Guidestone to Celebrate National Food Day Oct. 24th

Longfellow Elementary 3rd Graders harvesting carrots for the Healthy Foods Party on Food Day Oct. 24th.

October is National Farm to school month, with October 24, 2013 being the official National Food Day.   Food Day is a nationwide celebration of healthy, affordable, and sustainably produced food and a grassroots campaign for better food policies. 

In honor of Food Day, Guidestone is celebrating with some special events for students in the Salida School District, by offering healthy food parties for classrooms, which will include information about local produce grown in the Salida School Gardens and being incorporated into the District School Lunch program, a “How Much Sugar’s In Your Snack” demo, and healthy treats to share.  In addition to a fun, engaging and delicious opportunity for students, a goal of these parties will be to develop a template for the District Wellness Policy on hosting healthy food parties in the classroom.  

In regards to healthy, locally produced foods in the schools, our community has a lot to celebrate.  Already this Fall, the Salida School Gardens has produced 1111lbs of fresh produce, 879lbs of which have gone to the school, 122lbs has been sold to the Hospital and 78lbs to other venues. Danny Quinto, and the entire cafeteria staff, has transformed this fresh food into healthy and delicious meals served daily for our children.  Food Day is a chance to celebrate this accomplishment with students and teachers in their classrooms.

To learn more about the national organization, Foodday.org has developed an extensive list of resources including a curriculum guide focused on teaching children the importance of eating real, fresh food, cutting back on processed foods, and advocating for a healthier community. You will also find reading lists for a wide variety of Farm to Table appropriate topics. 

Another exciting opportunity to bring healthy food to kids in our community is the Healthy Meals for Kids (HM4K) Chaffee County Program, which is helping ensure that all children in Chaffee County have access to healthy meals when school is not in session.  Amica’s, the Salida Boys & Girls Club and LiveWell Chaffee County have partnered over the past two years to provide healthy meals to Chaffee County children over the summer, and they anticipate reaching over 10,000 meals served by the end of next summer.  

Local Salida restaurants are donating a portion of their sales to the Healthy Meals 4 Kids Program during a “dine out” event October 24-27th, including Amica’s, The Fritz, Benson’s and Rivers Edge. In addition, Moonlight Pizza’s Moonlight Monday on Monday, October 28th will benefit HM4K.  Salida area coffee shops and bakeries are also showing their support by having donation jars where you can donate your change to a worthy cause. You can donate at Sacred Ground Coffee, Rise and Shine Bakery and Café Dawn during the same dates. Café Dawn will also donate a portion of their sales on Thursday, October 24th.

For more information about the Healthy Meals 4 Kids program or LiveWell Chaffee County, please contact Lisa Malde, Director of LiveWell Chaffee County, at lmalde@chaffeecounty.org or 530-2569.

Pumpkin Patch Thank You

On behalf of Guidestone’s Staff and Board of Directors, we would like to extend a resounding thank you to everyone in the community who participated in our 7th Annual Pumpkin Patch & Harvest Festival, held again this year at the Hutchinson Ranch. It was a wonderful weekend of festivities and we are grateful to all the attendees, volunteers, sponsors and partners that helped make the weekend a success!

We would like to specifically thank the following individuals and organizations for helping make the Pumpkin Patch such a great event: Art & Abby Hutchinson and the staff and animals of the Hutchinson Ranch, Ralph Ogden of Mt. Princeton Riding Stables and his team of wranglers, draft horses and ponies, Dennis Fischer and his ’44 John Deere tractor, Ryan O’Brien for this year’s festive poster, Michelle Gap and Jeff Yoder of the Hey Bird Food Truck by Kalamatapit Catering, members of 4-H for pony rides, Dave Ward & CCFA for their cider press, Seth Roberts of Weathervane Farm, Mark Rittman from The Maverick Potter, Steph Perko & Terrie Brewer from Kaleidoscope Toys, Tami Deal and her African pygmy goats, and all of our hard-working and positive volunteers: Tom LeBaron, Carol McIlvaine, Samantha Lane, Katy Grether, Kathi Wardlow, Leisa Glass, Charis Cheeseman, Ann Colbert, Karen Lacy, Karen Fortier, Mark Zander,  Becky Nelson, Angie Jensen, Josh Visitacion, Anne Oliver, Jennifer Veazey, Dennis Gage, Danielle Riggio, Andrea Carlstrom, Reece, Ison, Monica and Andy White, Hazel Rittman, Leslie Champ, Kristine Smock, Sheli James, Ross Kontz, the Vineyards Youth Group, members of the SHS cross-country team, Deb Bass & her SHS students, George Mossman’s SMS 6th grade class, Christi Delaney & members of the SHS Key Club, Robin Lewis & the SCC AgriCorps crew, Talmadge Trujillo and students from Horizons Exploratory Academy.

Thanks as well to the following musicians for sharing their talent and creating such a festive atmosphere! Simpler Times Bluegrass, Scott Adams, Dave Tipton, Dan Woodbird, Stephen Smalzel, Salida Brass and Chris Nasca.

We also would like to thank the following businesses for their generous sponsorships: LiveWell Chaffee County, Natural Habitats Design/Build, Boathouse Cantina, Landmark Survey & Mapping, Rebound Physical Therapy, Brady’s West, Moonstone Farm, Nordstrom Design LLC, Flynn, Wright & Fredman LLC, Pinto Barn, Assurance Partners, and to the following businesses for their donations and contributions: Amicas, Chip Peddler, City on a Hill Coffee & Espresso, Fringe, Izze, Kaleidoscope Toys, Moonlight Pizza, Mountain Phoenix Coffee Roasters, Murdoch’s, Ploughboy, Salida Bread Co., The Salty Wench, Simple Foods, Sunshine Market, Sweeties and Vino Salida.

All of the proceeds from the Pumpkin Patch go to support Guidestone’s Farmhands Education Program, which provides hands-on, experiential farm & ranch education programs to school groups, children and families. Guidestone is a Chaffee County-based non-profit dedicated to strengthening the local food economy through the preservation of agricultural resources and education.

Community support is invaluable to the success of these programs, and we are grateful to be part of such an enthusiastic community that supports local food and local agriculture. Thanks again, and best wishes for a cozy winter.  

Warm regards,

Guidestone Staff: Jennifer Tucker Visitacion, Andrea Earley Coen, David Lynch, Margaret Fitch, & OSM/VISTA Gunnar Paulsen

Guidestone Board: Tom Pokorny, Jane Fredman, Benjamin Kahn, Brian England, Natalie Amaroso, Erin Oliver, and Derald Brady.

For more information about Guidestone, visit www.guidestonecolorado.org

ps. to see more photos from the 7th Annual Pumpkin Patch & Harvest Festival, visit Guidestone's Facebook page!