We’re approaching one year of COVID learning, remote schooling, hybrid classrooms, and way too many Zoom meetings, and luckily there’s still some fantastic Farm to School (FTS) education happening throughout our region. This month, we’d like to highlight Mandy Walsh, the Westminster Center School and Grafton Elementary School Librarian and FTS Coordinator! She’s been up to quite a lot this year, despite all of the added hurdles. Here’s just a taste: 

Diving Deeper into Food Sovereignty

Given the new pod structure, Mandy is spending more time with classes. While this makes some of the whole school activities she used to do more complicated (such as taste tests), it allows her to dive deeper into specific subjects. She is working with all grade levels on studying food access, food justice, and more intentionally investigating their local food system. The Groundswell Center for Local Food and Farming is a go-to resource for herself as she learns more about these issues. Her lessons range from Temple Grandin (an American scientist and advocate for the humane treatment of livestock) to the effects of global warming through literature (check out Sea Bear by Lindsay Moore) and thinking about human rights by reading the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Outdoor Education

This year, a trend we’ve seen across the region is a turn to outdoor education, and Westminster and Grafton are no different. Not only are students getting outside more, but they’re building fires and cooking as well. A popular recipe is bread on a stick. We’re hoping that outdoor education will stick in schools, even post-pandemic. 

Chicken Coop

After being inspired by a trip to the Hawlemont School in Western Massachusetts, Westminster decided to retrofit an existing garden shed into a chicken coop. The project started as a community collaboration. Buck Adams Trucking & Excavating volunteered their time to clear the space by the shed, a neighbor donated fertilized eggs to start the flock, and Mandy’s husband came in to build the chicken yard enclosure. 

Adam, the Maintenance Director, has been a big part of the FTS team as they’ve added garden space, blueberry bushes, and now the flock of chickens. Staff members also chip in to care for the chickens, especially on weekends and school breaks, when coordinating chores becomes more difficult. Each class gets to visit the chickens once a week. The flock has truly become part of the school community!

The FTS team hopes to grow the flock until they can begin regularly supplying the school kitchen with fresh eggs. 

Are you a teacher in Windham or Windsor counties? We’d love to hear about your FTS successes this year! Shoot us a message at farmtoschool@foodconnects.org.