Due to the rising temperatures this summer, the Farm at Stonehill had a lot of work to complete in order to maintain and harvest all crops.
Laurie Mooney, who is the only year-round employee at the farm, said how difficult it was for her and other employees to maintain the farm during this summer’s heat.
“With the extreme heat and humidity, it creates a lot of stress on us and the plants,” said Mooney.
The Farm workers would typically have to come in early and leave early in order to avoid heat stroke and exhaustion due to the hard labor.
Luckily, however, the Farm at Stonehill had additional help this summer through Stonehill Colleges’ work study program.
Students came throughout the summer and worked hands-on at the farm helping Mooney and the other employees whenever and wherever it was needed.
“We welcome anyone who would like to qualify for the internship,” said Mooney. “Students can receive internship credit for their major too through the internship.”
Students who are interested in applying for an internship at the Farm at Stonehill can sign up at the end of the spring semester or email Laurie Mooney directly.
During this summer, the farm has been busy harvesting honey, preparing new plants and vegetables to grow, and providing for their community.
The bees are the most sustainable thing on the site, as they do well during the winter and for the most part “self-check” themselves.
“We harvest our honey after late July,” said Mooney, “then after that the honey is for the bees to consume.”
The Farm's honey can also be ordered on the Farm at Stonehill’s website.
The Farm at Stonehill has also been harvesting an array of vegetables including tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, eggplant, winter squash, beets, carrots, kale, collard greens, sweet potatoes, salad mix, and flowers.
“Flowers are some of the newer things we’ve been growing at the farm,” said Mooney. “I use some of the flowers that are good as dried flowers and make them into wreaths.”
Mooney invites people to come to the farm during Farm Friday to make flower wreaths as a way to decorate a dorm or room.
Farm Fridays happen weekly at the Farm at Stonehill from 2-4pm and will go until November 1st and then start back up again in the spring semester after spring break.
Mooney is always trying to find ways to incorporate the Farm at Stonehill into the community. One way the Farm involves itself in the community is by donating food to local organizations.
“On Monday we give to the Easton Food Pantry, then Wednesday we go out to the Brockton neighborhood health center, and Saturday we go to a farmers market at a cafe in South Boston called Cannonball Cafe,” said Mooney.
Mooney also wants to be able to have the Farm at Stonehill more incorporated into the school and one day hopes to work with the new food service provider, Bon Appétit.
“Access to nutrition is a human right,” said Mooney, “It’s important to learn about the nutrition of fresh vegetables and the value of farms at a young age, which is why I hope Stonehill will incorporate the farm more into the school.”
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