Accessing, supporting, and ed ucating students is truly the final, limitless frontier for the RVGA, and new member Nicci Cagan exemplifies the success that can be achieved there. Cagan first gained notice when her own grassroots organization, known as From the Ground Up, planted a sustainable garden at Stone Ridge’s Marbletown Elementary School. Her Farm-to-School efforts mirror a larger, national movement for healthier, fresh food in public schools, and fostering environmental awareness in students. She continues to be impactful in the Rondout Valley, partnering with the strength of the RVGA and working with New York Governor’s Mansion Executive Chef and noted whole food activist Noah Sheetz. Recently, Cagan played a key role in hiring a new food service manager, with Farm-to-School experience and training, at Accord’s Rondout Valley Central High School. The RVGA is hopeful that the school will be ready to get more local food into the district, and plans to flash-freeze local produce with the help of Kingston food packaging facility Farm-to-Table Copackers, so that the school would have access to reasonably priced, locally grown food year-round. “This is a prime opportunity to show how it can all work,” Cagan confidently asserts, “to show how we can really feed ourselves.”
So, the RVGA story is still being told, as a self-sustaining loop of family, commerce, and community continues to grow. Besides a day trip through the area—be sure to bring plenty of tote bags for your produce—one of the best ways to connect with the vibrancy and diversity that are the building blocks of the RVGA is through their annual events. RVGA’s 7th annual Orchard Dinner and Wine Tasting takes place on September 11 from 6pm to 9pm at Stone Ridge Orchard on Route 213 in Stone Ridge. The Orchard Dinner celebrates the autumn harvest by featuring RVGA-grown foods prepared by local chefs paired with New York State wines; there’s live music as well as a silent auction. Proceeds help support farmland preservation, local agriculture, and the RVGA’s Farm-to-food-pantry and farm-to-school projects.
For more information on all RVGA’s projects: www.rondoutvalleygrowers.org.