Schools

Bonnie Brae's Farm Goes Back to School 'Roots'

Students' sustainability project includes large garden on campus in Liberty Corner.

Since its founding almost 100 years ago, has been housed on a farm, first in Livingston, and for the past 90 years, on its sprawling campus in the Liberty Corner section Bernards Township.

In fact, the school for adolescent boys from a troubled background started out being known as the The Bonnie Brae Farm for Boys, where residents were expected to contribute by helping out with farm chores.

Everything old is new again at the Bonnie Brae Educational Center, with students at the residential facility now actively working on a sustainability project, which includes a large garden on the 100-acre campus.

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Students have been growing tomatoes, peppers, collard greens and onions. They planted the garden with some help from Joe Guryian, of Rutgers Co-Operative, starting in the beginning of March, according to information from Cathy Phillips, from the school's Office of Development.

Guryian directed the planting, gave guidance about expansion of the space and worked with the boys to install a drip irrigation system and also set up rain collection barrels. 

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The garden has been so abundant that the students were able to set-up ship and are now selling vegetables to staff on-campus. 

Bonnie Brae teacher Patricia Gmyrek praised the students for working hard, and said they are now pleased with the garden.

If all goes as planned, Gmyrek said she hopes to open the sale of fresh farm vegetables to the public by next summer.

Bonnie Brae is a residential school for boys, with the missing of helping boys get their lives back on track through therapy and education. The facility is fully accredited, and home to 97 students, ages 8-18, according to information from the school.


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