In 2012 Hester Creek Estate Winery set out to bring fresh vegetables to students at Oliver Elementary School.
Five years later the Farm to School Salad Bar program is going strong, twice a week (from October to May) giving students lunch made with ingredients from local farms, including plenty of fresh, seasonal vegetables. That relationship was rewarded by the B.C. Principals and Vice Principals Association recently.
“It’s a terrific program, one that we’re very proud to support,” said Mark Sheridan, president of Hester Creek Estate Winery. “It promotes the use of ingredients from our local agricultural community as well as healthy eating. Sustainability is one of our core values, and a commitment to sustainability means more than supporting locals now, it’s also about supporting the next generation that will keep agricultural traditions of this little town alive.”
The winery has made an annual donation of $11,000 since the inception of the program, in addition to the donations from their annual Garlic Festival, now going into its sixth year. To date, over $65,000 has been given to the school to run their program.
Oliver Elementary School Principal, Karen Sinclair, nominated the winery for a Partnership Award through the BCPVPA. The award recognizes the valuable support provided to principals, vice-principals, teachers, and students by individuals or organizations who share their time, energy and expertise to support schools..
