While students build snow forts in front of the main, the Olney farmers are planning what will be on lunch plates next August. Sandy Sterrett and Mark Hibbett have been doing research, making lists, ordering seeds, and scheduling planting for our 350 acre organic farm.
The first step in planning is to grow enough quantity and variety of produce to meet the nutritional needs of our students. Mark and Sandy have studied the USDA nutritional guidelines and have calculated the number of servings of specific vegetable groups to meet the recommended weekly servings for each group. Then they decide how many plants will be needed to produce what we need.
The next step is deciding when and where the different crops will be planted. Vegetables are rotated to different fields each year to prevent nutrition depletion of the soil as well as for insect and disease control. Our planting schedule is unique as well, in that we try to have as much produce as possible harvested after students arrive in the fall. For this reason, special attention is given to varieties of vegetables that preserve well.
Growing, harvesting, preserving, and serving organic, tasty vegetables is a priority for The Farm at Olney Friends School. We teach young people to be good stewards of the land, as well as to make informed choices about what food they eat, how that food is grown, and where it comes from. We strive to educate the whole student.
The Farm at Olney Friends School’s 350 acre campus is a USDA certified organic farm, providing meat, vegetables, eggs, and educational opportunities to high school students. For enrollment information, visit www.olneyfriends.org.
