Bowdoin College students visit County

13 years ago

Photo by Karen Donato
fs-bowdoin1-dclr-shpt-36A VIEW FROM THE TOP — These Bowdoin College students visited Aroostook County for three days as part of the pre-orientation program for incoming freshmen. They participated in community service work at the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum, visited the Presque Isle High School Farm and took in the view at the Mars Hill Country Club. From left in front, Stevie Lane, Molly McVeagh and Rachel Barnes. Standing from left, Jacqueline Uranga, Kelsey Berger, Jessica Zhao, Autumn Nelor, Luis Belfean, Will Powers and Adam Gordon.

By Karen Donato
Special to the Pioneer Times

    Ten Bowdoin College students with their adviser, Allan Delong spent three days touring the area and volunteering at the Southern Aroostook Agricultural Museum recently. Eight of the students were freshmen participating in a pre-orientation program with two team leaders.
    The college provides new students with a variety of opportunities to experience a few days away from the college campus and see other parts of the state, as well as doing community service work. This was the sixth year a group has traveled to Aroostook. The students came from, Beijing, China; Bermuda, California, New York, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Georgia.
    Many of the students grew up in metropolitan areas, so traveling in Aroostook County with the agricultural landscape, hills and trees was a new experience. Upon their Aug. 24 arrival, they toured the museum, learned the history of the organization and the importance of agriculture to this area. Then they settled in to the Monticello Fish and Game Club, where they would stay during their visit.
    On Thursday, with the assistance of Jay Clark, president of the museum, they tackled a variety of jobs at the museum including painting, setting tables for an upcoming supper, edging and mulching around several trees on the museum lawn, washing windows and rearranging equipment in the barn. Some of these tasks were new learning experiences for the students, as well.
Photo by Karen Donato
fs-bowdoin3-dclr-shpt-36FRESH POTATOES — These Bowdoin College students visited Aroostook County and experienced picking their first Maine potatoes at Presque Isle High School’s educational farm. They also did community service work and toured other points of interest in the area. They are from left, Rachel Barnes from Bermuda, Autumn Nelor from Georgia and Luis Belfean from New Mexico.

    The group traveled north on Friday to visit the Presque Isle High School Agricultural Farm where they spent time with the director, Aaron Buzza and Assistant Manager, John Hoffses. They shared information on the purpose of the school program, the operation of the farm and school store and how the high school students are involved with the day-to-day operation. The students also were able to pick some freshly dug potatoes, as well as blueberries, apples, corn, green peppers and several varieties of tomatoes, some of which they took back to their campsite to cook for their evening meal.
    The group also sampled Houlton Farms Dairy ice cream in Presque Isle before a stop at the Mars Hill Country Club where they tried their hand at driving a golf cart to hole number three on the mountain that offers a spectacular view of the countryside.
     Following their trip to The County the students shared some of their impressions of what they experienced;
    “Potato picking was a completely different experience than being home in the South. Living in a city doesn’t really show the importance of agriculture and seeing the processes of planting and harvesting really showed me how necessary they are for us, as humans, to survive.”
    “I flew over 17 hours from Beijing and drove four hours to visit this small museum and it is just amazing. It inspires me to create one in my hometown to bring people together and remember the past when the community was closer.”
Photo by Karen Donato
fs-bowdoin5-dclr-shpt-36VEGGIES — Bowdoin College students picked fresh cucumbers and tomatoes in the Presque Isle Farm Greenhouse that had been grown hydroponically.

    “The one thing that really blew my mind when touring the Aroostook museum and working the following day was the idea that the museum brought the entire area together. I’ve never seen something as simple and as timeless incorporate and give so much joy to so many people in the area. It would be such a shame to lose such interesting artifacts. That is why it is so important that the museum has enough volunteers to run the buildings smoothly.”
    “I think the museum is a great way to honor generations of farmers in Aroostook County. The museum shows people how hard farmers worked and preserving their belongings tells visitors that their hard work is still important to the community.”
    This visit for Delong, a former Monticello resident, was especially significant this year. His dad, Walter, a former potato farmer and retired railroad employee had been an active tour guide at the museum for many years. He was always present to welcome the group and explain the history of the many items on display. Sadly he passed away earlier in the spring.
    The students left for their next college adventure with a glimpse of life in a rural area, a better understanding of agriculture’s importance to mankind and an appreciation of the need to preserve an earlier way of life, including stories from the past.