Love, life, sustainability

“Love, life, sustainability”

~Jacqui V.

We returned to the farm on Wednesday and Thursday to learn about aquaponics, a sustainable method of farming that combines growing plants (hydroponics), and raising fish (aquaculture). We planted cover crops on the farm, which promote soil fertility and discourage pests. We also learned about irrigation, and laid a drip irrigation system on some of the plant beds of the farm.

In the classroom, we’ve been learning about systems thinking, environmental history, active listening, and other topics relating to sustainability and leadership. The classroom environment is engaging: community members are encouraged to participate, and facilitators are creative in their lesson plans. For example, our facilitator Josh had us explore each of our individual attitudes toward environmentalism by “mapping” them visually.

It’s not all work, however: In our free time, we hang out in our dorm’s common room, play team games, enjoy New Hampshire’s natural setting, and generally have a lot of fun! On Thursday evening, we made a special trip to the King Arthur Flour factory in Norwich, Vermont, where we learned about “Benefit Corporations,” like King Arthur Flour, which adhere to a set of standards that emphasize socially and environmentally conscious business practices. We also made pizza.

~ As reported by Anna S.