The Z Project 

Thank you to these community partners for helping us grow a local 

garden-to-cafeteria program!

​​

Napa Operative

for School food Health​

Contact: Brandy Dreibelbis

brandy_dreibelbis@nvusd.org 

A Mighty Cause helped raise $280 from

seven donors.

During the summer of 2019, Napa school gardens  grew veggies for the cafeteria! Dubbed The Z Project, this pilot involved ten school and community gardens in growing, harvesting, and selling zucchini/summer squash to for school lunch. 

Kids will taste anything that they have had a hand in growing. Nine times out of ten, they like it!

 –Brandy Dreibelbis,

Director of Nutrtion Services, NVUSD

 

Which school sites participated?

  • Donaldson Way, Phillips Magnet, Pueblo Vista Magnet, Vichy Elementary School

  • Harvest Magnet, River MS, and Silverado MS

  • New Tech High School

  • Napa Valley CanDo's Food Bank Garden and Randolph Community Garden

Who funded and otherwise supported the program?

Three primary community partners pulled off this project. Napa Valley CanDo provided publicity support, access to tools, harvesting bins and volunteers. NOSH (Napa’s Operative for School food Health) purchased the produce from the gardens for fair-market price on a per-pound basis. The School Garden Doctor provided leadership and training, marketing and communication, and managed logistics. 

What varieties of zucchini were grown?

Four commercial types of summer squash were selected for harvest timing and uniformity. We purchased seed for the selected varieties from Park Seed: Z’Oro (45 d); Gold Rush (45 d); Spineless Perfection (40 d); Spineless Beauty (43 d)

The School Garden Doctor is a registered nonprofit organization established in 2018 to promote evidence-based practices to sustain school gardens in the 21st century. EIN: 83-1551303

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