PCC 2006 Annual Membership Meeting
Speakers at the annual membership meeting
- Goldie Caughlan, PCC Nutrition Education Manager
- Tim Crosby, Farm to Cafeteria director for 21 Acres
- Andrew Stout, Owner and manager, Full Circle Farms
- Ann Lanning, co-chair of the Bellevue PTSA Council's Health and Wellness Committee
- Alison Leber, Beecher’s Flagship Program Administrator
Additional resources
Goldie Caughlan is PCC's Nutrition Education Manager. She was recently named to the Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Nutrition Advisory Committee (NAC).
The fifteen-member NAC was formed to make recommendations on a range of issues related to school nutrition. SPS is a national leader in school nutrition, having adopted a comprehensive set of nutrition policies in 2004. The NAC will concentrate on areas such as the menus for school breakfasts and lunches, nutrition policy and education, and school facilities relating to food service.
"The impetus toward improving student health has been blowing like a fresh breeze all across the nation, fueled by many factors," says Goldie. Public health research has shown shocking increased levels of obesity, with adult-style diseases affecting even the very young, with cardiovascular disease indicators of elevated cholesterol and blood pressure and Type II (adult-onset) diabetes."
Goldie looks forward to her work on the NAC as they help in the process of implementing what she says "may be the most comprehensive and progressive model of food and nutrition policies of any school district in the nation."
A PCC employee since 1983 and a former member of its board of trustees, Caughlan recently completed a five-year term on the National Organic Standards Board, working with the National Organic Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and was recently named to a three-year term on the Washington Small Farm Advisory Board.
Goldie founded our very successful PCC Cooks program, which provides 600 nutrition, cooking and health education classes annually to PCC members and the public. She writes a monthly column for the Sound Consumer, on topics ranging from food safety and labeling, organic standards and the regulatory system.
- Insights by Goldie, April 2006 Sound Consumer.
Tim Crosby is the Farm to Cafeteria director for 21 Acres, a new urban agricultural center located in Woodinville, Wash. In 2007, 21 Acres will complete a sustainably designed building that will include community gardens, lease acreage for commercial production, educational programs, a year-round farmers market, and distribution and processing capabilities. Tim's work is focused on strengthening the regional food system by developing market and infrastructure opportunities for local farmers.
Tim serves on various committees, including the Farm to School Connections Team and the steering committee for Sustainable Seattle's Local Food Economy Study. His also Washington state's coordinator for the Western Region Farm to School Network project and a member of Seattle Public Schools' Nutrition Advisory Committee.
Tim notes, "We have been working to solve problems by addressing the visible symptoms of a problem, but that only cures the apparent, direct symptom. Addressing the more underlying, systemic issues we can do preventative work.
"By working with child nutrition issues we can help kids become calmer, more attentive students, which can increase their test scores and save the schools money from detention issues. This in turn saves public dollars which can be better spent elsewhere."
Andrew Stout owns and manages Full Circle Farm with his wife and partner Wendy Munroe. The 140-acre, certified organic produce farm is located in Carnation, Wash., along the banks of Griffin Creek and the Snoqualmie River. They cultivate over 75 varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs ranging from bunched greens and baby vegetables to specialty herbs and flowers (edible and ornamental).
Andrew will talk about Full Circle Farm's role as a leading participant in the Farm to Cafeteria program, which promotes and serves locally produced foods in cafeterias of K-12 schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, nursing homes, businesses and other institutions. The goals of the program include supporting local farmers and the local economy, educating people about local farming and food systems, improving the quality of foods served in the cafeteria and more.
Full Circle Farm's community involvement is an example of what farmers, local government, regional consumers and retailers can accomplish when they work together. Working with Puget Sound-area organizations such as FareStart, YMCA, Hopelink, Seattle Youth Garden Works, Harvest for Humanity, Food Sense and others, Full Circle Farm donates produce and educates the public on the benefits of supporting local agriculture.
Ann Lanning is co-chair of the Bellevue PTSA Council's Health and Wellness Committee and is an advocate for increasing student's access to healthy food in the school environment, as well as incorporating nutrition education into curriculum.
Starting in September 2006, students in the Bellevue school district will have more nutritious choices in school meals, and in the foods offered for sale before and after the school day. Parents and teachers are also being encouraged to offer non-food items for celebrations and rewards.
A mother of three children in the district, Ann is excited about Bellevue's efforts to support health and wellness. "We all have a role to play in ensuring a healthier future for our children. We need to have consistent messages at home, in schools and in our community for children about the impact healthy food choices have in supporting healthy lifestyles."
- Nutrition Services home page, Bellevue School District
- Food For Thought (PDF), Bellevue School District Nutrition Services newsletter, Winter 2006
Alison Leber is the Beecher’s Flagship Program Administrator. The program is the brainchild of Kurt Dammeier, founder of Beecher’s Handmade Cheeses. Since August 2004, Beecher's has been contributing one percent of all product sales in all locations to the Flagship Program, which supports non-profit organizations that educate people about the benefits of pure, all-natural food. The program's administrator, Alison Leber, will join us to talk about it.
Dammeier says, "We believe that if people have a better understanding of the sources of their food and what is in it, they will make more nutritious eating choices and, by making these choices, they will encourage food producers and retailers to grow, make and sell food that is all-natural and nutritious." The Flagship Program supports non-profit organizations and educates people about the benefits of pure, all-natural food.
Their "Pure Food Kids: A Recipe for Healthful Eating" curricula is aimed at educating students in grades four and above about the prevalence of food additives and their possible health risks. The curricula can be taught in the classroom, in after-school programs and at PTA events. Beecher's provides all equipment, volunteers, printed materials and foods.
One of the Flagship Program beneficiaries is Washington State University's Food $ense/CHANGE (Cultivating Health and Nutrition through Gardening Education) program in King County. The program's mission is to improve nutrition for children and families with limited incomes by teaching nutrition experientially through gardening and cooking with a focus on fresh fruit and vegetable consumption.
- Flagship Program, Beecher's Handmade Cheese
Additional resources:
Nutrition Education at PCC
PCC Cooks began in 1983 as an educational and nutritional program called FoodWorks, which was designed to introduce our members and shoppers to the delicious world of natural cooking. Over the past two decades, PCC Cooks has grown to include four fully equipped teaching kitchens (soon to be five with our new Redmond store) offering more than 600 classes a year, including classes for kids of all ages.
"Kids are discriminating when it comes to food choices," says program manager Marilyn McCormick. "So PCC Cooks aims to make their classes as appealing as possible, while keeping them fun and educational."
Where food comes from, how it's produced and what makes a healthy meal are lessons woven into hands-on classes. In small groups, kids learn the basics of working safely in the kitchen, using tools and techniques that they can apply to cooking at home. We hope to inspire a lifetime appreciation of good food and creativity in the kitchen.
- PCC Kids Cook, PCC Cooks
PCC's Kid Picks program — Eating well at home is just as important as making sure your kids eat well at school. Take the guesswork out of shopping for healthy, natural food that your kids will love with PCC's Kid Picks program. Each month, we host lively taste-testing events at PCC stores and at events throughout the community. We provide the free samples. Kids provide the comments. And you'll find the results on PCC's Web site and on the shelves in our stores.
Program coordinator Sara Walsh notes, "Our samplings are done with care, so you can be confident kids really do like the products endorsed as Kid Picks. In fact, each item must be approved by more than two-thirds of the kids who sample it. Kid-approved items are flagged with a colorful Kid Picks logo at all PCC Natural Markets."
The Sound Consumer is published monthly. It is dedicated to informing and educating members and the public about food and agriculture, consumer concerns and co-op principles. Members receive it free by mail and it is available in all PCC stores.