks and shared ideas for additional toppings.

After finishing and clearing plates, Adriana and Montana got the kids up and moving for a raucous game of “What’s on My Plate?” where students work in small groups to name examples of foods from a particular food group as quickly as they can, do jumping jacks until all of the other groups complete their task, then run to the next station to work on naming foods from another food group.

As the students returned to their seats, the BEANS teen peer educators asked, “What is one thing you learned today?” Hands shot up and kids said, “I learned how to taste new things,” “I learned about food on MyPlate,” “I tried a new snack and am going to take the recipe home,” “Is there more?”

Adriana and Montana assured the kids that they would be back next Wednesday… “You’ll be helping us cook One Pot Vegetarian Stew!”

Mendocino College has several options of hands-on agriculture classes for Spring 2012.
If you're interested in learning more about plant propagation, soils, nursery production or plant ID, check out their class listings!

Mendocino College Agriculture Classes--Spring 2012
New accessible class times!
Enjoy hands-on learning in our beautiful botanical gardens and nursery

Plant Propagation
AGR 102 Sect 5492
3 Units
Plant propagation will explore both the science and art of plant propagation.
Students will gain experience with many different techniques and methods of sexual and asexual plant propagation such as, seeding, layering, breeding, cuttings, grafting, budding, tissue culture and sporulation.
T& Th 6:00 - 8:20pm

Soils & Fertility Management
AGR 108 Sect 4023
3 Units
Learn what your soil consists of and how to assess and improve your soil for agricultural and natural resource uses. This applied soil science class, includes formation of soils, chemical and biological properties, plant nutrition soil and fertilization management and erosion mitigation.
T & Th 9:30pm – 11:50pm

Nursery Production and Management
AGR 144 Sect 4021
2 Units
This hands-on class will teach you the entire process of of developing and operating a nursery in the north coast . This course will focus Commercial nursery operations; propagation of plants, soil preparation, transplanting and potting, greenhouse field management, disease and insect control, and irrigation and fertilizer
applications.
M 1:00pm – 6:05pm

Spring Plant ID
AGR 241 Sect 5528
3 Units
Whether plants are your passion or profession you can learn how to identify and appreciate plants in this fun hands-on interactive class. This course will focus on attractive and useful spring plants and give you the skills needed to confidently identify the plants in your surroundings.
M & W 9:30am – 11:50am

Classes start January 23, 2012

http://www.mendocino.edu/tc/pg/6145/programs.html

Come see the movie Food Stamped and find out!


In honor of MLK Day, FIRST 5's Americorps*VISTAs will be showing the movie Food Stamped on Monday, February 16 at I-cup coffee house (720 N. State St.) in Ukiah.


Movie begins at 5:30pm
At 6:35pm there will be a discussion about hunger in Mendocino County led by Jacque Williams, Director of the Ukiah Food Bank.


Admission is FREE but we encourage the purchase of food or drinks.

Tell your friends and we hope to see you there!

You might think there's no gardening you can do in January, but think again!
Now is the time to start your herbs and other plants inside for those of you who garden indoors or in a greenhouse. This site has plenty of useful information about container gardening.
Remember, most potting mix is too strong for most plants and doesn't drain well.
It's important to use a mix of 1 part potting mix to 1 part volcanic rock, like pumice (don't use vermiculite!)
Start your seeds in a flat or 1-2" pots, then each time your plants start to outgrow their containers, transplant them to a pot 2-4 time the original size. For example, if you start seeds in a flat, transplant the seedlings to a 2" pot, then transplant the established plant to a 1 gallon pot, and as it grows move up to a 5 gallon and then 15 gallon pot.
Also, check out this site for tips about small container planting using a vertical shoe rack!
If you think you don't have enough time or space for vegetable gardening indoors, try an herb garden!
This site has information about starting a basic beginner's herb garden. Just use the container gardening information above for your herb garden. This site has information specifically about growing herbs indoors.
Enjoy your mini gardens!

Remember to check our "How To" page for more gardening tips!

We've added a new garden page!
The Potter Valley Garden is now a part of our webpage.

The Potter Valley Community Garden thrives at the Potter Valley Youth & Community Center, where it is used as a teaching tool for kids in the Nutrition Class during the 5th Day Program. Its bounty is used to feed kids in the afterschool program, KUDOS. At snack time, kids are introduced to new fruits and vegetables and learn to expand their tastes and develop healthy eating habits.

To learn more, visit the page:
http://www.gardensproject.org/gardens/pottervalley/

North Coast Opportunities' Community Action Agency is now hiring a Farm to Fork Coordinator!



Specific duties include:

1. Increase the purchase and utilization of fresh, local produce by institutional buyers by at least 10%.
2. Develop & strengthen community resources that will support an infrastructure that will enable institutions to purchase more local foods.
3. Increase the capacity of schools to incorporate specialty crops into meals by arranging for specialized training and support to food service workers.
4. Increase farmers' understanding of and access to institutional markets so they can develop responsive production plans & demonstrate an increase in sales to local institutions and businesses.
5. Complete special projects as assigned or required.
   
6. Align work behaviors in conformance with NCO's Mission, Vision, and Values.

For information about the position, including an application and more detailed job description click here


To view the position listing on NCO's website, click here

Thank you to everyone who attended this meeting!

Here are some updates:

The Food Policy Council is currently working on the Farm to Fork program, which will bring farm fresh produce into Ukiah, Willits, Ft. Bragg, & Anderson Valley School Districts, as well as UVMC.

Our Community Food Project (CFP) is currently enhancing preschool garden programs in the Ukiah area, and will begin in North county next year, and on the coast the year after. In January, CFP will host community and school garden leadership trainings, so that individual gardens can become more independent, organized and sustainable. In April, CFP will host food production trainings, where gardeners and community members can learn skills like how to plan seasonal gardens, preserve food, deal with pests, compost, and other useful topics.

We of the Food Policy Council are also currently putting together a Food Action Plan, which organizations and businesses will sign on to so that we have a starting point to make changes in our food system.

Our USDA Regional Food Hub Project will be based in Petaluma, with several drop points throughout our counties. This will allow small farmers and producers to use existing distributors to reach a larger consumer base, and will keep our food local!

We discussed food sovereignty and the resolution that we will present to the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, which recognizes the rights of individuals and groups to grow and consume their own food and to enter into private contracts with other individuals to board animals for food.

Our next meeting will be January 9th! Stay tuned.

It’s time for holiday get-togethers with family and friends! Every year, during the holiday party season, I try to bring something new to potlucks, and if the party is at my house, I try to add some special holiday touches to the food and drinks I offer.

Here’s this year’s new (and EASY!) idea I’ve stumbled upon… Cucumber-Rosemary Infused Water. The BEANS teen peer educators inspired this one!

Here’s the background… One of our most popular BEANS lessons is the “Rethink Your Drink” lesson. During the lesson, the teen peer educators present interactive lessons showing how much sugar is in a sodas and fruity flavored “juice” boxes. The teens also lead a discussion about the impact all these sugary drinks have on our bodies. The kids ask… then, what DO you drink? Of course, we’ve got a smart bunch of kids here in Mendocino County… they know about choosing water and low-fat milk! This is when the BEANS teen peer educators reveal the “recipe” for the day – something that makes water even more appealing – Infused waters! Students then make and try (depending on what fruits are in season) “citrus water,” “cucumber-rosemary water,” “watermelon water,” “strawberry water,” and more.

This season’s favorite was the Cucumber-Rosemary Infused Water. Here’s how to make it… Simply fill a pitcher full of fresh water, add 10-20 slices of cucumber and a sprig of rosemary, and let it infuse in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, for a festive, holiday flair, add a few tablespoons of fresh pomegranate seeds and serve with ice in a glass pitcher or punch bowl. So tasty, refreshing, and healthy! Your family and guests will certainly be impressed.

Out with the cooler full of sodas and bottled water… In with the fancy (but SUPER easy) infused water!

Solar Living Institute accepting applications for 2012 Intern Program

HOPLAND, CA – The Solar Living Institute (Institute), a leader in promoting sustainable living through inspirational environmental education, is accepting applications for their seven month Intern Program, which will run April 1 to October 31, 2012. Information and application information are available online at www.solarliving.org.

Since 1998, the Institute had over 200 young adults participate in their Work-Trade Intern Program that provides the opportunity to live at the 12 acre Solar Living Center demonstration site in Hopland, CA, while participating in courses on solar photovoltaic systems design and installation, organic gardening, natural building, and sustainable living. In exchange, the interns learn about and participate in the Institute’s Kids’ Education Program Tours, workshop training program, demonstration site operations, marketing and communications, and special events.

Established in 1998, the Solar Living Institute is a 501(c) (3) non-profit solar training organization that promotes sustainable living through inspirational environmental education.

The Institute’s Kids’ Education Program provides educational tours to K-12 schools at the 12 acre Real Goods Solar Living Center demonstration site in Hopland, CA, and cover curriculum related to solar power, natural building, organic gardening and sustainable living. Additional information is online at www.solarliving.org/visit-us/tours/.

They also provide onsite and online classes in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems that are accredited by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), as well as a range of sustainable living classes that includes, natural building, greywater systems, raising goats and chickens, beekeeping, building Cobb ovens and more.

For more information about the Solar Living Institute and their 2012 Intern Program, visit www.solarliving.org, or call 707.472.2460.

Food for All Mendocino and the Gardens Project received a $10,000 grant from United Way of Wine Country!

This money will be used to coordinate another Food Stamp/CalFresh Match Program at the Farmer's Market. In this match program, food stamp users can double the money they spend at the farmer's market; this simultaneously increases access to fresh produce and supports our local farmers.

This past summer, the program was held only at the Ukiah Farmer's Market. In the Spring of 2012, however, the program will be held at the farmer's markets in Ukiah, Willits, and Laytonville, and one market in Lake County!

Stay tuned to find out the official the start date of the program! To learn more about the project click here.

The MCOE Youth Garden is harvesting it first late Fall/Winter greens! Francisco, Cedrick (pictured) and Anthony have been working diligently through the Fall - starting in the student built greenhouse, transplanting, and now harvesting.

Organic kale, collards, rainbow chard, and bok choy are all for sale at the MCOE main administration office in Talmage. Additionally, you can pick up strawberry plants and cauliflower starts.

To learn more about the MCOE Youth garden, visit their web page and see all the pictures of the garden and the great work these youth have accomplished!

Here at the Gardens Project we LOVE winter gardening and think it should get just as much attention as summer gardening does.
Winter gardening is the time for vegetables that make great soups for rainy and chilly days. Beets, broccoli, chard, kale, collards, herbs, leeks, onions, garlic, peas, salad greens, turnips, radishes, olives, persimmons, pineapple guavas and mushrooms are all ready to harvest.
December is also a great time to make use of hoop houses to extend your season, build a greenhouse or toolshed, spruce up your garden paths, or work on your garden plans for next year.
It's also time to direct seed your fava beans, bell beans, vetch and peas; and when it rains, you can plant barley, rye, oats and wheat. You can also sow flats of lettuce to transplant and plant cover crops to nourish your soil for your spring garden.

Michelle Obama is busy getting the White House Kitchen Garden ready for winter too! Check out their website, complete with recipes to help your garden sustain you throughout the winter.

Katrina is working part time as a health educator for the Potter Valley Youth & Community Center, and part time here at the Gardens Project.

We are also excited to announce that two of our former Americorps members, Cassie Dillman and Lucy Neely, have now joined our staff!