Allen Brook School Abenaki Land Link

This past weekend, a group of volunteers were at the Allen Brook School to prepare garden beds. ABS educators Chris Sedic-Lawton and Cara Clopton shared the following to help inform others about this project. 

Allen Brook School has partnered with the Abenaki Land Link Project in an effort to acknowledge the fact that we live and learn on the traditional land of the Abenaki, support the movement of food sovereignty in Native nations, and engage our students in gardening. We are devoting four garden beds to raise plants which will be harvested and returned to the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk-Abenaki Nation in the fall. This past weekend, a large group of volunteers prepared existing garden beds and built two new ones.

The Abenaki Land Link Project (ALL) is a partnership between the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk - Abenaki Nation, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), and the Vermont Farm to Plate Network's Rooted in Vermont project. From the coordinators:

“As the growers, you are joining us in this partnership to steward Indigenous crops for food and seed saving in solidarity with the Nulhegan Band of Coosuk, to share in the eating of foods native to the Abenaki people, and to learn from the cultural history that the Abenaki ancestors used and continue to cultivate today. This project is founded in resiliency, not charity, and we are happy that you have chosen to join us in working towards this common goal.”

What will it look like at ABS?

• This is a pilot year
• The Nulhegan band, NOFA-VT, and VT Farm to Plate will supply heritage seeds.
• 2 garden beds will be built specifically for ALL
• The beds will hold Calais Flint Corn, True Cranberry Pole Bean, and Algonquian Winter Squash.
• In the fall, all harvested food will be given back to the Nulhegan band.
• We are working to include Native voices and expertise, as well as partnerships with the community.

What's Next?

• Collect materials and donations for garden beds, compost, fencing and tools. If you'd like to donate, please visit this link.
• Garden bed construction and preparation took place on Green Up Day (May 1st).
• After constructing and preparing the beds, then planting the seeds, we will look for partners to help maintain the crops as they grow over the summer.
• When we return in the fall, we will consider how to celebrate the harvest and return of the crops to the Nulhegan band.