Meet Faculty 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 reminiscences on the farm, planting, harvesting, making biogas, welding, splitting wooden, watering, and a lot extra. Going to the farm was at all times a spotlight of my week at Dickinson. I used to be capable of journey my bike to the farm and get away from teachers for a couple of hours, which helped me replicate on my research and finally do higher in my course work. Of my many reminiscences on the farm, most of them are due to the individuals I started working with together with Matt, Jenn, the apprentices, and fellow college students.
Once I graduated Dickinson, I went to graduate college on the College of Maine to check 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 the moment an assistant professor. I train our geographic data system (GIS) program, one thing I began learning at Dickinson. Despite the fact that I strayed from agriculture, I believe the farm was basic in serving to form who I’m at work and serving to create my work ethic. GIS may also assist us perceive quite a bit about agriculture, which I proceed to make use of in my instructing and analysis.
The farm has formed who I’m immediately in some ways, however maybe the largest is what occurs in my yard. I at the moment 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 sorts 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 annually, we 100% depend on the methods we realized on the Faculty Farm and develop our backyard the best way Matt and Jenn taught us, or no less than as a lot as we are able to bear in mind! The largest complement we bought from our neighbor our first 12 months on the home, he mentioned “you clearly have performed this earlier than”. Sure, we now have performed this earlier than, all due to Matt, Jenn, and the Dickinson Faculty Farm. We get pleasure from very uncommon journeys to grocery retailer in the course of the summer season and lots 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 the most effective choices of my life. I’m very grateful and can proceed to get pleasure from all of the yummy meals we develop due to my time at Dickinson. Thanks, Matt and Jenn!!
