TA News

This growing season started in May with a burst of energy and enthusiasm. Twelve students and five adults volunteered in the garden during Thetford Academy’s annual Operation Day’s Work. The team spread a mountain of finished school compost, shaped raised beds, mulched pathways, watered onions with stinky fish fertilizer, planted sunflowers, and more. It was exciting to start the season with such accomplishments!

Classroom: We’ve been bringing academics into the garden with a host of hands-on learning opportunities this semester. Horticulture students have each researched and “Adopted a Crop.” The garden is filling with members of the Solanaceae family (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, tomatillos, potatoes), Cucurbits (zucchini, melons, cucumbers, gourds, winter squash and pumpkins), fall bearing raspberries, herbs, and a wide variety of dahlias and annual flowers. Social Studies and World Civilization classes planted the nutritious and traditional Three Sisters (popcorn, Abenaki Calais flint corn, Vermont Cranberry beans and many types of winter squash). Yoga classes tended to the pollinator garden and dug out persistent grass roots. 7th grade scientists used the school greenhouse as a living lab for studying plant cells, seed parts and germination. All of the plants in the garden have been started by our students in the school greenhouse.

Critters: The garden is hopefully deer-proof, thanks to a grant from the Woodbury Foundation for cedar posts, and student labor for fence installation. Thanks, also, to Mr. Schmidt and his Design Technology students for building a racoon-proof lid for the compost bin.

Cafeteria: Early spring crops were delivered to the Panther Cafe salad bar. Spinach, scallions, and Romaine lettuce were planted last fall and overwintered in the garden hoophouse. Radishes and spinach were spring-sown and harvested in the garden hoophouse. Microgreens (kale, spinach and baby lettuce) were planted into and harvested from flats in the school greenhouse. We look forward to more TA harvests next spring.

Community: Thetford Academy co-hosted the Upper Valley Farm to School Gathering with Thetford Elementary School and Kid’s Gardening Association. Over 30 local educators gathered to tour both schools’ gardens and compost facilities. Workshops included support for cafeterias to procure local food, pollinator gardens, and maple sugaring. Cedar Circle Farm provided a delicious locally sourced lunch, and childcare was provided. This event inspires our collective work of connecting students to the land and food.

Summer volunteer opportunities:  We’ll be hosting summer work parties. Please reach out to [email protected] if you are interested in joining!