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 reminiscences 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 experience my bike to the farm and get away from lecturers for a couple of hours, which helped me mirror on my research and in the end do higher in my course work. Of my many reminiscences 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 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 acquired a place on the College of New England the place I’m presently an assistant professor. I train our geographic info system (GIS) program, one thing I began finding out at Dickinson. Despite the fact that I strayed from agriculture, I feel the farm was basic in serving to form who I’m at work and serving to create my work ethic. GIS can even assist us perceive quite a bit about agriculture, which I proceed to make use of in my educating and analysis.
The farm has formed who I’m as we speak in some ways, however maybe the largest is what occurs in my yard. I presently stay 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 kinds of greens, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, asparagus, peaches, apples, seaside plums, paw paws, herbs, cherries, and extra. In 2024, we added bees! As we’re making ready our vegetable backyard annually, 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 no less than as a lot as we are able to bear in mind! The largest complement we acquired from our neighbor our first 12 months on the home, he stated “you clearly have completed this earlier than”. Sure, now we have completed this earlier than, all due to Matt, Jenn, and the Dickinson Faculty Farm. We take pleasure in very uncommon journeys to grocery retailer through the summer time 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 among the finest choices of my life. I’m very grateful and can proceed to take pleasure in all of the yummy meals we develop due to my time at Dickinson. Thanks, Matt and Jenn!!
