Noted Author and Farmer Speaks to Green Meadow Students on the Importance of Going Green
CHESTNUT RIDGE, N.Y. (Feb. 17, 2012) – He’s not a household name yet, but Joel Salatin, a self-described lunatic farmer who’s been called “the high priest of the pasture” by The New York Times, captivated the students at Green Meadow as he shared his wisdom on sustainability and the importance of going green and making thoughtful choices about the food they eat.
On February 6, Green Meadow Waldorf Schoolwas pleased to welcome Salatin to speak to the 7-12th graders. He is best known as a farmer and the author of Folks, This Ain’t Normal. Salatin was also featured in the popular documentary Food, Inc.
Salatin educated the students on the changes that need to be made in society to get out of the economic, health, and education crises the world is currently facing. He teaches participation and personal responsibility as key steps in going green.
“We were so pleased to welcome Joel to our school,” said Vicki Larson, Director of Communications and Marketing for Green Meadow Waldorf School. “His message of taking responsibilityfor our actions and getting involved to fight for change had our students captivated and inspired them to take action.”
Green initiatives at the school include recycling and composting, organic lunches, using ceramic instead of paper cups at meetings, and “green” events like the Fall Fair, where sales of bottled water have been replaced with free refills for water bottles. The school’s Go Green Committee is extremely active, and was so inspired by Salatin’s work that they invited him to Green Meadow.
Prior to lecturing at Green Meadow, Salatin spoke to a sold-out audience at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Westchester County.
If you would like a DVD copy of Salatin’s speech at Green Meadow, please contact Vicki Larson at [email protected]or call 845-356-2514 x 311. An excerpt from his talk will also soon be available at the school website, www.gmws.org.
Nearly 350 students from 13 counties and almost 90 towns attend the independent Green Meadow Waldorf School. Located about 20 miles north of New York City, Green Meadow serves students from nursery school through grade 12.
Waldorf education is the fastest-growing independent school movement worldwide, with 300 schools in the U.S. and nearly 1,000 around the world. The curriculum is based on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, who founded the first Waldorf School in Germany in 1919. Green Meadow offers developmentally based, challenging academic coursework infused with the arts. Students are exposed to diverse disciplines and can choose traditional classes such as modern languages and sciences while also learning practical arts, such as knitting, blacksmithing, and woodworking. The school also limits the use of technology and media for younger students, which is now understood by researchers as essential to the developing brain.
About Green Meadow School and the Waldorf education:Founded in Germany in 1919 by Dr. Rudolf Steiner, Waldorf Education now includes schools on every continent. Green Meadow Waldorf School is an accredited full member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA), an association that strengthens and supports Waldorf schools and informs the public of the benefits of Waldorf education. Green Meadow is also an accredited member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), a voluntary association of more than 140 independent schools in the state of New York.
