On Tuesday I spent the entire day driving in the rain, picking up and delivering food to schools. The county is beautiful, filled with vibrant green rolling hills, dramatic cloud formations, and occasional sun rays breaking through. I have spent several days making deliveries to schools in the rain this winter, and want to thank all the schools who continuously participate regardless of the season, using what's available and abundant in the winter on our local family farms to embellish the cafeteria menus.
The modern state of our globalized consumer society has created a sense of continuous availability of foods from around the world. This sense can cause a disconnect to seasonality as well as a disconnect to the natural ecology of our local region. Luckily, Marin's Mediterranean climate creates a moderate winter. The winter season here has an obvious lull, but none the less a continuous year round growing season. Right now the winter crops are abundant; Chicories, braising greens like Kale, Chard, and Collard Greens, and root crops such as leeks, turnips, and radishes, are all now available.
During the rainy month of February the Marin Organic School Lunch and Gleaning Program has served 28 Marin County schools and community centers by delivering over 40 different products from 11 Marin Organic Farmers, Producers and Artisans.
Stay tuned and join the Marin Organic Glean Team on Monday afternoons in harvesting extra crops from a Marin County farm as soon as the rainy season clears. For more info:
http://www.marinorganic.org/organic_school_lunch.php#glean
Chester Densmore
Marin Organic School Lunch and Gleaning Program Associate
