The following is from Magnolia Elementary/CUSD
Magnolia Elementary PTA board member and parent of two students (with a third waiting in the wings) Cara Ratajczak, a labor and delivery nurse at Scripps La Jolla, has given birth to a Magnolia School Farm Stand. The project has begun with strawberries; she hopes to grow it into a full-fledged student market featuring fruits, veggies and flowers grown in the new Magnolia garden and other local spots.
Cara has established a relationship with the Ukegawa family’s Carlsbad-based Aviara Farms to buy fresh-picked strawberries wholesale on Friday mornings in May and sell them from 2-3 pm that afternoon at Magnolia for $6 per 3-pack. Aviara Farms co-owner Jimmy Ukegawa was happy to contribute to the project; by happy coincidence, he is a proud Magnolia alumnus.
The PTA will use proceeds to benefit Magnolia programs, including the budding garden, which will have a ribbon-cutting on the morning of May 31st.
Early efforts have proven fruitful. Starting from the ground up with a homey stand and wagon and assisted by her children and a few other kids, Cara initially hoped to net $100 per week. On May 3rd, she sold out in 40 minutes, netting $171. She purchased a higher volume of strawberries on March 10th, when she again sold out, netting $200 for 80 3-packs. Some buyers make additional donations.
Cara and the Magnolia community hope the program evolves, perhaps with funding from a grant. She explains, “I hope to expand to a larger stand from which we offer more fresh produce plus re-usable bags and such. My goal is to bring together Magnolia families and the wider Carlsbad community to support local growers and local education while teaching students about the benefits of healthy nutrition.”
For now, the pilot program will continue from 2-3 p.m. on May 24th and 31st.
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