Farm to School seminar at WVC March 13

Media Contact: Alison Detjens, instructional technician, 509.682.6625, or Mary Watson, dean of workforce education, 509.682.6614

The Wenatchee Valley College Agriculture and Natural Resources department will offer a Farm to School seminar on Thursday, March 13, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Batjer Hall 8039 on the Wenatchee campus. The event is part of the Food, Environment and Community workshop series and is free and open to the public.

WVC Geography instructor Dr. Joan Qazi will explain how the Wenatchee Valley school system is connecting local and regional farms to direct markets and improving community health. Participants will learn how the local and regional farming system and distribution works, how to support the farm to school movement and how to get involved.

"The Wenatchee School District food service managers and workers have done an excellent job of integrating local/regional foods into their program," said Alison Detjens, WVC Instructional Technician. "The positive effects of these policies include strengthening our local agricultural systems, addressing community health issues with whole foods, and providing education to our youth about eating a well-balanced diet based on whole foods."

In 2013, the Wenatchee school system purchased over $85,000 worth of produce from nine regional farms.

The Food, Environment and Community workshop series is designed to facilitate learning and discussion about relevant food-related topics and showcase local students, faculty and community members who have valuable knowledge to share with the community. This is the second year that the WVC Agriculture and Natural Resources department has offered these workshops.

For more information, visit the WVC website, www.wvc.edu, or contact Alison Detjens, 509.682.6625.

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Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington by serving educational and cultural needs of communities and residents throughout the service area. The college provides high-quality transfer, liberal arts, professional/technical, basic skills and continuing education for students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Visit our website, www.wvc.edu.