Good Food from Healthy Farms
Local News
Local Season, Ahoy!
Aug 27th
Thanks to everyone who came out for the farm tours and potluck at Tahoma Farms last weekend. We are already planning for Harvest Fest, the next event at the farm, which will be October 2nd this year. Stay tuned for more information!
This week we hope to see the first Red Haven Peaches from Cliffside Orchards. If they aren’t able to pick enough this weekend, we will still have peaches and will pick up their peaches the following week.
We do have first of the season local corn! And more beautiful tomatoes, yellow beans, pluots, melons, apples, etc. All WA grown. The next 4 weeks or so mark the height of the local season. Enjoy and thank you for your support!
Terra Organics, Now With More Pacific NW
Jul 29th
It’s safe to say that we look forward to this week more than any other over the course of the year. When we added the Pacific Northwest Box 18 months ago, at the suggestion of one of our longtime customers in Buckley, we weren’t entirely sure that we were up for the challenge. Seasonal eating becomes more difficult the further you live from the equator. So, with some reservations about whether we could pull it off and uncertainty about what sort of reception it would receive, we added the “local only” box as a way to challenge ourselves, and those that wanted to eat with the seasons and as close to home as possible, to see what it would take.
And in the middle of winter – when the only variety that we can offer is to alternate between rutabagas and turnips, apples and pears – we always have one eye to the summer when virtually all of our produce is sourced from local farms. And so this week marks the convergence of the Pacific Northwest box and the Small box, as every item in both boxes is from Washington this week. And this is only the beginning. If last year was a good indication, it will be November before we see the two boxes taking a divergent path again until next summer.
We hope you enjoy the variety and selection of our freshest, most local produce of the year.
Establishment of Washington State Food Policy Council
Jun 23rd
Thanks to efforts by the Good Food Coalition, yesterday, Governor Chris Gregoire signed an important Executive Order at the Food Systems Strategies Summit. Executive Order 10-02 brings together agencies and community partners to coordinate their work and increase collaboration to strengthen our Washington State’s food system.
The Order tasks the Departments of Health, Agriculture, Social and Health Services along with the Conservation Commission and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to deliver a report to the Governor and the Legislature outlining the remaining gaps and opportunities in Washington state food policy that will help agencies, legislators, and stakeholders develop solutions that fit our state’s needs.
“We need to keep our farmers working, and ensure all kids have access to farm fresh food,” said Rep. Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim). “This Executive Order is a building block towards a better way of doing things, and I’m hopeful that it will result in strong policy recommendations to the Legislature on how we can promote healthy farms and healthy food.”
The Order also opens the door for National funding and education and promotion of nutrition to the public.
Via:
http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=1518&newsType=1
Healthier Lunches in Tacoma Public Schools Petition
Jun 1st
Our friends over at Tacoma Mama are putting together a petition to bring healthier lunches into Tacoma schools. We here at Terra Organics, can’t think of anything greater to support.
Every school day, kids across the district sit down to a fast-food style menu consisting of corn dogs, hamburgers, nachos, and pizza. For 60% of our students, school lunch (and breakfast) is not a choice but an economic necessity.
The opportunity for change is now! Tacoma Public Schools has a window of opportunity to work with a program called ACHIEVE Healthy Communities. The Tacoma School district needs to know that you are in support of this.
Head over to http://tacomamama.com/lunch and sign the petition!
Make Your Voice Heard — Support the WSU Extension
Apr 5th
Pierce County has proposed the reduction of the WSU Pierce County Extension budget from its current level of $275,423 to $75,423 for 2010. This reduction will affect programming in the current 2010 funding year. This is roughly a 72% cut from the current level of funding. At that funding level it would effectively eliminate the Agriculture and Natural Resources program.
This program is responsible for technically assisting Pierce County farmers, developing educational programs to support existing and new farmers, and driving the knowledge base of agriculture in the County. Over the past 15 months this program has applied for over $6 million dollars in external grants funds through partnerships with county, state, and federal agencies, non-profit agencies, and farmer cooperatives. This money has been used to build the future generation of farmers, identify potential new agricultural products and cropping systems, reduce production costs and increase profit margins, and increase consumer interest in Pierce County agricultural goods. More >
