Things you won’t find in the Kimberton Waldorf School‘s Cafeteria: grumbling lunch ladies, styrofoam trays, mystery meats, veggies devoid of their nutritional content, or a cafeteria.
This private school is nestled at 410 West Seven Stars Road on the banks of French Creek amid 437 acres of bio-dynamic farmland in Phoenixville. The school operates classrooms for students from pre-K through high school, and in 1996, a group of parents decided to start serving their children a hot lunch.
It began with pizza once a week. Now, sixteen years later, Food For Thought has blossomed into a daily helping of homemade, mostly vegetarian meals sourcing organic and local ingredients. Food For Thought’s meals are a far cry from the mystery meat tacos and frozen pizzas of my youth: some menu items include spinach pie, pasta marinara, cheesy open-faced sandwiches, Indian Dal and a Mango Lassi drink, green salads with carrot ginger dressing, and Shepherd’s Pie.
Soups, sauces, pestos and certain meals are also available to go. Lunches are hand delivered from FFT staff members to kindergarten through grade five classrooms, while kids in grades six to twelve dine at tables dressed with homemade tablecloths and fresh cut flowers in the gym.
Only positives vibes are allowed in the Food for Thought kitchen, which is managed by Karen Flores, Kimberton Alumnae and mother of two Kimberton students, two full-time staff members, one part time employee, and countless volunteers.
“When kids come from the lower school to the high school, they’re just loving it. They really want to eat it and don’t want the junk food. It makes them feel so good that they are a part of such a positive and healthy experience,” said Flores.
Most of Food For Thought’s foods come from their own backyard, either the school’s garden, Kimberton CSA, Maysie’s Farm, Sankanac Farms, Tom Culton’s Farm and other local farms. Their bio-dynamic cream, yogurt, milk, whole grain breads, and pizza dough comes from local sources.
The school’s garden is comprised of two acres of vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, honey bees, and dye plants. During the school year, the garden is built into the curriculum for third, fifth, six, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth graders: in the summer, students can be found planting seeds, building plots, harvesting fruits and vegetables, managing the compost pile, or preparing foods for the fall.
“We’re slowly getting the kids more involved, which has been my goal from day one,” said Flores. New to the curriculum this year is a cooking elective, where students spend time in Flores’ kitchen, preparing meals for their peers while learning the value of nutrition and a homecooked meal.
In addition, the program has connected students with their fellow community members. Students prepare donations for St. Peter’s Church’s food pantry. Students also prepare foods and decor for the school’s monthly community dinners-the next will take place on Thursday, September 20 at 6 p.m. Tickets for this Mexican Fiesta are $10 for adults and $6 for students and seniors.
To make reservations for community dinners or to volunteer your time, call the kitchen at 610-933-3635 x133. You can “like” Food For Thought’s facebook page to stay up to date on events, but don’t say we didn’t warn you—the Food For Thought meals will make anyone eager to go back to school.
