This January, our board member extraordinaire, Elishia Tucker, and RVF2S Program Director Melina Barker, facilitated a professional development workshop in the Ashland School District, focused on scratch-cooking delicious school meals. The starring ingredients: leafy greens.

Rogue Valley Farm to School is racing towards a stronger food system with our 8th annual Siskiyou Challenge! We sat down with Farm to Cafeteria/Siskiyou Challenge Coordinator Greg Dills to learn more about his unique role and what race day means for farm to school in the Rogue Valley.

On the night of October 1st, at the launch of National Farm to School Month, more than 75 guests came together to celebrate our community's vibrant food system –– all to benefit Rogue Valley Farm to School's work of bringing local fruits and vegetables fresh from farms to school cafeterias.

The third and final installment of the Rogue Valley Farm to School and the Ashland Food Coop summer camp series was a time-tested hit! Entitled “Food Preservation and Fermentation,” RVF2S educators Sylvia and Arielle led an exploration into the wild world of food preservation and fermentation, encouraging campers to explore just how many of their favorite foods are made possible by these fascinating processes.

For nearly a decade, Tracy Harding has served as the executive director of Rogue Valley Farm to School, leading the organization in serving Jackson and Josephine counties with programs that have come to be models for other communities. This August, Tracy will deepen her service to small to mid-scale producers and rural economies as she pursues an exciting new venture with the Capay Valley Farm Shop, a thriving food hub in northern California. Sheila Carder, former development director for Scienceworks Hands-on Museum and Lomakatsi Restoration Project, will be stepping in as the new executive director.

The school year may have come to a close, but summer’s abundance has brought bold flavors to Rogue Valley Farm to School’s programming. Our team of educators has partnered with the Ashland Food Co-op to host three summer camp sessions, the first of which took place this month!

Oregon is a national leader in farm to school and school gardens funding and programming. That funding is now at risk. Call your Oregon legislator and ask them to support House Bill 2038.

Rogue Valley Farm to School was selected by United Communities AmeriCorps as the Service Site for this year's Make A Difference Day! Read on to learn how a team of dedicated AmeriCorps members and community volunteers transformed the Jefferson Elementary School Garden into a vibrant growing classroom.

On a warm evening in September, 80 of our friends and neighbors joined us in the street for an unforgettable meal, featuring some of the finest food in the Valley. Thanks to the folks at Standing Stone Brewing Company, the Harvest Dinner on Oak Street was a resounding success. Visit our blog to read more and to view photos from the event.

This month, the Three Rivers School District took on a big endeavor: one week of locally sourced fruits and vegetables for the District-wide breakfast and lunch program. We sat down with Ben Guyton, the Food Services Director, to learn more about the successes and challenges of Local Produce week. 

Carly recently joined the RVF2S team to help inspire the next generation of local, seasonal, organic eaters. In this Q&A, she shares what her role within the organization entails, and how others can get involved!