Farm-to-School Advisory Group

The Farm-to-School Advisory Group is comprised of parents, teachers, staff, and community advocates who support the advancement of Farm-to-School (F2S) programs and practicies in Bellingham Public Schools. The group meets with the Food Services Director on a monthly basis during the school year.

Mission: The Bellingham Farm-to-School Advisory Group supports the district’s efforts to provide all children with the healthiest meals possible, and encourages the entire school community to take responsibility for helping children develop life-long healthy eating habits.

Vision: To ensure that all students have the nourishment they need to succeed in school, daily opportunities to make and learn about healthy choices.

The Bellingham Farm-to-School Promise illustrates how the Advisory Group sees school food and food education as integral to The Bellingham Promise.

Purpose

• Increase the amount of healthy and local food provided to children.
• Promote the healthy and local school food options at our schools.
• Research additional funding to support Farm-to-School activities.
• Research ways to fund and support classroom curricula associated with Farm-to-School.

Basis for Establishment

The basis for establishment of the advisory group is district/parent/community interest in purchasing healthy local foods for the school food service program as well as the recent availability of local, state, and federal funding and technical assistance for a Farm-to-School program.

Committee Type

Farm-to-School is an Advisory Group that makes recommendations for improvements to the Food Services Department and Director Mark Dalton.

Meeting Information

The Farm-to-School Advisory Group meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Members

• Mark Dalton – Food Service Director and Advisory Group Chair
• Jessica Sankey – Director of Wellness
• Margaret Gude – Communications Department Representative
• Mardi Solomon – Whatcom Farm-to-School Support Team Representative
• Holly O’Neil, Crossroads Consulting, Facilitator
• Bill Angel – Parent
• Sara Bashaw – Parent
• Priscilla Brotherton – Parent
• Lisa Dailey – Parent
• Mystique Grobe – Parent
• Gretchen Hoyt – Representative from local agriculture
• Jamie Imus – Parent
• Gail Knops – Parent
• Mollie O’Neill – Teacher
• Kelly Pederson – Parent
• Mikaela Pederson – Student
• Laura Plaut – Parent, Representative from Common Threads School Garden Collective, Laura@Commonthreadsfarm.org
• Caprice Teske – Parent

To learn more or get involved please contact Food Services Director, Mark Dalton at 676-6574.