New ideas take root at Boulder Knoll Farm By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen
fect and will be the new model going forward.
The Friends of Boulder Knoll Farm began considering new ideas for this year’s growing season in 2019. That’s when the organization tried out a different approach to the community garden concept at the Boulder Road acreage.
In the 2019 growing season, the farm took on a different operation model with families signing up to take two rows to plant and tend, a few individuals also chose two rows and local groups, such as the YMCA, tended to their own large donation gardens. Those particular gardens were grown specifically for food pantries and soup kitchens.
The farm’s model is based on community supported agriculture usually referred to as CSA. It’s a farmer supported model, where customers buy produce shares, either half-season or full season. However, last year the Friends decided “to go to a new model,” said Fellis Jordan, farm president.
“What we did last year was invite people to join us in any capacity they wanted,” she said, adding that this approach seems to be per-
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church came on board to farm, as did All CorSee Farm, A18
2020 ACADEMY COMMENCEMENT
Speaker was part of historic class Record-Journal staff
Thursday, March 12, 2020
cheshirecitizen.com
Volume 6, Number 22
the University of AlSuzanne Austin, member abama at of the graduating class of Birming1970, will be the keynote ham. She is speaker for Cheshire also a proAcademy’s 226th comfessor of mencement ceremony epidemiolscheduled for May 30. This ogy at Austin year’s commencement UAB’s marks the school’s 50th anSchool of niversary of girls returning Public Health, and has a to campus. secondary appointment in African American Studies Austin, who is one of six in the College of Arts and girls to graduate from Sciences. Cheshire Academy in its historic first year of return- “I was very excited when I ing to a coeducation camreceived the invitation to pus, currently serves as the speak at commencement,” senior vice provost and se- Austin said. “It is a great nior international officer at
honor and I am very proud to have been asked. It is hard for me to believe that it is the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Cheshire Academy.” Austin’s uncle, Gilbert Austin, is a graduate from the class of 1949. Her parents chose to enroll her due to her uncle’s enriching experiences at Cheshire Academy at a time when other college-preparatory schools were reluctant to change due to costs and other concerns with going coed. See Academy, A10
March 25 is National Medal of Honor Day March 25 is National Medal of Honor Day and while that may not be one of the better known days of distinction in some places, it should be in Cheshire, according to John White, commander of the local VFW.
in Cheshire in St. Peter's Epsicopal Church Cemetery.
The second recipient is 1st Lt. Harvey Barnum Barnum, a That's because Cheshire has Vietnam era two recipients of this distinguished honor. White writes veteran who served in the Marine Corps for 27 years. A about those recipients and native of town, Barnum was his perspective on honor in president of his freshman a commentary below. and senior class at Cheshire The first recipient, Eri David- High School, where he also son Woodbury, a Dartmouth played football and baseball. His public service included a College graduate and Civil War era Union Army officer, stint in the Obama Adminiswent on to teach at Cheshire tration as Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ManAcademy for 38 years after he left the service. He even- power and Reserve Affairs) tually became headmaster at as well as many other posithe school. He died April 14, tions with the government 1928, at age 90, and is buried and military.
Two locals have earned the award By John White
March 25 is National Medal of Honor Day. This annual holiday, designated by Congress, is dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients. But in our home town of Cheshire, every day is Medal of Honor Day. Cheshire is unique among small towns of America because we have had two residents who received the Medal of Honor. The Medal is the highest military award in America. See Medal, A6
Sgt. Eri Woodbury and his Medal of Honor.