Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (1050 Westminster St., Fitchburg, MA) will be hosting a Grand Opening Celebration of the Monty Tech Freight Farm on Friday, September 16 from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.

Monty Tech was recently awarded a $180,000 grant from the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. With these funds, the school has purchased, installed and begun work in an exciting venture--the Monty Tech Freight Farm. This on-site farm will save the school thousands of dollars, providing the highest quality produce to our students (and even staff!). We have partnered with Growing Places and several local farms to share crops, which will be so important as New England seasons can be challenging for farmers.

The Monty Tech Freight Farm will allow for continuous growth year-round, producing as many as as 1,450 heads of lettuce every three weeks. The new Farm is not only an exciting learning tool, it is also a critical piece to a lagging, seasonally-dependent food chain. During the school year, the crop will directly benefit Monty Tech's school nutrition and culinary program, and during school vacations and holidays, the crop will be distributed throughout the region by local non-profit, Growing Places.

We are so honored to have been selected for this grant, and hope you will join us in celebrating the grand opening. R.S.V.P. to Katy Whitaker at whitaker-katy@montytech.net