Hot Lunch

Organic Hot Lunch Program
Pleasant Ridge Waldorf school is fortunate to be located in one of the country's premier regions for organic farming.  We are proud to offer one of the nation's first organic school hot lunch programs. Parent- volunteers and students work side-by-side with a committed and experienced chef to prepare and serve a freshly made meal that is nutritionally balanced, affordable, and appealing to the varied tastes of our discerning diners! 

Much of the organic produce is grown by school families and the children themselves as part of an organic gardening and farming experience that begins in the third grade. Our lunch menu changes frequently, reflecting the bounty of the region and the changing seasons.

A Note from the Chef - September 2006
Greetings, and welcome back! We hope you enjoyed the long warm days of summer and all the activities of the season. The kitchen has been lonely for the children to return and will be happy to be back in service for the new school year. Fresh new paint adorns her walls (many thanks to Russ and John for their superb craftsmanship!) and soon the halls will be filled with the familiar aromas of bread baking, stews stewing and soup simmering in the mornings before lunch is served.

We extend a heartfelt welcome to all of our new students and their families. Every year our school is enlivened with the arrival of our first grade students. It is truly amazing to experience the growth of the children as they pass through their years at Pleasant Ridge. To support this growth, we offer a nutritionally balanced, organic hot lunch four days per week, We use organically grown ingredients with the intention of sustaining good health, supporting local family farmers and offering a menu that features seasonal produce.

We are very thankful to all of you who have volunteered to grow crops for the lunch program this year. We are eager to begin using all of this homegrown bounty in our meals. This act of support is deeply appreciated!

One note of business: as you fill out your first hot lunch form, please remember to take a bit of time to complete it thoroughly! Add columns in both directions, remember your child''s name and grade, check all the boxes, and please be prompt with payments. A little bit of time taken to complete the forms really makes a difference for this aging cook!

We feel our organic hot lunch program serves our school community in many ways. We hope this service meets the needs of all the families that participate. We feel that good nutrition is an integral part of the holistic approach Waldorf education is connected to.

 Please feel free to visit the kitchen. Drop notes with comments or suggestions in my mailbox in the office or stop me at the coop as I scurry through a last minute shopping trip. I am available and happy to talk about our school lunch program, or most things related to food, farming, and our children.
   
Here''s to the first slice of organic pizza, and the rest of our school year! Blessings on our school.

                                Jim Hallberg- Organic Hot Lunch Coordinator