Many contribute to garden shed at Roy-Hart Middle School

Posted 6 February 2024 at 9:05 am

Photos and press release from Roy-Hart Central School

MIDDLEPORT – Royalton-Hartland Middle School is so grateful for the number of volunteers who showed up on Nov. 11 to help build a garden shed.

Many community members, such as the Royalton-Hartland Agriculture Foundation, students, staff and neighbors, spent a cold Saturday constructing the building. Additionally, many were called on to provide nourishment, donate building materials and/or their time to help our Farm to School committee with this project.

Roy-Hart was the recipient of a USDA grant for outdoor growing spaces that is still in the process of being developed. This building and growing area at the middle school will help build a bridge between the agriculture, technology and science curriculum at the elementary and that of our nationally acclaimed high school program.

This past June, the Royalton-Hartland Middle School was awarded a $5,000 stipend from New York State’s Farm to School Institute. Our Farm to School committee agreed to use a portion of that award to pay for the materials for the shed after Dominick Ciliberto, owner of All Metal Works, donated ten raised garden beds.

“We purchased all of our materials locally from Newfane Lumber and All Metal Works,” explained Principal Wendy Schlosser. “Newfane Lumber was generous enough to waive the delivery fee and donate the windows. We want to extend a special thank you to Tommy Brigham, who donated the cement, Barden Homes, who donated the door and Tony Marvin and his Roy-Hart ground crew who prepared the site for the concrete as well as wood chipping the area to place our garden beds to keep our weeds down for easier maintenance.”