200 Pounds of Produce

Community Mercantile Market & Deli
901 Iowa Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
785-843-8544

News Release

Contact: Susan Harper, Owner Services Coordinator

For Immediate Release

Local School Garden Supplies Produce to Merc Deli

Lawrence, KS (September 1, 2009) – Squash, heirloom tomatoes, pole beans, leeks, sage, potatoes and more. The young gardeners of the Okanis Garden at Prairie Moon Waldorf School, 1853 E. 1600 Road, grow it all and sell it to the Merc Deli, where it is turned into delectable salads, entrees and side dishes. Chef Sula Teller, food services manager at The Merc, has purchased more than 200 pounds of fresh organically grown produce from the Okanis Garden so far this season. She anticipates purchasing more fresh produce throughout the fall. Prairie Moon School revenues from the sale of the produce will fund the completion of the garden shed designed and under construction by the 3rd grade class, as well as providing start up funds for the 2010 garden.

To celebrate the Eat Local Lawrence Challenge, Chef Sula created salads featuring Okanis produce for the Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market patrons to sample during the August 22 market. Prairie Moon students were delighted to discover their products at the market. Okanis Garden volunteer mentor, Barbara Clark, as well as other Prairie Moon representatives were present to answer questions about the Okanis Garden; among other facts, people learned that Okanis is an early English spelling for Kansas, the ‘people of the south wind’.

The Okanis Garden was established with a grant received from the Elizabeth Schultz Environmental Fund through the Douglas County Community Foundation. The school was also awarded a Kansas Green Schools Water Quality Grant to develop a nature curriculum, to fund instruction at a Water summer camp and to develop a rain barrel system.

Partnering with the Prairie Moon Waldorf School on the garden project are Citizens for Responsible Planning and the Community Mercantile. More assistance, support and advice comes from the Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market, Rolling Prairie Farmers Alliance and the KU Center for Sustainability.