From a plate brimming with qualified and talented candidates, Bruce Orchid emerged as the one entrusted with planting new seeds and breathing new life into the Orcas Island Farm-to-Cafeteria Program in our public schools.

Exactly as the title implies, Orchid’s primary focus will be to coordinate farm production and procurement with the school cafeteria so breakfast, lunch and snack menus may be filled with more locally grown, organic products; coordinate with teachers, chefs, farmers and community members to create more farm-to-cafeteria and nutrition/health related activities with all students K-12; and coordinate more activities using the current school garden to create a stronger connection between it, the students and the cafeteria.

“When we started looking for funding to nurture and grow our fledgling farm-to-cafeteria activities, it became apparent that even if we were to win a grant or receive private funding toward the program, we needed someone who would be focused, be accountable for using that money effectively, and devote the time necessary to coordinate all the facets a healthy farm-to-cafeteria program entails,” says Orcas Island Farm-to-Cafeteria advocate and Orcas Island Education Foundation (OIEF) Board Member, Madie Murray. “Thanks to those wonderful donors who gave toward the program through our past three OIEF Food For Thought Benefits, we accumulated enough to hire that ‘someone’ and the Orcas Farm-to-Cafeteria is off and running!”

Barbara Kline, Superintendent and High School Principal says, “The excitement level being generated by our Farm-to-Cafeteria Program becoming a priority in our public schools and in our community is truly refreshing, and Bruce brings an overwhelming wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to this very important first year of the position.”

Orchid and his wife, Christina, have been residents of Orcas since 1975 and owned the landmark Christina’s restaurant on Orcas for 30 years. Since selling the restaurant in May of 2008, Orchid, who is also a lifetime credentialed teacher, has returned to his other passion – teaching. You’ll often see him sitting with the kids in the cafeteria at lunchtime or helping prep food in the kitchen. “We have wonderful farmers in this region and great schools, “ Orchid says, “and I’m looking forward to being an agent of greater interaction between the two and the positive affects an outstanding Farm-to-Cafeteria Program will have on our children.”

Also recently created to support the Coordinator position is a Farm-to-Cafeteria Committee consisting of the school food service director, elementary and high school teachers, OIEF members, a student and involved community members volunteering their time to steer the program. Orcas Farm-to-Cafeteria hopes to become a non-profit entity on its own in the not-too-distant future; but in the meantime, all financial support will continue to come through donations made to OIEF either through its web site at www.oief.org or by check to OIEF, PO Box 782, Eastsound, WA 98245 with a note that it’s for the Farm-to-Cafeteria Program. For further information or questions, contact Barbara Kline at 360-376-2284