Meet these students with autism who are growing salad and selling it at ShopRite

Cheryl Makin, MyCentralJersey.com
·7 min read

For 21-year-old Matthew Schlenker, salad is more than a side dish. It's a source of pride and joy.

And it's a living.

Matthew is one of about 20 students at Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Bedminster who grow, harvest and pack Paradise Salad and have brought it to grocery store shelves.

Paradise Salad is part of the nonprofit Institute’s science and job skills program for young adults with autism.

Thanks to a partnership between ShopRite of Chester, owned and operated by Village Super Market, and Three Meadows Farm, a social enterprise of Somerset Hills Learning Institute, Paradise Salad sells for $5.99 for 4 ounces.

Matthew Schlenker, 21, a student at Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Bedminster, works at the school’s social enterprise Three Meadows Farm. He and his fellow students have brought a new product, Paradise Salad, to ShopRite of Chester, their first retail partner.
Matthew Schlenker, 21, a student at Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Bedminster, works at the school’s social enterprise Three Meadows Farm. He and his fellow students have brought a new product, Paradise Salad, to ShopRite of Chester, their first retail partner.

Grown at Three Meadows Farm’s hydroponics greenhouse, Paradise Salad features a blend of lettuce, sorrel, radish microgreens and nasturtium. When brought together, the blend offers a unique and peppery flavor profile, accented by a combination of spicy, tangy and slightly sweet notes.

Paradise Salad is Three Meadows Farm's first product grown, harvested and packed exclusively by students of the program.

One of the farm's restaurant partners, Salted Lime in Somerville, has included Paradise Salad on its menu and raises funds to support the program through every sale of guacamole. Other restaurant partners include Metropolitan Seafood and Gourmet in Lebanon Borough and Juniper Hill in the Annandale section of Clinton Township.

Paradise Salad can be found at its supermarket partner, ShopRite of Chester on Route 206.

Students at Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Bedminster who work at the school’s social enterprise Three Meadows Farm have brought a new product, Paradise Salad, to ShopRite of Chester, their first retail partner.
Students at Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Bedminster who work at the school’s social enterprise Three Meadows Farm have brought a new product, Paradise Salad, to ShopRite of Chester, their first retail partner.

"Our relationship with Three Meadows Farm is more than just another partnership − it is elevating the work of an incredible organization that is providing life-changing opportunities to young adults with autism, with the goal of putting them on the path to independence," said Nico Sumas, co-president of Village Super Market. "We could not be prouder to feature this product on our shelves."

'A tremendous amount of hope'

Matthew is thrilled to be part of the salad project and the tasting event for Paradise Salad's debut.

"He is proud," said Karen Schlenker about her son who is nonverbal. "He knew that he had packed those packages. It's nice to be a part of the community and to watch the community respond. It was a Saturday afternoon, and the store is packed, and there's Matthew smiling away. Everyone was waiting, taking his picture, saying 'Good job, buddy.' The level of support from the community was really overwhelming."

More: 'Everyone works well together': Students with autism help this Princeton restaurant

The family, who lives in the Somerset section of Franklin, saw red flags when Matthew was about a year old, and they received the autism diagnosis soon after. Karen Schlenker said their involvement with Somerset Hills Learning Institute began when Matthew was just 18 months old.

Once Matthew graduates from Somerset Hills in July, he will have the opportunity for a job at Three Meadows Farm where he began working three years ago.

Matthew Schlenker, 21, a student at Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Bedminster, works at the school’s social enterprise Three Meadows Farm. He and his fellow students have brought a new product, Paradise Salad, to ShopRite of Chester, their first retail partner.
Matthew Schlenker, 21, a student at Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Bedminster, works at the school’s social enterprise Three Meadows Farm. He and his fellow students have brought a new product, Paradise Salad, to ShopRite of Chester, their first retail partner.

This is what every parent dreams of for their child − to be happy, healthy, loved and able to make a life for themselves, Schlenker said.

"We are so very lucky," she said. "As parents of a child with autism, our hopes and dreams for our son are no different than are those for our typically developing child. We have had the fortunate opportunity to have Somerset Hills Learning Institute be part of our extended family for as long as we can remember. The fact that he's going to be having an opportunity to have meaningful employment at Three Meadows Farm, where he can grow and develop his skills and one that he absolutely loves going to is just brilliant. It's his home. It's a safe place. I want him to be able to continue to thrive. He runs out of the house in the morning happy and excited. We are thrilled."

The Paradise Salad project at Three Meadows Farms has given parents like Schlenker "a tremendous amount of hope." The community welcome at ShopRite of Chester was icing on the cake.

"Just to watch the community outpouring at the ShopRite − people were stopping and smiling and listening and being engaged. To watch everybody just kind of rally around him was fantastic," she said.

Growing a mission

Somerset Hills Learning Institute Founding Executive Director Dr. Kevin Brothers said the school's mission has always been to serve children and adults with autism. Having recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, the Institute was able to purchase the farm a mile down the road a few years ago.

"We bought the property for two reasons − to first and foremost to build hydroponic greenhouses to create jobs for adults with autism, and learning opportunities for students with autism, and later, to build out other elements of the property like the house for group home and the land farm for other job creation," Brothers said.

Matthew, left, and Henry with teacher Lexus Harewood, right, are students at Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Bedminster who work at the school’s Three Meadows Farm. The program launched its Paradise Salad at ShopRite of Chester, their first retail partner.
Matthew, left, and Henry with teacher Lexus Harewood, right, are students at Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Bedminster who work at the school’s Three Meadows Farm. The program launched its Paradise Salad at ShopRite of Chester, their first retail partner.

Three Meadows Farm serves as both a learning site for students and a job site for adults, who may have otherwise been unemployed. At the farm, students are given the opportunity to experience a multitude of job skills including woodworking, farming, gardening, greenhouse cultivation and more.

Three Meadows Farm, at 1130 Burnt Mills Road, also houses a 24-hour honor farm stand where customers can pick up greens, eggs, and turkeys at Thanksgiving.

More: 'Always loved the water': Hillsborough teen with autism thrives on high school swim team

The Three Meadows Farm program is open to individuals with autism from other autism service providers as well, Brothers said.

Brothers said he is biased about Paradise Salad.

"It is really delicious," he said. "So to say I'm excited is a bit of an understatement. We're very excited about all aspects of this, but most importantly, producing jobs for people who have a very high rate of unemployment. This is a group that really needs our help. And are quite capable of being productive citizens. They just need a little bit of help."

'Cool story, unique product'

Village Super Market’s Marketing Manager Amanda Fisher and Produce and Floral Director Steve Oroszlany worked with Three Meadows Farm in preparing Paradise Salad ready for retail.

Village Super Market has charitable nonprofit arm, the Sumas Family Foundation, which tied into the farm's mission. Oroszlany toured the farm and learned more about the program.

Dylan, 16, a student at Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Bedminster, works at the school’s social enterprise Three Meadows Farm. He and his fellow students have brought a new product, Paradise Salad, to ShopRite of Chester, their first retail partner.
Dylan, 16, a student at Somerset Hills Learning Institute in Bedminster, works at the school’s social enterprise Three Meadows Farm. He and his fellow students have brought a new product, Paradise Salad, to ShopRite of Chester, their first retail partner.

"You know good quality product when you see it," he said. "And obviously, this was a very nice opportunity to help. So, we decided to see if we can try this out on one of our stores, help them out and get this going."

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"We figured out how to guide them through the process," Fisher said. "Steve really did a good job of making sure that they were mentored along the way and did all the right things to bring it into retail. And a member of the marketing team went and gathered content and put all the marketing materials together for launch. And not only is it a cool story, but it's a unique product."

Fisher said being involved with the Paradise Salad project made the Village Super Market team feel good about coming to work.

"The goal is that they start to really make money on that salad, and then they can start to employ more young adults with autism and the cycle continues," she said. "So we really want to communicate to customers that when you buy that Paradise Salad lettuce blend, you're supporting young adults with autism. You're doing more than just good for yourself, but you're doing good for somebody else."

"It's nice to be able to present some good fresh, local products," added Oroszlany. "Something that's not only tasty, but different, unique and to be able to help some people at the same time. It's really a very exciting project grown right here."

For more information about Somerset Hills Learning Institute, go to www.somerset-hills.org and Three Meadows Farm, go to www.threemeadowsfarmnj.com.

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ students with autism sell Paradise Salad at ShopRite, restaurants