Farm to Table

 

The award-winning Farm to Table Lunch program at Prairie Crossing Charter School is an extension of our focus on environmental education. Farm to Table is an innovative approach to teaching students about healthy food and enhancing the school’s sense of community. Every month, PCCS students visit the Learning Farm, a nonprofit, educational working organic farm, where they help raise a specific crop for their grade, from wheat to beans, typically from planting to harvest.

In planning the monthly Farm to Table Lunch, parent and professional chef Melissa Ritter utilizes a variety of sustainable crops from the Learning Farm paired with other healthy ingredients, most grown locally. Ms. Ritter works with a number of other parent volunteers to prepare the meal, chopping vegetables, cooking, and cleaning up. PCCS students then have the opportunity to experience a freshly prepared and healthy lunch in a warm and inviting setting. This meal, accompanied by experiential learning, makes an impact far beyond the lunch table. PCCS students bring home their knowledge and experience of growing and eating new, healthy foods, and can     make a significant impact on their own family’s purchasing  and eating behavior.  

Why is Farm to Table important in
environmental education?

  1. Local, sustainable farming benefits both the local community and economy. Small, local farms are more likely to reinvest into the local economy by purchasing feed, seed, and other materials from local businesses.
      
  2. Local, sustainable farming improves the soil, safeguards the quality of air and water, and reduces the consumption of fossil fuels by eliminating chemical use and food transporting.
      
  3. Food processors use significant quantities of paper and plastic packaging to prevent fresh food from spoiling as it is transported and stored for long periods of time. Farm to Table uses little to no solid waste packaging, instead encouraging students to bring plates and utensils from home. This also promotes personal responsibility, as students not only bring their items from home, but wash them after the meal.
      
  4. 40 percent of all the food produced in the United States is thrown out! At Farm to Table, all table scraps are composted, giving back valuable nutrients to local soil. This practice sets a wonderful example for our students, who learn to care for the earth and their fellow humans by reducing the amount of food they waste on a daily basis.

For more information regarding Farm to Table, please see the following:

Farm to Table Information for 2011-2012

2011-2012 Volunteer Opportunities

2011-2012 Subscription Form

September through November 2011 Menu Announcement

Prairie Crossing Charter School is a public school that transforms our children through academic discovery and interaction with our unique natural, ecological, and community resources.

© 1999-2012 Prairie Crossing Charter School 1531 Jones Point Rd, Grayslake, IL 60030 Phone: (847) 543-9722 Fax: (847) 543-9744
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