Meet School Farm and Dickinson Alumni, Will Kochtitzky ’16, an Earth Sciences main. Will labored 6 semesters and a part of a summer season (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 in a position to journey my bike to the farm and get away from lecturers for a couple of hours, which helped me replicate on my research and in the end do higher in my course work. Of my many recollections on the farm, most of them are due to the individuals I set to work with together with Matt, Jenn, the apprentices, and fellow college students.
After I graduated Dickinson, I went to graduate college 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 acquired a place on the College of New England the place I’m at present an assistant professor. I educate our geographic info system (GIS) program, one thing I began finding out at Dickinson. Despite the fact that I strayed from agriculture, I believe the farm was elementary in serving to form who I’m at work and serving to create my work ethic. GIS may also assist us perceive loads about agriculture, which I proceed to make use of in my educating and analysis.
The farm has formed who I’m in the present day 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 getting ready our vegetable backyard every year, we 100% depend on the strategies we discovered on the School Farm and develop our backyard the way in which Matt and Jenn taught us, or no less than as a lot as we will keep in mind! The most important complement we acquired from our neighbor our first yr on the home, he stated “you clearly have achieved this earlier than”. Sure, we’ve achieved this earlier than, all because of Matt, Jenn, and the Dickinson School Farm. We take pleasure in very uncommon journeys to grocery retailer in the course of the summer season and plenty of frozen/preserved backyard goodies year-round.
I can’t thank Matt and Jenn sufficient for the chance to work on the School Farm and be taught from them. I select to attend Dickinson primarily due to the School Farm, which ended up being probably the greatest choices 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!!
