A GIANT Thank You to the Jefferson County Community Foundation!

The Food Bank Farm and Gardens of Jefferson County, a nonprofit organization, has received a major donation from the Jefferson County Community Foundation. The $2,600 donation, made possible by the Martha and Libby TrolinAtkins donor-advised fund, will support the efforts of the Port Townsend High School Garden.

The PT High School Garden serves many purposes. During the school year, all ninth-grade students spend about an hour per week in the garden as part of their health classes. Lead by garden coordinator Zach Gayne and health teacher Jennifer Kruse, the students engage in every aspect of garden work including soil building, seeding, transplanting, irrigation systems and harvesting. Students develop and practice their gardening skills while also gaining a deeper understanding of the land and labor required to produce the food that they eat every day. Much of the food that is produced in the High School Garden is eaten during class periods or prepared in culinary-arts classes. Additionally, this past summer, food-services staff preserved beans, tomatoes and raspberries to be eaten in the high school cafeteria as part of school lunch. The focus of spring 2017 will be salad green production for the school’s lunchtime salad bar.

When preserving summer veggies is not possible, the harvests are delivered to the Port Townsend Food Bank each Wednesday and Saturday. To date, the High School Garden has already delivered several thousand pounds of fresh, organic produce to the food bank.

The High School Garden is one of several gardens in Port Townsend dedicated to growing food for our community members. Other locations include the Quimper Grange Food Bank Garden and the Mountain View You-Pick Garden. For more information on how to support this mission as a volunteer or donor, please contact our garden coordinators at [email protected].

The Jefferson County Community Foundation (JCFF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the quality of life in Jefferson County. JCCF provides flexible ways for donors to engage in improving their community through charitable giving. Community grants are awarded from funds based on the interest of the donor or an open competitive process that addresses the changing needs of the community. For more information about JCCF, visit jccfgives.org or call 360.385.1729.

One thought on “A GIANT Thank You to the Jefferson County Community Foundation!

  1. That’s great news. You all do such a vital service. Out sincere thanks, Shirley Moss, P.T. Food Bank >

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