River Song Waldorf School – Fort Collins, Colorado

If candlemas day be fair and bright,

winter will take another flight.

if candlemas day be cloud and rain,

winter is gone and will not come again.

~ from festivals, family and food

Grain of day

Steiner’s Grain of the Day

November 23, 2008 by Carrie

A different grain for each day is part of the Waldorf Kindergarten and connected to the cosmic origins of the days of the week.   A different grain a day fits in with the nourishing weekly rhythm the kindergarten thrives on.   The most common listing of grains I have seen is the following, taken from The Waldorf Kindergarten Snack Book:

Sunday (Sun): Wheat

Monday (Moon):  Rice

Tuesday (Mars):  Barley

Wednesday (Mercury);  Millet

Thursday (Jupiter):  Rye

Friday (Venus):  Oats

Saturday (Saturn):  Corn

Waldorf teachers and those who cook with whole grains attribute different properties to different grains.  According to The Waldorf Kindergarten Snack Book, wheat is often seen as a harmonizer of the organ systems, rice is seen as acting on the digestive system, barley is seen as strengthening to the connective ligements due to a high silica content and also seen to be soothing to the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines, millet is seen to have warming properties, rye nourishes the head and bones, oats loosens stiffness and increases stamina and resistance to disease, and corn stimulates the metabolism in muscles.

Proponents of Nourishing Traditions will point out that most of these grains, except rice, need to be soaked overnight in order to inactivate the enzyme inhibitors present in grains and inhibit the presence of phytic acid, present in grains and causes the decreased absorption of important minerals.  You can do the soaking of grains just by simply covering the grains with warm water and adding a tablespoon of lemon juice, yogurt, kefir or whey and then rinsing the grains before cooking the next day.

http://theparentingpassageway.com/2008/11/23/steiners-grain-of-the-day/

TABLE OF CORRESPONDENCES

http://www.biodynamics.in/homop.htm

Gerhard Schmidt led the Agricultural/Nutritional Section at the Goetheanum from 1963 – 1970 and, amongst other things, conducted experiments with Barley in nutrition together with Udo Renzenbrink in an attempt to restore the place of the lesser-known grains in the daily diet. Gerhardt Schmidt made his knowledge generally available in his book “Dynamische Ernährungslehre“ (Dynamic Approach to Nutrition). Udo Renzenbrink in 1970 founded the research circle on nutritional science in Bad Liebenzell, Germany (today based in Bad Vilbel in Germany. His work led to a growing awareness in anthroposophical institutions for Nutrition and increasingly, for the introduction of grains into the general diet.

http://www.anthromedia.com/articles/agriculture/nutrition/news_history/

Author Joanne Saltzman reminds us of the role food plays in the development of society and social structure in her book, Amazing Grains: “In Greek mythology, grain is associated with Demeter, the archetypal mother of the human soul and the fruitful forces of nature. Her initiations of earth rituals founded harvesting cultures in the transition from nomadic to homesteading life-styles. The new agriculture wasn’t just growing grains for cattle; people ate them, which brought about a new social structure. Indirectly, grains were responsible for the first alphabet and arithmetic systems. To Demeter, grain was a tool for opening new consciousness, containing the force of mother’s milk; rooting itself in the earth, it carried the forces of life through stem and ear to open to the cosmic forces of the sun. It was believed that by the Demeterian creative force, seven grains arose from the virgin fertile earth; wheat, rye, oats, barley, millet, rice, and corn, some time around 12,000 B.C. Each in its own way strives to connect with the higher worlds through mineralization.”

http://www.schooloflife.org/sfnm/peace.html

The River Song Waldorf School, serving children age 2-1/2 to 5 years, emphasizes creative play as an early foundation for creative thinking and future academic strength in a natural, home like settings.
We are currently outgrowing our present location and are seeking space to:

• Increase our capacity to serve more pre-school age children
• to start a Kindergarten Class!

Does your organization have a space to share? Want to learn more?
Please contact Susan Castellon 970-407-9185 or email riversongfc@gmail.com 
Thank you for your consideration, please pass the blog who may be able to assist us in this endeavor.

Hi everyone!  I’m sure many of you have seen the nice bucket Morningfresh Dairy has provided to collect our caps.  If you haven’t been to school yet this week it is on top of the cubbies to the right when you come in the door (the ones that hold extra hats, clothes, etc.).  Once we really start to accumulate them they suggest we store them in paper ream boxes until we have enough to turn in.  Put the word out to your neighbors and coworkers….I let a few of my coworkers at the hospital know and someone brought me a huge bag full!  Yeah!  It’s such a great easy way for Riversong to raise a little money!

Ok, we are getting started with Morning Fresh Dairy Cash 4 Caps program! So for every cap Riversong Waldorf School collects we will get 5 cents per cap (or a $50.00 check for each 1000 caps) we turn in.  The money is for the school to use in anyway we choose.  All Morning Fresh caps are eligible including milk, juice and lemonade, as long as they come from a glass container.  They will be providing us with an informational poster and drop box for the caps and will pick them up.   So start saving your caps at home and we will have a collection box for them at school soon!  Thanks! Bridget Walz, Izzy’s mom