Lowell Students Use Fresh Fruits, Vegetables To Raise Money

By Emily Savage
Staff Writer

On Tuesday, 62 families from Lowell Elementary School received their first crate of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables — and they helped raise money for the school in the process.

Tanaka Farms in Irvine started the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project last year with one school. Since then, six more schools, including three in Long Beach and Seal Beach, have signed on to participate.

The program costs $25 per week for each family from a school — $20 goes back to Tanaka Farms and $5 goes to the school.

The program lasts eight weeks, with Tanaka Farms dropping off the fresh produce after school each week.

“The idea was to engage the community,” said Katie Baldwin of Tanaka Farms. “We wanted local families to purchase local foods.”

Lowell got involved with the CSA program when parent Kat Clark became aware of the idea through her friend at McGaugh Elementary in Seal Beach, she said.

“I would like É the students to experience the trickle down effect of adopting a farm, and have increasing knowledge about nutrition,” Clark said.

Clark added that when she presented the idea to the PTA, they loved it and Principal Laurie Murrin signed on to participate.

To start the program at a school, the school must have at least 50 people willing to participate — Lowell went over the minimum with 62 families signing up — and Clark said they can add more at any time.

While the program is just two years old, Tanaka Farms has been hosting family and school tours for a decade in its Irvine location.

The 30-acre farm is owned and run by fourth generation Japanese immigrant Glenn Tanaka and his 25-year-old son, Kenny. Together they guide strawberry, watermelon and pumpkin tours. Their CSA program has grown simply through word-of-mouth, Kenny said.

“We don’t use any synthetic pesticides of synthetic fertilizers after we plant,” Kenny said, “So far, (the CSA program) has been a success.”

There are 40 varieties of crops on Tanaka Farms. The families involved with the CSA program will receive a mixture of fruits and vegetables including broccoli, sugar snap peas, strawberries and beets.

“We are all excited and curious to see what we get,” Clark said, “It’s just a pleasure to be involved with a project with such obvious tangible benefits for the whole community.”

For more information on Tanaka Farms and the CSA Program, visit www.tanakafarms.com.

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