The Tehama County Plow Share Project Supports Local School Gardens

Red Bluff, CA, December 02, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The Tehama County Plow Share Project began in 2014 and is now an over three hundred member Facebook Volunteer Group whose mission is to grow, glean and deliver food to the Food Bank and Food Pantry providers in Tehama County. One of the primary ways this is accomplished is through teaming with the local schools to build or restore and then maintain year round their school gardens, with an agreement with the administrations that the food grown goes to feed the children at the schools both in the garden as it is harvested and also, as available, through the school lunch programs. Food grown during times when school is not in session and when extra vegetables and herbs are available is collected and delivered to the Food Bank or Food Pantry with the closest proximity to the local school where it is grown.

Instrumental to the success of this project has been the SERRF (Safe Education and Recreation for Rural Families) program which has hired an Agricultural Liaison to teach basic garden and nutrition skills to the students participating in the after school classes throughout Tehama County. Currently, approximately 400 students/week and 1200 individual students/monthly have the opportunity to spend time building and working in the gardens, learning basic gardening skills and nutrition, as well as learning to give back to the community through their efforts. They also have the opportunity to eat a variety of vegetables and herbs fresh from the garden that they learn taste great and are healthy for them.

Gardens projects are at various levels of development at Antelope Elementary, Antelope Day School, Bidwell Elementary, Jackson Heights Elementary, Lassen View Elementary, Los Molinos Elementary, Manton Elementary, Metteer Elementary, Metteer Community Day School, Olive View Elementary, Plum Valley Elementary, Richfield Elementary, Vista U-Prep and Vina Elementary School. School gardens at other sites are scheduled to be developed between now and the end of the year.

Major Kit Wetter of the Red Bluff Salvation Army wrote, “We appreciate your help with this gardening project of growing fresh fruits and vegetables, Without your help of donations for our clients they would not get them fresh often. Many people come through our doors and this is a blessing to them, and as we watch your program growing we are able to see a future of helping more of these families with these products. We appreciate you and all of your students who work hard to make this happen.” Angie Dickinson, who works directly with those in need during the Monday and Thursday free food distribution held each week at the Red Bluff Salvation Army, commented that they could use ten times the amount of fresh produce that the project is currently able to provide, but that amount is increasing as more sites are added to the project.

People interested in contributing in any way to this worthwhile project, should please “Like” the Tehama County Plow Share Project on Facebook and “Share” the information and requests for resources. Financial donations to the project can be contributed directly to the SERRF program at the Department of Education in Red Bluff, designated for the “Garden Project.” Volunteers able and willing to assist with the “hands on” efforts to maintain the local school garden in their area or in any other way, should please send a message through the Facebook page and participation will be welcomed.

About: The Tehama County Plow Share Project is a Facebook Volunteer Group founded in 2014 whose mission is to grow, glean and deliver fresh produce to the Food Bank and Food Pantries in Tehama County, CA.

Contact:
JT Shoults
Tehama County Plow Share Project
+1 707-363-2481
jt.tcpsp@gmail.com