WHAT WE DO

The West Marin Food Systems Group works collaboratively with schools, climate action groups, agriculture stakeholders, non-profits, government entities, health care practitioners, and safety net providers to increase access to healthy food for low-income residents and older adults in West Marin to create sustainable community food resilience within our unique foodshed. Our goal is to enhance policy, systems, and environmental changes by identifying available resources, leveraging the expertise of partnerships, and showcasing best practices. 

Our key focus areas are School Wellness (Farm to School Programs and School Wellness Committees), Community Food (Older Adults: Medically Tailored Meals and Socio-entrepreneurial Support), and Farms and Gardens (West Marin Glean Team, Community Gardens, and a Foodshed Mapping Project). Check out our interactive foodshed map with farms, food pantries, and participating organizations.

Overview 

There are so many exciting things happening in our Regional Farm to School Program. We want to officially welcome Salvador Espinoza, our new Regional Food Service Director. He comes to us with a wealth of experience, and we are thrilled to have his support in this next phase of our project. The story below highlights the fun and exciting challenge our team has undertaken as a collaborative, responding to the needs of our community and students' taste buds.

In addition, we want to congratulate our Conscious Kitchen and Lagunitas partners, whose collaboration sparked our wellness leadership team meetings. 112 students are eating school lunch this year, compared to 25 last year. In addition, 68 students arrive at school on time to eat breakfast, compared to 10 last year. The change in school meals has impacted student attendance and improved the school culture. The buzz from the students, teachers, and community has been amazing! Check out the Point Reyes Light article for more information.

Thank you to our School Wellness Leadership Team for their shared vision and commitment to improving our school meal program and listening to the voices of our students and community.  

To learn more about our work, join us in May at one of the four district school board meetings, see the schedule below.

• Nicasio School District: May 1, 2025, 5 - 5:30 pm
• Shoreline Unified School District: May 08, 2025 6:30 - 7 pm
• Bolinas Stinson Unified School District: May 13, 2025, 5 - 5:30 pm
• Lagunitas Community School District: May 15, 2025, 6 - 6:30 pm

Looking Back

Farm-to-School Feasibility Assessment 

With help from Innovative Health Solutions, our members at all four school districts participated in a farm-to-school feasibility study. The assessment provided a road map for the region on steps to establish a region-wide farm-to-school program. As a result of the ongoing collaboration and the regional partners' focus on making changes to school meals, the districts applied for California Department of Education (CDE) funding that can support local food purchases and best practice work to improve scratch cooking. These funds ($178K), in addition to a California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Farm to School Grant that Shoreline received $150K, will be used to help improve the food service programming in the region. 

Image: SUSD Chef Sherri Edwards, Regional Food Service Director, Salvador Espinoza, and Conscious Kitchen Chef, Samantha Ramey, at Tomales High School making nachos.

Congregate Meals

After a five-year pause, the beloved Point Reyes Senior Lunch is back! Hosted by West Marin Senior Services at the Dance Palace on the first Thursday of each month, this vibrant gathering offers a nutritious meal, lively company, and great entertainment, like the upcoming May 1st jazz trio from Bread & Roses. Thanks to Palace Market and the Dance Palace for their support!

Reservations are required: Email david@wmss.org by the Monday before each lunch. Suggested contribution: $3 for seniors, $6 for others—no one turned away. Volunteers welcome! Learn more here.

Sembrando Vida

Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life) continues to grow—literally and figuratively—by weaving traditional food-growing knowledge with local agricultural practices at Blue Marble Acres. This season, we’ve expanded our efforts, offering seeds, mentorship, and shared community garden spaces to empower sustainable farming in West Marin.

Thanks to the support of our community, including our partners at the West Marin Lions Club, West Marin Climate Action Team, UC Cooperative Extension, and West Marin Food Systems, Sembrando Vida is blossoming into a hub of resilience and food sovereignty.

A special thank you to everyone who joined us at our fundraiser on Friday, March 21st. Together, we met our goal of $3,800 to support key improvements: building a solar-powered shed, fencing the acre of land, and advancing composting infrastructure.

Eco Sorting Stations, Reusable Foodware, and SB1383

West Marin Food Systems continues to support the fabrication of the West Marin Climate Action’s Eco-Sorting Stations. We pair our youth and young adult support with older adults who have the time and expertise to support the fabrication of the eco-starting stations. This work is central to the Community Meals that we have facilitated with place-based partners who reserve the use of the Events Library, which was established in 2011, and it is still used to produce Zero Waste Events with plates, cups, flatware, cloth napkins, and more. As reuse is promoted, we still use the eco-sorting stations to provide direction to the consumer to create clean compost, clean recycling, and no landfill. 

We continue to provide technical assistance for place-based partners who need to update their food and beverage policies to comply with SB 1383. We invite our members to contact our WMFS team to reserve the Events Library materials for community meals you will produce in the year ahead. Please get in touch with our team if you want to conduct a waste audit and find solutions for your organization. 

West Marin Glean Team

In partnership with ExtraFood, UC Cooperative Extension, and the West Marin Climate Action-Local Food Group, the West Marin Glean Team, collects surplus produce from farms and residential gardens. The harvested food is donated to food pantries, schools, and senior housing sites.

Impact so far:

• 46 Volunteers Engaged
• 8,344 Pounds of Produce Gleaned
• 12 Farm and Residential Sites Onboarded

Are you interested in becoming a West Marin Glean Team member, a Glean Team Lead, or are you a farmer who wants to participate in gleans? Spread the word and share the flyers at these links: volunteering or hosting a glean?

We are seeking volunteers, especially in the Tomales & Dillon Beach areas!

Marin Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL): West Marin Community Action Team (CAT) and  Food Production 

Through Marin Healthy Eating, Active Living (HEAL), our Community Action Team (CAT) supports local food production and nutrition initiatives across West Marin. This year, we’re partnering with West Marin School and Nicasio School garden programs to help students engage with healthy eating through hands-on learning. We're also working with Ecumenical Affordable Housing to support residents of Walnut Place and Point Reyes Affordable Housing in growing more fresh food and increasing food security.

The work with San Geronimo Valley Community Center, contractors including regional garden coordinator, Kaya Rose, we continue to strengthen the broader effort that puts focus on strengthening farm-to-school connections, supporting food access programs, and bringing movement and wellness into daily community life of youth, and older adults—all part of building a healthier, more equitable food system.

In the News

• California Farm to School is Bringing Business and Climate-Friendly Practices to Farms 
• More Schools Serving Vegan Meals

The West Marin Food Systems Group is an Innovative Health Solutions project established in 2020. Third I Communications backs the group, and the leadership team is led by Launch for Hire Consultants in partnership with San Geronimo Valley Community Center and the Marin Child Care Council. 

Grants from the Marin Community Foundation, Marin County Public Health Department, Healthy Eating Active Living, and the West Marin Fund support this program.