This past Friday, on September 26th, a student led environmental action team at New Vista High School called the Earth Task Force coordinated a Local Lunch event. With the invaluable help of The Kitchen Next Door and donations of ingredients by vendors from the local community, the Earth Task Force served a delicious lunch to students and staff. The meal was served free of charge to individuals who brought their own reusable tableware, turning the Local Lunch into a waste free event.

The purpose of the lunch was to educate the community about the impact of local versus non-local food on the planet: eating locally reduces carbon emissions, fuels the local economy, and gives eaters a chance to connect with growers. Students and staff at New Vista supported local farmers and reduced their carbon footprint with the simple act of enjoying a meal of pork sliders and vibrant salads.

Donations for the lunch were received from local farms and businesses such as Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy, Farmer John, Locavore, Whole Foods Market at Baseline and Kim and Jake’s Cakes. Despite the difficulty of donating free produce, these vendors enthusiastically provided the ingredients needed to catalyze the Local Lunch. The event was made possible not only by these generous donations, but by the help of the Kitchen Next Door as well. An establishment in downtown Boulder, the Kitchen Next Door cultivates a culture of community and a passion for local food. On the Wednesday and Thursday preceding the event, the restaurant opened its kitchen to small groups of action members from the Earth Task Force, and with culinary expertise guided the students in preparing the food.

After weeks of preparation, the Local Lunch was hosted on the last day of the week from 12:05pm to 1:05pm. The atmosphere of the event was happy and relaxed, the students sitting on picnic blankets and enjoying their food in the sunny weather. Students successfully brought reusable plates, and even those who didn’t persisted in acquiring a lunch by renting a plate provided by the Earth Task Force or eating off creative “plates” such as clipboards. Overall, the event was a huge success. Chefs, local farmers, and students came together in an effort that effectively fed a mass of voracious high schoolers.

Written by Cassidy Lam

About Earth Task Force:
The Earth Task Force (ETF) is a Cottonwood Institute-supported program at New Vista High School in Boulder, CO designed to give students an opportunity to take the lead to implement sustainability initiatives at their school.