Marin Organic

In Marin County, local organic farmers are as revered as doctors. And why shouldn’t they be? The food that they grow sustains us. And when it is grown naturally, it has the power to keep as healthy in the nutrition panel as we can be. With so much focus on the health crisis in our country, I was pleased to read an article about a county who is starting with the “roots” and working their way up. From the community to the kids and their schools to the economic & environmental sustainability of the county and its inhabitants, Marin County is getting it right. Marin Organic, who is at the helm of the community’s commitment to sustainable living, is an association of organic producers in Marin County whose livelihood is based on a respect for nature and a sense of place. As the primary link between farmers and eaters, Marin Organic is committed to promoting and supporting a sustainable, organic county.

One of their programs is the Marin Organic School Lunch and Gleaning Program, a program that provides schools with organic produce and also addresses underserved communities in Marin. 20% of all grown foods don't meet strict market requirements because they are too big in size or are discolored, so they can't be brought to market. Marin Organic started three years ago to collect the 20% that is left in the field. The leftover food that has been “gleaned” from the field is perfectly fine organic food that is picked up by the school children as part of an educational program and added to the mix of weekly school orders, which allows the schools to stay within the budget & allows farmers to sell organic food to schools at a regular price. Beyond that, it not only teaches kids where healthy food comes from, it gives them experience and ownership in making their community a healthier place to live.

While there are several other communities beginning to embrace the idea of natural, organic foods, I’m not sure if other cities in the nation are taking advantage of gleaned foods in the same way that Marin County is. I’m curious to see if programs like this start to pop up in other parts of the country, especially in communities that don’t have easy access to locally farmed foods and lack the school budgets that allow for these items to be shipped in. It would be great if all of our kids had the opportunity to be reeducated and had better access and knowledge of whole foods.
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