Students pick veggies of their labor

Last Tuesday, fifth graders at Rominger School helped harvest butter lettuce, red romaine, broccoli and brussel sprouts from their school garden. Cathy Olsen, the Food Services Director for the Winters Joint Unified School District, showed the students how to properly cut the lettuce so another crop would grow later. When asked what they would do with all the produce harvested, Esteban Arias Garcia, a fifth grader from Mr. Fridae's class, proudly said "we will wash it and eat it in our school cafeteria." "Teaching our school children about gardening has been an important part of our Winters Farm to School Program", said Olsen. "With funds provided by Winters Farm to School for maintenance of the gardens at Waggoner and Rominger Schools, the kids are learning first-hand how to plant seeds, irrigate, weed and harvest all the produce they grow. They love tasting what they grow and it encourages them to eat healthier foods both at school and at home." Olsen has been successful in introducing a variety of fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables into the Winters School District's meal programs. With funds provided to the Winters School District from Winters Farm to School, Olsen has been able to buy 99% of these products locally. Olsen currently contracts with 9 farms in Yolo County. "That's good for our kids, our farmers and our local economy" says Olsen. Winters Farm to School raises funds for the Winters School District at their annual Bastille Day Feast, which will be held this year on July 9th at the Wolfskill Ranch in Winters. For further information about Winters Farm to School or their July Bastille Day Feast, please call Cathy Olsen at 530-795-6109.