When Madhura Kumar and Sankari Subbiah decided to set up Redwood Montessori School back in 2011, their vision was clear: not just encourage their students to eat healthy, but to make it a way of life. Today, their students, some as young as one-and-a-half years are encouraged to serve their own food — from an array of healthy options, eat and clean up after themselves too.
Students also have gardening sessions each day where they sow seeds, care for the saplings, and harvest produce that is then used in the school kitchen to whip up their every day meals and snacks.
While the school takes care to encourage their students to make healthy choices, they thought it was but natural for them to get the parents to help create similar choices at home too. “Which is why, a year after the school was set up, we began organising this organic fair,” says Madhura. “Back then, there were very few vendors. Today, it’s a different scenario. This time round, we have over 36 vendors, have absolutely no plastic and also feature natural and chemical-free products.”
The fair is a reflection of the environment-conscious and healthy lifestyle that the school advocates.
“For instance, at our school, students pluck mint to make their own juice,” says Madhura. Meal times see students choosing from a range of foods such as vegetable rice, rotis, cutlets, paniyarams , puddings, soup and the like on an everyday basis.
“The idea of a Montessori school is to encourage students to make independent, well thought-out decisions. So when we focus on their minds, why not their bodies too? That is why the school serves its own food. Students watch their teachers and peers eat the same food, and making healthy choices becomes a way of life for them,” says Madhura, adding, “To this end, we decided to source organic produce. There’s no white sugar used in our kitchens and we use less than five grams of salt. We use local and seasonal produce, and palm and coconut sugars in our cooking.”
Open to everyone, the fair helps spread awareness about healthier options. This edition will feature organic farmers and people who make products using organic produce. On display will be vegetables, fruits, sauces, jams, dips, floor cleaners, bags, face washes, rice, soaps, organic inner garments for kids and the works.
Some of the vendors slated to participate this time round are Kase, Bullock Cart Deliveries, Surabhi Foods, Organomix, Earth Story, Studio T, Skinsense Natural Luxury and Goli Soda among others.
The Organic Fair will be held at the Redwood Montessori School, Besant Nagar on February 16, from 4 pm to 7 pm.
