The new F.E.A.S.T. program formed in 2020 actively engages young adults in the hands-on experiences that teach them how to understand, grow, harvest, reap and prepare foods that will sustain them in good times and bad, and ensure that they will have the tools to thrive. F.E.A.S.T. takes the learning activities from the school environment out into the community.
There are currently 10 active teens in the new F.E.A.S.T. program: Three students are founding members of the Junior Garden Club at Orcas Elementary. Others associated with F.E.A.S.T. on an adult level are Rosedanie Cadet (President of Helping Hands Noramise and instructor of Orcas F.E.A.S.T), Madie Murray (former Chair of the Orcas Island Farm to Cafeteria Program), Hannah Parker (mother of one of the founding members of the Farm to Cafeteria program in 2010), and F.E.A.S.T. participant Linda Hamilton, member of the Orcas Island Rotary Club.
Our goal is to have a total of 20 participants in this program soon, and they may come from any Orcas Island school or be homeschooled. F.E.A.S.T. learning experiences may occur during the summer, on the weekends or after school. There are no membership fees or participation fees to belong though contributions to offset costs are always appreciated!, and all workshop leaders donate their time.
CURRENT, PAST AND FUTURE F.E.A.S.T. ACTIVITIES
Current:
• Making Pollinator Habitats at Map Corner for the Orcas Island Rotary Club
• Learning about tanning hides with the Orcas Island Food Bank
Past:
• Create your own ceramic cup or mug with Mary Jane Elgin
• Making Holiday Ornaments for the Orcas Island Rotary Club Holiday Tree at Rosario
• Herb Boxes for the Orcas Island Senior Center
• Lavender Harvesting at Orcasong Farm, Orcas Island
• Tide Tour and Talk about oysters and clams at Buck Bay Shelfish Farm
Future:
• Learning preserves and shrubs production at Girl Meets Dirt, Orcas Island
• Cultivating and gleaning at several Orcas Community Gardens.
• Helping in the Orcas Public Schools Farm to Classroom and Christian School Gardens
DOWNLOADABLE LESSON PLANS AND ACTIVITIES
Lesson plans and activities curated and contextualized by the HHN Education Committee
OUR QUEST TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES WITH TEENS OF OTHER STATES AND NATIONS
Under the auspices of our parent organization, Helping Hands Noramise, The Orcas Island F.E.A.S.T. members are sharing their experiences with students in St. Michel de L'Atalaye, Haiti, where a new school garden/classroom has been created by Helping Hands Noramise. Other F.E.A.S.T. programs are being created in Indiana (USA) and Taiwan, with each program sharing core values while adapting its activities to the experiences, conditions and opportunities of its community.
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