social responsibility

Farm-2-School Lunch Program

For a decade, RJA has been nourishing young minds. Now that we have introduced Bistro Kids — a farm-to-table school lunch program — we’ll be able to nourish them nutritionally as well.

Research shows that homegrown, whole foods positively impact performance in school, attendance, even behavior. Bistro Kids will prepare the school lunches from scratch using only locally sourced, organic, all natural foods — including vegetables students have planted in a school garden. Hormone and antibiotic-free milk will be served with every meal. Only washable lunch trays will be used, and students will compost their waste.

In addition to feeding students, the program provides an educational component: visits from farmers who teach students how produce transforms from seed to table; chefs who guide students and parents in hands-on cooking classes; and lessons in nutrition and healthy food choices.

For several years, PATIO has been searching for a school lunch program that satisfies both taste buds and nutritional needs. Bistro Kids does all that and more. The program aligns perfectly with our values. Our students will grow up with the knowledge that everyday decisions —choosing milk at the store, for example—are not just fiscal decisions. They are decisions that impact everything from their bodies to the economy to the earth’s atmosphere.