We care about your kids AND the environment!
We act in integrity with our philosophy of caring for our bodies and the earth by buying earth-friendly products and acting in earth-friendly ways. We provide quality fresh food: organic milk, fresh fruit, and whole-grain snacks, and fresh-made meals without dyes, preservatives, hormones.
What We Do
We use environmentally friendly laundry detergent, dish soap, and allow no harsh chemical compounds into the building.
We sanitize according to health department standards with a bleach solution or ammonia solution. No other cleaning compounds enter the building without special permission.
We buy in bulk whenever possible to reduce packaging pollution. Our paper goods are made of unbleached, recycled material whenever possible, and our recyclables are hauled to the recycling station weekly.
We do purchase healthy and environmentally responsible products. Since the production of one burger uses water resources equivalent to taking 17 showers and beef contains concentrations of antibiotics, hormones, etc., we contract with Good Food Company that uses beef sparingly to provide nutritious, environmentally friendly meals for our children.
We purchase organic milk and natural or organic cereal and crackers for the children.
Our children sow clover seeds that replace nitrogen in the earth.
We maintain a compost pile that creates rich soil from our animal’s straw bedding and other organic material.
We cherish our chickens, who keep the bugs relatively bug free and fertilize the ground while on duty!
We use plantings approved by the Huntley Meadows Park advisers and do not pose a threat to indigenous species.
We grow a 100% organic herb garden.
We use sand on our wooden stairs and deck in snow, and salt is used sparingly when icing is a problem.
What We Do NOT Do
We do not purchase food from major brands that refuse to label which of their foods have been genetically modified.
We do not support companies that highly refine and package products that contain pesticides, hormones, herbicides, artificial colors, and flavors.
We do not support businesses such as cigarette companies that prey on children with their marketing.
We do not have vending machines.
We do not consume or display corporate colas or junk food in front of the children, and smoking is banned from the grounds.
We do not use pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers to maintain the grounds.
We do not use irrigation systems other than “Sprinkler Days.”
We don’t buy the fast-melt products with all the toxic warnings on the package. We realize that our runoff goes directly into the wetlands we love so much.