Sowing Success

Sowing Success: Agriculture at Greenport

Daniel Rivas '25

Greenport school’s community garden nurtures the growth of a variety of crops and raises a few animals, the most impressive of which is Tom the turkey. While the average turkey weighs roughly 30 pounds, Tom weighs a massive 60 pounds, towering over his peers. To find out more about these turkeys and the rest of the garden, we interviewed Greenport agriculture and technology teacher Mr. Davies.

What We Do

In our program, we focus on growing plants and studying the entire life cycle of various species. We engage in hydroponics as well as conventional farming methods to diversify our agricultural practices. 

Additionally, we raise chickens, which has been a great learning experience. The chicken have become a successful part of the program for years now. This year, we also attempted to hatch and raise turkeys; however, we are facing some challenges. The turkeys have grown quite large- they are much larger birds than a chicken. Tom is about twice the size of an average turkey and with this presents some challenges that have not previously been faced with the chickens.

Weather Influences

The winter season has indeed been challenging for the turkeys and chickens, as the cold weather makes it difficult for them to thrive. We have attempted to supplement their diet with some winter greens, but growing food in the Northeast during this time is quite limited. Currently, we have some Swiss chard growing, and we plan to expand our efforts to cultivate more crops once the weather improves after the break. 

Meanwhile, the chickens have been relatively dormant during this period, as they are focusing on egg hatching. However, they have recently started to become a bit more active, indicating that they are beginning to adjust to the changing conditions. Spring is on its way. 

Purpose

The crops we grow serve multiple purposes. In the past, when we were fully operational, we donated a significant amount to CAST, especially during the COVID period when we were involved with hydroponics. Now that we have returned to full-time efforts, our focus has been somewhat divided, but we continue to experiment with how we use the crops. 

They are provided to students, and the Home Economics class incorporates them into their lessons. Additionally, anyone interested is welcome to take some of the produce. If the crops aren't taken, they are fed to the chickens. During the winter, we also engage in maple syrup production, creating small holiday gifts from this syrup to share with the community.

As spring approaches, the possibilities in Greenport’s garden continue to grow, with Mr. Davies and his students looking forward to a new season of hands-on learning and experiments. Whether it’s making maple syrup or giving the cafeteria fresh greens, the garden will surely have something good in store this season.