Small hands grab shovels and rakes and ready themselves for tasks, like preparing the soil for the fall’s pumpkin harvest and drilling holes in Alder logs to grow shiitake mushroom. The dirt is rich and brown and the calendula and chive flowers sprout up around the young gardens as the smell of mint and fennel moves through the air.

There is one rule that the kids must follow when it comes to consuming these garden delights – “Don’t yuck my yums.” This mentality when it comes to eating allows the kids to be open to tasting kale flowers and fava bean starts.

“We want them to nurture the garden and work as a team,” said Colleen Stewart, the new Farm-to-Cafeteria gardener. “Most of the kids dive in and go home a mess and have an intuition for planting and gardening and understanding the basics of what the plants want. It is incredible to see.”

She said at her former job she had a hard time getting kids to eat vegetables, but on Orcas the kids are eager for greens.

The garden is just one aspect of the Farm-to-Cafeteria program where students learn about growing their own meals. They also learn to cook and visit local farmers. The goal of the program is to grow, prosper and provide positive health and nutritional experiences for island  youth.

In the spirit of this focus on local, sustainable foods, the Fifth Annual Orcas Island Cider and Mead Festival on Saturday, June 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Village Green benefits the Orcas Island Farm to Cafeteria Program.

Ciders and meads are rich in history, rich in flavor, rich in antioxidants and taking America by storm since they almost became extinct during Prohibition. One of the first to celebrate ciders and meads with a festival in the Northwest was Orcas Island back in 2010.  And this major fundraiser for farm program is heading to becoming one of the largest festivals in the region.

Up to 25 Northwest hard cider and mead producers, the most ever, will be offering tastes of 80-plus varieties of ciders and meads to adults 21 and over for as little as $10, which includes admission, tastes and a commemorative tasting glass. Hand-made Orcas Island growlers and other ciderfest-related items will be on sale as well as bottles of ciders you have tasted for take-home.

Orcas Island’s Dustbunnies and singer/songwriter from Seattle, Isaiah Dominguez will be entertaining the crowd all day from the Village Green stage with musical strains from Celtic to soft rock.

Check it all out at www.orcasislandciderfest.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/orcasislandciderfest.

The upcoming fundraising event is sponsored by the Northwest Cider Association, Island Market, Ray’s Pharmacy and General Store, Orcas Food Co-op, Islands’ Sounder and San Juan Sanitation.