The Waterbury-Duxbury Food Council began as an effort to improve our school lunch program -- which at the time was not only hemorraging money but also providing lackluster food choices for our kids.  In two years, it has grown to include focuses on gardening, policy, community education, and food systems infrastructure.  Here's a look at what we've accomplished, and what we've been working on (in no particular order):

• Resurrecting the dormant Duxbury Community Gardens (along the River Road near the Winooski Street Bridge), with 20 plots about 75% full in 2010.
  
• Developing a presence in our local newspapers (op-eds, letters to the editor)
  
• Catalyzing some big changes and expansion at the Waterbury Farmer’s market -- including the addition of a new winter market at Thatcher Brook Primary School
• Developing a locally-based, online Land Link program to connect owners with under-utlized land with growers who need more space for their agricultural endeavors
• Educating school children about healthy and local food through tastings and activities
  
• Working with the schools to boost their school lunch program -- focusing especially on food that is more local and healthy
• Developing a website for the Senior Center
• Hosting discussion groups on gardening and canning
• Hosting speakers like Ben Hewitt, Ron Krupp and George Woodard to tell us more about their work and experiences in and around the regional food system.
• Supporting the ongoing maintenance Senior Center vegetable garden
• Organizing food pickup for the Waterbury Food Shelf and the Duxbury Elf Shelf
• Building raised garden beds at Thatcher Brook Primary School and helping teachers develop gardening projects at school
• Helping Revitalizing Waterbury with their 2010 "Spring for Waterbury" Fundraiser
• Participating in the Rotary's 2010 Home and Garden Show... Our Farmer's Market booth won "Best in Show!"
• Developing an (increasingly!) informative website (THIS ONE, silly) as well as gardening blogs (http://duxburycommunitygarden.wordpress.com/ and http://gardenerscollaborative.wordpress.com/)
  
• Developing an inventory of area food producers and interviewing them about their work and challenges.