Cornucopia Project in Peterborough is moving to a new location that reflects its growth and desire to be more accessible to students who have been tending to the organization’s gardens for 20 years. It is also ramping up the vocational training dimension of the program. 

Cornucopia was founded by Kin Schilling two decades ago with the goal of “growing gardens, providing healthy food for families in need, bringing students into the kitchen, and inspiring future food system advocates,” per its website, cornucopiaproject.org. Its farm-to-school program teaches students the fundamentals of planting, cultivating and harvesting produce at its Education Farm at the corner of Route 202 and Vose Farm Road.  This spring, Cornucopia acquired 166 Hancock Road, the former Parker and Sons Coffee location, to broaden its endeavors with an eye toward training more young people in the skills of marketing, business management and culinary careers. 

At a ribbon-cutting for the facility Thursday, Schilling noted that Kelly Akerley of Hancock has come full circle with Cornucopia Project. She said she had to do some cajoling to get a 5-year old Kelly to try a freshly picked tomato one day at the project, and now, Akerley, who is involved in plant extraction professionally in Massachusetts, is a member of the organization’s board.

Operations Manager Natasha Meehan expressed excitement about the continuing relationship with the ConVal schools. 

“This is a huge partnership,” she said, noting a sophomore at ConVal who began learning on the Education Farm as an elementary student and is still involved today.

The new location abuts the high school, affording easier access from there as well as South Middle School down the road. The new site has a dedicated training kitchen for students to gain culinary experience from professionals. 

Executive Director Lauren Judd said that the state of the building made it a perfect fit for their purposes.

“The building was already commercially certified, making it a great place for this training,” said Judd.

Multiple area business have been part of Cornucopia’s efforts. The Optimist Cafe’s Keith Herrick, Blackfire Farm, Nature’s Green Grocer, Cranberry Meadow Farm, Shaw’s Supermarket and the Monadnock Co-op are among the firms that have worked with Cornucopia in various ways. 

“There are local chefs who’ve been accepting students as interns, and now we’ll be doing more of that training here, so we can send them out with more of their own culinary skills,” said Judd.

This aspect of the program will be in collaboration with ConVal, and will also have students interning in marketing and business management capacities.

“We’ll also be helping them get job ready,” said Judd, explaining that they’ll be helping them prepare for other aspects of the working world. “The job interview process, how to ask for a raise, how to set boundaries with employers.”

Cornucopia Board Chair Sue Martin said the expansion is part of the organization’s strategic plan, and was made possible thanks to donors, and Jess Gerrior does grant-writing for the project. In response to a question about the possibility, Martin said that if students have an interest in a farm stand at the new site, such an endeavor could be discussed.

ConVal Principal Heather McKillop is excited about the facility’s prospects.

“It’s a place where students can learn and earn,” she said. 

Cornucopia has long had plant sales, with two large sales scheduled for May. It also offers youth cooking kits and seedlings. Propagation Specialist Ashlyn Slossar, who the staff insists “can grow anything,” helps nurture the talents of these young green thumbs, which has also benefited those in need. 

“Our donations to food pantries increased from $1,000 in 2023 to $4,000 last year,” said Judd. She is especially excited at how the new location will afford students easier access to the project, sparing them having to negotiate crossing of Route 202 to get their hands dirty. 

Meehan said one possibility from the culinary training is a family buffet at a semester’s end, and that such meal prep could also provide nutritious meals for others to grab and go.