August 2025 Newsletter

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Hello, community!

This is a year of firsts for RVF2S – including summer programming with Rogue River School District!

New Partnership with Rogue River School District

We’re about to enter our second week at Rogue River Elementary where we see a different set of age groups each day. Our focus is easily scalable recipes; cooking projects that can be modified for each day’s age group. Last week, we discussed “Rainbow Nutrition” (identifying different nutritional benefits of foods the color of the rainbow, like Beta Carotene found in orange foods!), and this week, we’re diving right into painting with beet juice.

Harvest of the Month

August’s Harvest of the Month comes from Ella Bella Farm – melons! And for the first time ever, we get to host Tasting Tables during the summer months!

Ashland Food Co-Op Summer Camps

Summer camp in partnership with Ashland Food Co-Op in June and July was such a fun way to jump into summer festivities. It’s amazing what you can pack into four short days of programming! We cooked our way around the world, which included learning how to make crêpes, sushi, and even ranch dressing!

CPSD Summer Programming

On the topic of big, exciting partnerships, RVF2S got to spend several days out in school gardens with Central Point Middle School! With direction and coordination from the district, kiddos got to tour each of Central Point school gardens: Jewett, Central Point, Mae Richardson, and Patrick Elementary Schools. Lemonade was made, butter was churned, and garden education bloomed!

Project Youth +

This summer, we’ve had the immense fortune of working with Project Youth +, a local nonprofit organization that prepares low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented youth to thrive in school, college, and careers.

The Youth+ teams were dedicated, motivated, and inspiring — they made dream projects come true in just hours. The Central Point school gardens are looking incredible thanks to these hard-working kids!

Turnip the Beet Re-cap

Wow — what a night! Thanks to everyone who came out to Turnip the Beet, we raised an incredible $12,000 to help fund our Digging Deeper School Partnership next year.

With 240 attendees, the event was not only a beautiful evening of music and community—it was a powerful reminder of how deeply this region cares about kids, healthy food, and learning that starts in the garden.

We’re so grateful for your support, your presence, and the energy you bring to this growing movement.

We hope that the rest of your summer days are filled with adventure, ease, and good food. Stay tuned for August’s edition of our blog, The Seasonal Scoop, coming later this month! Also, make sure to follow our social media for more pictures of what we’re up to.