October 2019

Earlier this month, Guåhan Sustainable Culture was recognized in a Guam Legislature Resolution and a Proclamation of the Governor, which announced October as Farm to School Month.
The Farm to School Program partners with local farmers and non-profit organizations to introduce locally grown vegetables into the Guam Department of Education’s lunch programs. It is an initiative headed by the Governor of Guam Lou Leon Guerrero, Guam Economic Development Agency, and the Department of Agriculture to grow and support the agricultural industry on Guam, as well as increase nutrition in school lunches.

Alongside other non-profit organizations, GSC has been tapped to be a central distribution hub for farmers to deliver the produce for the Farm to School program. In the Proclamation of the Governor, it was announced that “the Farmers Cooperative Association of Guam, Farm to Table Guam, and Guåhan Sustainable worked with over 20 farmers to prepare for the upcoming school year by creating safety plans, growing schedules, and delivery timelines, and payment coordination so they would be equipped to meet the requirements of DOE in time for the first order in November 2019.” At this point, GSC will work with farmers who produce microgreens, but hopes to expand to other fresh vegetables and fruits as the program grows.

This Resolution and Proclamation represent GSC’s continuing progress in building partnerships in order to cultivate strategies of food security, food sovereignty, and environmental sustainability within our local community.