Meet Faculty Farm and Dickinson Alumni, Will Kochtitzky ’16, an Earth Sciences main. Will labored 6 semesters and a part of a summer time (2013) on the farm from spring 2013 to spring 2016. Hear about it from Will immediately!
I’ve so many fond recollections on the farm, planting, harvesting, making biogas, welding, splitting wooden, watering, and a lot extra. Going to the farm was all the time a spotlight of my week at Dickinson. I used to be capable of journey my bike to the farm and get away from lecturers for a couple of hours, which helped me replicate on my research and finally do higher in my course work. Of my many recollections on the farm, most of them are due to the folks I started working with together with Matt, Jenn, the apprentices, and fellow college students.
Once I graduated Dickinson, I went to graduate faculty on the College of Maine to review glaciers. After ending at UMaine, I went to the College of Ottawa the place I accomplished my PhD persevering with my work in glaciology. I then bought a place on the College of New England the place I’m at present an assistant professor. I educate our geographic data system (GIS) program, one thing I began learning at Dickinson. Though I strayed from agriculture, I feel the farm was elementary in serving to form who I’m at work and serving to create my work ethic. GIS can even assist us perceive lots about agriculture, which I proceed to make use of in my instructing and analysis.
The farm has formed who I’m at present in some ways, however maybe the most important is what occurs in my yard. I at present dwell in Biddeford, Maine, with my spouse, Anna McGinn ’14, 
the place we farm a big vegetable backyard and younger fruit orchard. Our backyard features a couple dozen types of greens, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, asparagus, peaches, apples, seashore plums, paw paws, herbs, cherries, and extra. In 2024, we added bees! As we’re making ready our vegetable backyard every year, we 100% depend on the strategies we realized on the Faculty Farm and develop our backyard the best way Matt and Jenn taught us, or not less than as a lot as we are able to keep in mind! The most important complement we bought from our neighbor our first 12 months on the home, he stated “you clearly have executed this earlier than”. Sure, now we have executed this earlier than, all because of Matt, Jenn, and the Dickinson Faculty Farm. We take pleasure in very uncommon journeys to grocery retailer in the course of the summer time and plenty of frozen/preserved backyard goodies year-round.
I can’t thank Matt and Jenn sufficient for the chance to work on the Faculty Farm and be taught from them. I select to attend Dickinson primarily due to the Faculty Farm, which ended up being among the finest selections of my life. I’m very grateful and can proceed to take pleasure in all of the yummy meals we develop because of my time at Dickinson. Thanks, Matt and Jenn!!
