Senior Project Continues To Grow

By Nancy K. Crevier

What started out as a senior year project has blossomed into proof positive that organic sustainable gardening is not only doable, but bountiful as well. On a sunny hillside behind The Taunton Press at 191 South Main Street, 2009 Newtown High School senior Allyson Makuch and other environmentally conscious students last spring laid out a garden on a plot of land donated by Sue Roman, Taunton Press president. The garden was designed by Allyson for her senior year project, with the hopes that a summer harvest would yield produce that could be used by the Taunton Press cafeteria chef Michael Louchon, and by the Fine Cooking Magazine’s test kitchen, and in the fall by either the NHS cafeteria kitchen or the culinary classes.

“I tended it all summer, in the rain and in the heat. Mr Miller [Chuck Miller, special issues editor at Taunton Press] built a fence all around it, and found people to donate some of the supplies I needed. I’m very pleased with the results,” said Allyson, as she surveyed the garden Thursday afternoon, August 27. “A lot of love went into this garden. It was an experiment for me, and it did much better than I expected my first garden I’ve ever installed to go,” she said.

Basil, thyme, parsley, and fennel were plentiful, said Allyson. A bumper crop of tomatoes, seemingly oblivious to the blights and fungi devastating others’ tomato harvests across Connecticut, has kept her busy. Cucumber vines sprawl across the straw-covered garden plot, and beans and beets are producing prodigiously.

“There were not even any pest problems,” said Allyson. “It was kind of a blessed garden.”

Allyson did enlist the assistance of her best friend this summer, Megan Preis, a junior at Newtown High School, and helped Megan install an organic garden at the Preis home. Megan will take over managing the garden when Allyson leaves for New Zealand in October.

“I deferred college for a year,” explained Allyson. “I’m going to New Zealand to work on organic farms for a year.” Her hope, after college, is to install organic gardens at schools all over the United States. “Kids our age have no idea where food really comes from and that has been my mission. I’d like to have the students in the NHS culinary classes come into this garden this fall and get a lesson on where food does start.”

Taking over the garden is a little intimidating, admitted Megan, but she is more excited than nervous. “I’ll be recruiting help. I’m really into environmental science and the earth, so I’m looking forward to this,” she said.

Allyson and Megan are in need of more assistance with the garden as summer moves into fall. “Anyone who wants to volunteer to help us, is welcome,” said Allyson. To contact her, call 448-9659.