New Year, New Council, New Programs,
New Staff!

When it comes to growing, Winter months are sometimes regarded as the "off season". Although there may not be much planting or harvesting to be done, there is a great deal of planning and preparation happening behind the scenes. The same is true here at the Community Food Council for Del Norte and Tribal Lands! We've been working hard behind the scenes to bring some exciting new projects to fruition.

Read on for the inside scoop about what we are working on in 2023...

BUT FIRST!

2022 in Review

In 2022, our food distribution programs collectively served 1,960 households, helping a total of 5,053 individuals!

The Mobile Market launched in April of 2022. Since then, it has successfully provided nutritional necessities to 854 households and 1,455 individuals in the food deserts of Del Norte County & Tribal Lands.

In November and December, our team distributed specialized Holiday food boxes. With this program, we were able to share seasonal cheer with 585 households -- 1,455 individuals in total.

We are also pleased to announce that the Pacific Pantry will now be open the First and Third Saturdays of each month from 11 AM to 1 PM.

New in 2023...

On January 11th, we kicked off the year with the first meeting of the NEW Community Food Council! This year, we are excited to introduce the members of the new Community Food Council Steering Committee:

Patty Adams, Terry Allaway, Esther & Javier Gomez, Rachel Mayer, Miguel Pelayo, Marie Reeder, David Salmon, Jennifer Schmidt, and Veronica Van Mechelen.

These community representatives have accepted the responsibility of contributing their experience and perspectives toward guiding the direction and implementation of Community Food Council initiatives and programs.
We are grateful for their service to the community!

Moving forward, meetings will continue to be held at the
Family Resource Center of the Redwoods
on the First Wednesday
of each month,
5:15 PM - 6:45 PM.

What We've Been Up To...

The Food Forest is partnering with the CR Biology class this semester for a Butterfly Garden project! Students will identify and grow pollinator support plants for food and shelter. In April students will plant the garden on Hugel bed #10 with some already established milkweed plants (a favorite plant of the monarchs) and will place a sign from the Xerces society designating it as a protected place for Monarch butterflies. The students will also release a clutch of butterflies that they have fostered as part of the project.

The Pacific Pantry has partnered with some new local producers!
We are now handing out Prairie Companion Company ground beef at the Pacific Pantry and the Pacific North Fresh Mobile Market.

The Pantry is also handing out local Brussel sprouts and quinoa from Wild Rose Farm in Blue Lake.
We will have local flour from Humboldt Grain Girls and eggs from Foggy Bottoms Boys available through our distributions by February!

We are always looking for more local producers to support. Check out the flyer below, and reach out to Marina MacNeill if you have questions about selling to the pantry.

WE'RE GROWING!

DNATL's Community Food Council is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to the team:

Meet Sarah Lipari, our new School Garden Coordinator and nature enthusiast! With a background in before and after school education and experience working on a community CSA farm, Sarah is excited to empower students through hands-on experiences in the garden and inspire them to take leadership in their school gardens!

Sarah is excited to announce the formation of the Garden Explorers club!
This program will soon be accepting applications for Student Explorers & Adult Volunteers.
Ten 5th graders will be selected from each school site in the Del Norte County Unified School District to meet at their school's garden on the first Thursday of each month from 10 AM-1 PM and learn about gardening, nutrition, social-emotional skills, and community impact.

Bookmark DNATLfood.com/garden-explorers-club & check back soon for Volunteer application details and upcoming events!

Iya Mahan is the new Food Program Manager for the DNATL Community Food Council!

Iya has spent over 15 years in Northern California and Southern Oregon enjoying this region's unique environment. She is an Alumni of Cal Poly Humboldt in 2010, with a degree in Environmental Science. She comes to the Community Food Council with goals of increasing food security and local food production and distribution in Del Norte County, with a passion for connecting people to their food.

She hit the ground running in her new role, digging in to cultivate and nurture collaborative relationships within the community. Thanks to her hard work, we can anticipate more hands-on workshops focused on nutrition, production, and shifting food culture in 2023.

Amanda Dockter is our new Part-Time Food Program Assistant. After growing up in Del Norte County, she spent nearly a decade in Colorado experiencing city life before returning home to the small-town community culture and scenic beauty she loved and missed. Amanda is delighted to be a part of this incredible organization and looks forward to helping get the word out!

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DNATL Community Food Council · 494 Pacific Ave · Crescent City, CA 95531-3142 · USA