Eat your Greens: CM's Hydroponic Farm Makes Donation to Dedham Food Pantry
Mr. Cusson and six students grew, harvested, and donated over 150 heads of lettuce to the Dedham Food Pantry last week.
West Roxbury, Mass.—Dinner’s up at Catholic Memorial School.
Mr. Shawn Cusson and his six-student team of horticulturists donated over 150 heads of fusion romaine lettuce to the Dedham Food Pantry last Thursday. The lettuce haul, grown in the school’s indoor hydroponic farm, brings their year-to-date donations to over 2,000 heads of lettuce across various local food pantries in the Greater Boston area.
Mr. Shawn Cusson and his six-student team of horticulturists donated over 150 heads of fusion romaine lettuce to the Dedham Food Pantry last Thursday. The lettuce haul, grown in the school’s indoor hydroponic farm, brings their year-to-date donations to over 2,000 heads of lettuce across various local food pantries in the Greater Boston area.
“When we are providing healthy, fresh food choices to the homeless and underprivileged, there is nothing more real-world relevant than that,” said Mr. Cusson, referencing CM’s Knight Based Learning (KBL) initiative.
“Students who get more involved in the farm, meaning more than just a day or two of transplanting or harvesting, become more curious about the technology and innovation that makes the farm run.”
CM’s KBL initiative connects faith with service across multiple disciplines. Mr. Cusson, a science teacher at the CM middle school, found a way to put food on the plates of dozens of families across the Greater Boston area using recommendations from CM’s Campus Ministry department in 2016.
Every Thursday, the student group meets with Mr. Cusson in the farm. There, they gather their harvest from the past week. Lettuce, basil, kale, spinach, and cilantro grow for the sake of donations. For research purposes, Mr. Cusson and his students grow strawberries, carrots, squash, and pumpkins. Together they donate their vegetable share to the Dedham Food Pantry, West Roxbury Food Pantry, or the Centre Street Food Pantry in Newton. Faculty and staff claim any leftover or unused vegetables from the harvest.
Mr. Cusson consults his students about which seeds to plant after every harvest. He encourages them to problem-solve, especially when working with new crops.
"Since I’m still fairly-new at farming, when I need to learn something new, they get to learn it too,” said Mr. Cusson.
“Students who get more involved in the farm, meaning more than just a day or two of transplanting or harvesting, become more curious about the technology and innovation that makes the farm run.”
CM’s KBL initiative connects faith with service across multiple disciplines. Mr. Cusson, a science teacher at the CM middle school, found a way to put food on the plates of dozens of families across the Greater Boston area using recommendations from CM’s Campus Ministry department in 2016.
Every Thursday, the student group meets with Mr. Cusson in the farm. There, they gather their harvest from the past week. Lettuce, basil, kale, spinach, and cilantro grow for the sake of donations. For research purposes, Mr. Cusson and his students grow strawberries, carrots, squash, and pumpkins. Together they donate their vegetable share to the Dedham Food Pantry, West Roxbury Food Pantry, or the Centre Street Food Pantry in Newton. Faculty and staff claim any leftover or unused vegetables from the harvest.
Mr. Cusson consults his students about which seeds to plant after every harvest. He encourages them to problem-solve, especially when working with new crops.
"Since I’m still fairly-new at farming, when I need to learn something new, they get to learn it too,” said Mr. Cusson.
Hand-pollinating out-of-the-ordinary vegetables such as pumpkins and manually checking acidity levels often result in a nice learning exercise.
Costs for the harvest remain minimal. Ten dollars buys a thousand seeds of lettuce; enough to feed a family for a few months. John Fish, his wife Cindy, and Suffolk Cares donated the funds needed for CM to buy their hydroponic farm from Freight Farms in 2015.
Costs for the harvest remain minimal. Ten dollars buys a thousand seeds of lettuce; enough to feed a family for a few months. John Fish, his wife Cindy, and Suffolk Cares donated the funds needed for CM to buy their hydroponic farm from Freight Farms in 2015.
Known as a Leafy Green Machine, the hydroponic farm exists in a 40-foot shipping container equipped with programmed pH and nutrient dosing along with high-efficient LED lighting. The farm’s insulated entry, steel frame, and stainless interior allow students to farm year-round.
With 256 irrigation towers installed vertically, the farm gives Mr. Cusson and his students enough space to grow at least 600 heads of lettuce each week.
“It’s a new approach to something ordinary,” said senior Jiachen Xu when asked about his work in the farm.
“The hydroponic system is automatic and independent. It provides students interested in innovative agriculture with a proper work space. That’s something I don’t see anywhere else.”
With 256 irrigation towers installed vertically, the farm gives Mr. Cusson and his students enough space to grow at least 600 heads of lettuce each week.
“It’s a new approach to something ordinary,” said senior Jiachen Xu when asked about his work in the farm.
“The hydroponic system is automatic and independent. It provides students interested in innovative agriculture with a proper work space. That’s something I don’t see anywhere else.”
Become a Man of Action at Catholic Memorial
CM prepares students for the rigors of college and beyond. While here, boys embark on service-learning opportunities, leadership development, and character formation programs inspiring them to become confident, courageous young men motivated to do good in the world.
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Catholic Memorial
Catholic Memorial
235 Baker StreetWest Roxbury, MA 02132P. (617) 469-8000F. (617) 977-5689
About Us
Catholic Memorial, the Christian Brothers School of Boston, prepares boys for college, manhood and a world full of unknown challenges, ambiguity and complex problems and the importance of relationships.
