Several students from the Environmental Club participated in a volunteer effort at Merrick Farm in Farmingdale on Saturday, May 7th, 2016 in an attempt to restore operations for a farm-to-table project with Marilyn Schlossbach.  Schlossbach, is the owner of five dining locations along the Jersey Shore, including recently acquired “What’s Your Beef” in Rumson.   Mr. Sullivan and Marilyn coordinated to provide this opportunity to several of the students who are actively involved in the club including senior and current president of the club; James Sabatino.  The focus of this event is to reestablish daily operations and continue to provide the community with local, organic produce.  During the first phase of the project Community members and South students worked with Marilyn Schlossbach to refurbish the greenhouse structures, which were damaged during Superstorm Sandy, and upgrade field equipment used to prepare and plant in the fields.

            According to Mr. Sullivan this project represents a “win-win” situation as the students are exposed to experiences that will awaken their inner desire to understand where the food that they eat comes from while simultaneously providing the farm some of the work that is needed to get it back in action.   This project will also serve to enlighten students about the implications of average produce items that, on average, have traveled further than most of their families have gone on annual vacations.  Also, there are now numerous studies which prove that garden-based education improves academic education.  Furthermore, teaching students to garden gives them immeasurable life skills of independence and sustainability while encouraging them to eat more vegetables as well.

              Middletown South’s Environmental Club is currently in the first year of establishing its own school garden with the $2,000.00 grant it received from the Whole Kids Foundation.  Some of the produce from this school garden is earmarked for the Cooking classes offered at South and to be intertwined into the Environmental, and Nutritional courses.  The Farm-to-table movement is a very popular buzzword today referring to food made with locally sourced ingredients.  A growing number of consumers are now  demanding healthier and more environmentally friendly alternatives to the processed foods that dominate grocery stores and many restaurants.   It was the commonality in viewpoints and the potential in networking that brought students from the Environmental Club together with the Schlossbach Group.