Wyncote Academy Wins Sustainable Cheltenham Award

CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —They are reaping rewards for the fruits of their labor.

The Urban Agriculture program at Wyncote Academy has received a Sustainable Cheltenham Award from the township's Environmental Advisory Council.

The program was nominated for its offerings of science and elective courses and participation in growing fruit and vegetables, producing maple syrup, keeping bees, and processing farm products.

About 60 students attend Wyncote Academy each year and nearly all participate in the program, which includes a working farm that produces honey, eggs, maple syrup, and vegetables.

Students learn about organic farming, food preservation techniques, reducing food waste, and creating nutritious and delicious products by participating in canning, fermenting, dehydrating, and making preserves.

In the maple sugaring initiative, 600 gallons of sap are collected and processed each week at the season’s peak from 260 trees from 35 local residences and area partners.

The urban agriculture program was co-founded by late head of school Mark Linkins and teacher Adrienne Redd in 2021, joined the following year by farmer Nick Lodise, who, with the late Nala Bloom, built the program by growing food, running farm markets in food deserts, raising chickens, and connecting young people with nature and food production.

The fruit and vegetables grown by the Academy are sold at several farmers' markets and through a community-supported agriculture (CSA) that provides weekly shares of fresh, organic produce to Wyncote students and others.

Some products are sold at the Wyncote Farms Winter Market.

This demonstrates the possibilities of local agriculture and provides the community with a source of local, organic produce, eggs, honey, and maple syrup.

The program is fairly new, but the educators and students continue to grow together as they work in nature.

The leaders of the program hope to encourage more backyard gardening and to continue providing students with more access to green space and valuable learning.