May Newsletter
It’s a vibrant time for local food! While we prepare for the Downtown Crescent City Farmers Market, the Community Food Council continues to support our community with exciting new initiatives. Discover our latest stories, programs, and spotlights in this edition. We appreciate your vital support in making this work possible.
Food Forest
The Food Forest has been buzzing with community learning this season! We had four workshops this past month including a Salad Bowl Workshop with Marie Reeder, a Spring Pruning Workshop with Terry Allaway, and two Salvaging Abundance Workshops with Ben Zumeta.
If you’re looking to get your hands dirty, join our weekly Food Forest Workdays on Tuesdays from 2–5 PM and Thursdays from 9 AM–12 PM. The Food Forest is also open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset. Community members are always welcome to stop by, explore, and enjoy the space at 883 W Washington Blvd. Crescent City, CA.
Agricultural Programs
The 2026 Climate Resilient Farmer Training Cohort recently wrapped up its spring field days, visiting seven farms and ranches over four immersive days of hands-on learning and community connection. Cohort participants explored a wide range of agricultural operations, including Potowat Health Village, Deep Seeded Community Farm, Shakefork Community Farm, Alexandre Family Farm, Ocean Air Farms, Elkhorn Herbals, and Neukom Family Farm.
By connecting aspiring farmers with experienced local producers, the program is helping cultivate the next generation of climate-resilient growers while uplifting the farms and ranches already strengthening our regional food system. These field days continue to foster a more connected and resilient agricultural community.
We are proud to support local youth through hands-on agricultural education. This year, we awarded a mini-grant to Del Norte High School student and Future Farmers of America (FFA) member, Kayden Griffin.
Recognized for his incredible work ethic and commitment to livestock raising, Kayden is currently raising and finishing a hog as part of his FFA/Career Technical Education (CTE) project. We are honored to support students like Kayden who are carrying forward the future of agriculture and community food systems. Keep up the great work, Kayden!
School Gardens
The School Gardens Team is wrapping up the school year with the Expanded Learning Opportunity Program’s (ELOP) Garden Explorers, engaging students in hands-on gardening, nutrition education, and cooking experiences. Students have planted more than 1,000 fruits and vegetables in garden beds and greenhouse seed trays, while also learning to prepare healthy recipes like leek soup and the now-famous kale “medicine” salad.
Beyond the classroom, the team has continued building and improving garden infrastructure, including new hoop houses, snail boxes, and six garden beds. By working alongside students to create functional, durable, and welcoming garden spaces, the program is cultivating both practical skills and a lasting connection to healthy food and the environment.
Community Nutrition Education
The Community Nutrition Education program recently partnered with the Del Norte Unified School District Nutrition Services team to celebrate their new “Try Agriculture Samples with Tastes and Education” (TASTE) grant award, which supports the purchase of fresh, locally grown produce for school salad bars. During the celebration, four Del Norte public school campuses were transformed into interactive “pop-up farmers markets,” where students sampled sweet strawberries, crisp lettuce, carrots from Ocean Air Farms, and snap peas from Sea Breeze Farm—all locally grown and featured in school meals and salad bars.
Teachers also shared a classroom video introducing students to local producers and highlighting the importance of supporting regional agriculture. To extend the experience beyond the classroom, students received vouchers and information about the Downtown Crescent City Farmers Market’s Power of Produce (POP) Club program, running June 17 through August 12. Through the POP Club, kids can visit the farmers market, taste fresh produce, participate in hands-on educational activities, and earn “Pop Bucks” to spend on fruits and vegetables at the market. Family letters were sent home encouraging families to continue exploring healthy eating, local food, and community connections together throughout the summer.
Farmers Market
The Downtown Crescent City Farmers Market returns on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, and will continue every Wednesday from 9 AM–2 PM, rain or shine, at 240 H Street in Crescent City. Community members can enjoy fresh local produce, prepared foods, handmade goods, live music, and family-friendly activities while supporting regional farmers, food producers, and artists. The market proudly accepts EBT and Market Match, helping make fresh, healthy food more accessible to the community.
As the season approaches, only a few vendor spaces remain available. Farmers, food producers, artists, and local makers interested in joining this year’s market are encouraged to apply through the Vendor Application Form. Additional information about the market, vendor opportunities, EBT, and Market Match can be found at dnatlfoodcouncil.org/farmers-markets.
Local Food Resilience
Regional partners continue building momentum around strengthening food system resilience and emergency preparedness across the North Coast. The Del Norte Emergency Feeding Task Force remains an important collaborative space for organizations working to improve coordination, response capacity, and equitable food access during emergencies and disruptions. The Task Force meets on the third Friday of each month in a hybrid format, bringing together partners committed to strengthening regional emergency feeding systems. Those interested in attending can contact Iya Mahan at iya@dnatlfoodcouncil.org
We are also looking forward to the upcoming in-person convening of the North Coast Emergency Food System Partnership on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 10:00am–2:30pm at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center in Hopland, California. Partners from across the region will gather to share updates, strengthen relationships, and advance collaborative strategies for emergency food response and long-term resilience planning, with a particular focus on incorporating local food into emergency food systems. As the Partnership’s final funded in-person convening, the gathering will also provide space to reflect on the Network’s core activities and accomplishments. Please register here if you are interested in attending.
In addition, the Community Food Council and Food For People Food Bank recently presented our regional emergency feeding preparedness efforts to the Redwood Coast Healthcare Coalition, highlighting ongoing work to strengthen cross-sector partnerships that support community health, emergency readiness, and food security throughout the region.