Common Threads Farm and Bellingham Schools Lead with Healthy Fundraising

For Immediate Release 				Contact: Japhet Koteen 206-326-9828    
japhet@farmraiser.com 

(Bellingham, WA) – We want our kids to eat healthy, yet we still rely on candy bar and junk food fundraising to support school activities and programs. This spring, 17 Bellingham area schools and Common Threads Farm are trying something new: selling healthy local products instead of cookie dough or candy bars through an online fundraising platform called FarmRaiser. 

Parents, friends, and neighbors can support the Common Threads food education programs at their schools by buying products they already know and love, like Tony’s Coffee, Acme Farms + Kitchen meal kits, and Bellingham Pasta Co fresh pasta.  A full list of participating schools and products is available at blog.farmraiser.com/bellingham

FarmRaiser aims to disrupt the $4 billion dollar product fundraising industry by helping schools sell healthy food and keeping over 85% of the sales in the community – supporting local businesses as well as schools, and connecting kids to their local food system food rather than bribing them to sell junk food with throwaway incentives. 

Laura Plaut, Executive Director of Common Threads Farm calls FarmRaiser a natural fit for her organization,  “Selling local products is one more way kids can connect to their food system --we see this as a win-win-win for farmers, schools and the community”

Students can sell using the mobile applications on smartphones or tablets, online through custom fundraising markets, making it easy for students and schools to meet their goals.
“You can tell someone about your fundraiser and just take out your phone and sell them something in two seconds," observed Lucy Voss, a FarmRaiser participant who sold over $2,400 of local goods in just three weeks. 

Last year in pilot campaigns in Seattle and Michigan, students sold over $200,000 in locally grown or sourced products, raising funds for over 40 local schools and school-related groups.  
“I just love what FarmRaiser’s stands for...FINALLY a fundraising opportunity I can feel good about supporting...” Parent, Stevens Elementary in Seattle

For more information, please visit http://farmraiser.com/ or contact Japhet Koteen at  japhet@farmraiser.com  or 206-326-9828

FarmRaiser connects farmers and food artisans to student-led fundraisers; turning energetic students into healthy-eating advocates and raising money for their cause. FarmRaiser has offices in Seattle, Washington, Traverse City  Michigan and Alexandria, Virginia. 

Common Threads Farm is a teaching farm in Whatcom County that builds community and connects kids to healthy, local food through school-based and summer camp garden education programs. Learn more at commonthreadsfarm.org
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