December 2025 Newsletter
November was a month of hands-on learning, community support, and building local food system resilience. From emergency food responses to youth education and farm programs, our work continues to connect people to local food, each other, and opportunities to grow. Now, it’s December and, as winter settles in, some projects have slowed down outside while other projects and learning opportunities have moved indoors.
Here are some of the stories that highlight our work from last month.
Farm to Fork: Students Engaging with Food Systems
Our work with Sunset High School students continued with a full circle experience in which students got to experience each part of a food system. 12 Students were treated to a field trip to tour a local Cranberry Farm and pick berries from the bog, learn about the plants and production directly from the farmer and taste the juice pressed from the berries they had just harvested. The students went home with 25 pounds of donated fresh harvested cranberries. Thank you to Bowman’s Bog Family Farms for the generous donation of your time, expertise, and delicious cranberries.
Next; the students were able to participate in a hands-on workshop at their school site where they learned to cook and preserve a delicious cranberry sauce. The students learned to preserve their sauce through the water bath canning method led by Master Food Preserver and Community Education Coordinator for DNATL CFC Angela Gray. One student observed “now I have the skills to survive the zombie apocalypse” after completing the project. The Cranberry sauce will be shared at the school wide feast for all Sunset High students. This Farm to Fork project highlights the importance of full circle learning and giving our youth an experience that builds skills, shapes their worldview, and allows for hands-on learning.
School Gardens Programs
Growing Leaders
Our School Gardens Program continues to empower students with hands-on education through gardening, cooking, and composting, giving them opportunities to learn about growing and eating whole foods while building leadership, presentation skills, and a sense of community. At Crescent Elk, for example, over 200 students participated in the garden, many taking on leadership roles themselves. For example, one student, initially hesitant to present, overcame his fear and inspired classmates with a lesson on compost. He felt recognized and was proud of himself.
A recent activity beautifully illustrates our students and our own work’s growth: a couple of weeks ago at the Smith River Elementary School Garden, children noticed that plenty of kale was still growing and requested to make the “medicine salad” again. This recipe -originally introduced by Farm to School Program Manager Melanie Cross the day of our last tsunami warning, and now presented by our School Coordinator Walter Campos- has left a lasting impression. Thanks to prior lessons, a few students were confident enough to help lead the cooking activity, as they prepared the nutrient-rich kale salad.
Stories like this show how hands-on learning can foster confidence, responsibility, and joy in sharing knowledge among youth.
Students requesting kale? Anything is possible!!
Taa-’at-dvn Chee-ne’Tetlh-tvm’Crescent City Food Forest
Pumpkin Smash: From Waste to Growth:
This fall brought rain, teamwork, and plenty of creativity to the Food Forest. One standout moment was the first annual Pumpkin Smash, an event, inspired by the new composting system, designed to transform leftover pumpkins into rich compost. The heavy storms that day limited in-person attendance. Only one very enthusiastic youth and their guardian attended in person, but the event reached over 3,000 viewers online.
The need for compost greens sparked the Pumpkin Smash idea, and thanks to a generous post-Halloween donation from Home Depot, a full truck bed of pumpkins was received—enough to fuel the compost piles for weeks to come. Also, highlighting the benefits of the new compost system, new systems were created to pick-up food waste from the Pacific Pantry which redirected this food waste from the landfill to the Food Forest compost systems, helping reduce organic waste while providing high-quality soil for gardens and educational programs. This work demonstrates how we can turn food waste into a resource for learning, growth, and sustainability.
Garden Parties this season were filled with dedicated volunteers tackling weeds, shaping new paths, planting donated iris tubers, and caring for peas, onions, garlic, and more. Highlights included harvesting kale, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash—all donated to the Family Resource Center of the Redwoods Food Bank- the Pacific Pantry.
Other fall accomplishments include:
Four completed compost piles now resting
New soil mixed into Hugels and beds
Four blueberry bushes planted
400 strawberry plants thinned and transplanted
83 visitors welcomed
Continued support from our Food Forest Intern, Hannah
We also expanded community outreach through the Emergency Feeding Taskforce, resulting in food resource flyers being posted across all ten transit buses at no cost.
As winter approaches, we’re putting beds to rest, planning new learning stations, and celebrating the volunteers and partners who make this space thrive.
Supporting Local Farmers and Strengthening the Food Economy
Local farmers and food producers are at the heart of our work. In November, we hosted a Farmer Mixer and Producer Advisory Committee meeting, where producers shared feedback, connected with one another, and provided input on the Food Hub’s development.
Additionally, the first cohort of our Climate Resilient Farmer Training Program is coming to a close as they finished the business series of the 15 month course.
In partnership with the North Coast Growers Association and the Small Business Development Center, these participants gained business skills, farm planning tools, and peer support to sustain and grow their operations, Six beginning farmers from Del Norte completed the program, and 16 more applied for Cohort 2 starting in early Spring 2026.
By supporting farmers, we strengthen the local food economy, create resilient supply chains, and ensure that our community has access to fresh, local food.
We Are Hiring: Marketing & Outreach Manager
🌱 Join a mission-driven team working to strengthen the local food system across Del Norte County and Tribal lands.
The Del Norte & Tribal Lands Community Food Council (DNATL CFC) collaborates with farmers, Tribal leaders, youth, and community partners to increase access to healthy local foods, support regional producers, and build a more equitable and resilient food economy.
We are seeking a Marketing & Outreach Manager who is passionate about food, community, and storytelling. In this role, you will lead our communications efforts, promote programs and events, uplift producer and partner stories, and help ensure community members know how to access local food resources.
Your work will include managing social media , creating outreach materials , coordinating tabling and community engagement, supporting press and marketing campaigns, and building relationships that strengthen the visibility of DNATL CFC’s work.
If you enjoy creative communication, working with diverse communities, and being out in the field connecting directly with people, this position offers an opportunity to make a meaningful impact while helping shape the future of our regional food system. 🌾
Find the full job description and how to apply: Here
Del Norte Unified School District Goes to Washington DC
Del Norte Unified School District has been invited to present at the 2026 No Kid Hungry Summer Nutrition Summit in Washington, D.C.—a national gathering of leaders, researchers, and practitioners working to expand access to summer meals for children across the country. The event takes place January 12–13, 2026, and DNUSD is one of only three school districts in the United States selected to present. Read the full article here.
Check out the School district Nutrition Services page for what’s on the menu and great information about staying healthy!
Winter Break School Meal Distribution
If you would like to help , we will be building the bags on Saturday, 12/20 from 10:00am - 2:00pm at the Crescent Elk Kitchen
Check out the website: DNUSD Food Service
Pacific Pantry & Mobile Market
The Family Resource Center Food Bank would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the community for the tremendous support during our holiday food drive. Because of your generosity, we received over 1,500 lbs of canned food dedicated to filling our holiday bags!
In November, we were able to distribute holiday food to 710 families. If your household has not yet received a holiday food bag, please visit one of our upcoming distributions—we would be happy to assist you.
We also saw a continued need for support in our community. 148 new families signed up at Pacific Pantry and North Fresh Mobile Market throughout November, bringing our total number of families served to 845. Thank you for helping make it possible for us to meet this growing need.
We are especially grateful for our dedicated volunteers who show up week after week to help with deliveries, sorting, and distributions. Your time and energy ensure families have food on their tables this season—we truly couldn’t do this without you.
Please Continue to Support the Pacific Pantry & Mobile Market
The Family Resource Center of the Redwoods Food Bank has an ongoing commitment to combat hunger in our community. The Pacific Pantry and Mobile Market support the most vulnerable in our community, providing local, nutritious food to families in need.
As we face these uncertain times, please consider joining us to take action against hunger. Together, our actions help ensure our community has the food needed to thrive.
Help make a difference by donating today.
Winter Hours at the Pantry
2026 California Small Farm Conference
Registration is officially LIVE for the 38th annual California Small Farm Conference.
Join us for our 38th annual gathering, a week of learning, inspiration and community featuring over 50 online workshops followed by a dozen in-person events around the state. Whether you’re a beginning farmer or a seasoned grower, a local food advocate or a farmers market manager, you’ll find something here for you.
To keep this event accessible for everyone, admission is on a sliding scale. When you register, simply choose the amount that works for you. If you’re able, consider giving a little more to help others attend.
CHECK OUT THE FULL PROGRAM HERE
Digging In Together: Small Farms, Deep Resolve
Our 2026 theme, “Digging In Together: Small Farms, Deep Resolve” celebrates the age-old perseverance of farmers as well as the collaboration we need now more than ever to ensure a just, sustainable, and abundant future for all.
What’s in store for 2026?
A full-day Spanish-language track, a full-day Farmers’ Market professional track, and various topic tracks for farmers including farm production, sales & marketing, business management, organics, ag policy & more.
Workshops include:
Agroforestry Across California
Grazing Sheep in Vineyards
Financing Considerations for the Beginning & Small Farmer
Urban Farming
Maximizing Farmers Market Sales
Free Online Tools for Soil Health
Selling into Farm to School
No-till Farming
Grazing & Good Fire: Healthy Ecosystems & Wildfire Recovery
Cooperative Tool Lending
And so many more!
Tune into the first four days of virtual programming anywhere you can find an internet connection–at home, on the farm, while seeding trays in the greenhouse!
Then, join us for one of ten in-person gatherings around the state to connect with your local farm community, from San Diego to Humboldt, from the San Joaquin Valley to the East Bay.