Lisa Kelly is like many parents of preschool and elementary age children. She is scrambling to keep up, stay involved with her children’s activities, and keep her family healthy with good, wholesome food. In 2012 when her children’s preschool was having a fundraiser selling candy and cookie dough, she challenged this promotion of sugar and fat, and started seeking an alternative fundraiser that would promote healthy, sustainable eating. The result was the creation of a partnership between Laguna Farm and Bethlehem Children’s Center (BCC) where families have the opportunity to be a part of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and a portion of their fees are given back to BCC. As it says on BCC’s website it’s “a win, win for everyone!” In 2014, an added component to their CSA program was increasing access for low-income individuals through accepting CalFresh (“food stamps”). This addition was made possible through a mini-grant from the Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative to help supplement the cost of the CSA boxes.
Bethlehem Children’s Center is a ministry of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Santa Rosa. Their “hope is to develop within each child a loving respect for one another and for the wonders of God’s world.” Also, a part of their philosophy is to “encourage and demonstrate sound health, safety and nutritional practices.” Through their promotion of the CSA with Laguna Farm they are exemplifying this mission in a beneficial way for everyone involved.
Laguna Farm is named in honor of the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the most biologically diverse region of Sonoma County. The farm is “locally, sustainably grown, in a way that benefits the environment, the workers, the habitat, and you!” Laguna Farm works at building a healthy ecosystem and growing flavorful, nutrient dense vegetables in a way that respects our environment. Fallow land, habitat restoration, soil building techniques, solar power, crop rotation, seed saving, local distribution and community building are just but a few ways Laguna Farm is participating in this vision. In addition to growing healthy, sustainable food for their CSA and farmstand, a major part of Laguna’s mission is bringing people into growing fields and alongside nature through their monthly farm tours and events. For more information visit www.lagunafarm.com.
In thinking about the relationship between Laguna Farm and Bethlehem Children’s Center, farm co-owner Jennifer Branham shares, “Children whose families subscribe to our farm-shares develop a deep appreciation for where their food comes from and the seasons in which they find them. Often just knowing that the beets came from “the farm” will encourage otherwise skeptical eaters to take a bite, then another, then another! Soon enough they are found nibbling fennel fronds while asking for another bunch of carrots PLEEEEASE!”