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Schools

You Are What You Eat

Learn about composting and access to fresh local produce during two free programs offered in June by The Loomis Chaffee School.

The public can get hands-on learning in simple methods of composting and skills to use at home as part of the Reunion Weekend at The Loomis Chaffee School.

“Composting 101” and a panel discussion about food systems will be open to the public on June 10 from 3-4 p.m. This session, one of a series of “back-to-school” seminars, will take place at the composting area behind the Clark Center for Science and Mathematics.

Composting is a great way to get rid things like apple cores, egg shells and other natural waste. It adds nutrients to your garden soil and fertilizer to grow healthier and better looking plants. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources and Conservation Service offers a helpful tip sheet about composting and how to start your own.

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Compost can be added to mulch, which is another asset to your garden. Mulching serves multiple purposes like preventing erosion and conserving moisture in your plants (minimizing the amount of watering required). There is also a tip sheet for mulching on the NRCS website.

On June 11 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Loomis Chaffee Sustainability Coordinator Jeff Dyerson will moderate a panel discussion about access and availability of fresh, local produce.

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The panel will feature two locally based organizations, Hartford Food Systems and Billings Forge/Hartford Farmers Market.  Panel members will include Loomis Chaffee alumnus Tom Gilbert, the nationally recognized executive director of the Highfields Center for Composting and the Center for an Agricultural Economy in Vermont. Also speaking will be Rita Decker-Parry of the Hartford Farmers Market and Martha Paige of Hartford Food Systems.

The panel will also talk about current and potential problems, shifting towards solutions on both a community and individual scale. 

The panel discussion will be held in Gilchrist Auditorium in the Clark Center for Science and Mathematics. An RSVP is required to attend these events. For a reservation or more information, contact Jeuley Ortengren at 860. 687.6097 or jeuley_ortengren@loomis.org.

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