If you enter our shed at our Albany High School garden and look up and to the left, you’ll see a few remarks that the structure’s student builders left for the eventual users. Though the shed was essentially completed in June 2022, we’re just moving in now, 20 months later, and thus just noticing what the proud students wanted us to know.
And what a pleasure it is to see one saying that Art Erbe, who leads Albany High School’s construction technology program, “is the best teacher” and thanking him for being the writer’s teacher for three years. We would certainly add that Art is a wonderful partner of ours. Twice now he has guided his students in building sheds, measuring eight feet by 12 feet, for the Vegetable Project to use at its gardens. And twice now the finished products have met our expectations.
We funded these school projects because we needed storage space at our gardens at Albany High School and Stephen and Harriet Myers Middle School, but also because we want to create meaningful hands-on learning opportunities for Albany students.
So, why the 20 months to move in? Well, let’s just say it was a learning experience for us as well, specifically in navigating building code compliance. And maybe add, as the Grateful Dead sang, “What a long strange trip it’s been.”
–Bill Stoneman
