Organic-Certified: Responsibility You Can Taste
The school kitchen at Schule Schloss Salem has officially received organic certification. This makes tangible what has long been part of everyday practice at Salem: responsibility for the health of our pupils, for regional food production, and for a mindful use of environmental resources.
Since its founding, Salem has been guided by the aim of educating young people to become responsible and well-rounded individuals. This ethos is further developed through the ONE HEALTH initiative, which emphasises the close interconnection between human health and the health of our environment. The organic certification of the school kitchen is a logical step within this approach and demonstrates how educational values are made concrete and visible in daily boarding school life.
At Salem, food is far more than simple nourishment. It brings people together, shapes shared rituals and plays a significant role in the wellbeing of our pupils. Accordingly, we regard nutrition as an integral part of our educational mission and take responsibility both for the region from which our food is sourced and for the environment that sustains us.
With the bronze certification, we officially meet the required 30 per cent share of organic ingredients – in reality, the proportion of certified organic products used in our kitchen already stands at around 50 per cent. We work closely with regional partners, including the Demeter-certified Hofgut Rengoldshausen. The certification covers all processes, from purchasing and storage through to preparation, ensuring a high level of transparency. Kitchen Coordinator Uwe Anhorn emphasises that working with seasonal, minimally processed ingredients fosters a lasting appreciation for good food.
This approach is also supported by scientific evidence from the Buchinger Wilhelmi Clinic, which highlights the positive effects of healthy nutrition on concentration, resilience and learning performance. The organic certification is therefore not merely a quality label, but a learning opportunity for the entire school community – making responsibility for the world of tomorrow something that can be experienced on the plate.
