Greetings Marin Organic Producers, and Happy New Year!
We have exciting news to share with you! Yesterday Marin Organic was named the recipient of the Excellence in Innovation award at the 19th Annual Heart of Marin event. The recognition was for our work gleaning food for schools and resource centers, as well educating local children about sustainable agriculture on Marin Organic farms. More than 750 people were present, including many of our wonderful nonprofit friends, local businesses, and government officials. It was an honor just to be nominated by Bank of Marin, and humbling to be selected amongst so many other wonderful organizations.
This award was made possible by you, our members. So many of you open your hearts and fields to this good work, donating precious healthy food to the underserved, and graciously allowing groups of children to dig in your soil and nibble on your harvest. We are so grateful for all that you do (160,000 lbs. donated to date!), and appreciative of the many people that have forged this path for Marin Organic over the past decade.
We have a lot more to share with you in this New Year – including upcoming workshops, a Farm Bill event with Ken Cook of EWG (Environmental Working Group), the unveiling of our new Supporting Business program and Friends Loyalty card, and expansion of our school lunch program via Sow a Row for Schools.
So many exciting developments, and the year has just begun - here's to a great 2012!
Sincerely Yours,
Adrienne and the Marin Organic crew
Adrienne Baumann
Executive Director Marin Organic
P.O. Box 962
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
The Marin Organic team wants to convey our sincere gratitude to all Marin Organic's supporters, partners, and predecessors. With you, and the power of your gleaning hands, your donations, your thoughtfulness, your volunteer time in the office, your sponsorships, your creativity, and your encouragement, we are now giving 14,000 Marin school children access to local, organic food every week. We are bringing hundreds of kids to local organic farms for hands-on learning each year, and on top of all that, we are donating thousands of pounds of great organic food to Marin's neediest families and kids!
As Bank of Marin put it:
"Gleaning is an age-old concept... Marin Organic’s innovation is in harnessing the wisdom of this ancient tradition and effectively re-introducing it as a truly novel concept and practice, because it serves everyone reliant upon Marin’s food system."
For more about Marin Organic's Heart of Marin Excellence in Innovation award, click here. To donate to Marin Organic, or for ways to get involved, please visit us online or give us a call at 415.663.9667.
