Prouty Center begins its annual Prouty Pickles fundraiser

BRATTLEBORO-The Farm to School team at the Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development is now selling pickles handmade by preschoolers, staff, and volunteers to raise money for their educational garden program.

Farm to School runs a garden which doubles as an outdoor classroom for Winston Prouty's Early Learning Center. Children aged 6 weeks to 5 years participate in growing produce and flowers, explore new flavors, and build an early foundation for cooking healthy food. The hope is to foster a deep understanding of where food comes from and how children can work together with their community and environment to create food.

Prouty Pickles is an annual fundraiser, first conceived of in 2018. Seven years ago, Nancy McMahon, former infant teacher and current early interventionist, had recently begun growing the first Prouty vegetable garden and made pickles using cucumbers grown onsite. Today, Farm to School is run by five dedicated team members, including Garden Coordinator Nora Harrington.

The center said that this fundraiser "would not be possible without extensive community support." The pickles are made from about 80 pounds of cucumbers donated by local farms. This year's cucumbers come from Pete's Farm Stand in Walpole, New Hampshire, and Wild Carrot Farm in Brattleboro. Brown & Roberts Ace Hardware and The Home Depot in Keene, New Hampshire donated canning supplies. Ingredients such as vinegar, garlic, and pickling spices were donated by the Early Learning Center and campus community, and more than 10 volunteers joined the pickling efforts on July 25.

Thanks to this community effort, the center said that 128 jars of pickles were made in one day. Pickles are available for purchase at the Winston Prouty Center at 209 Austine Drive, in the lobby of Thomas Hall, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Two varieties are available while supplies last: garlic & dill and bread & butter. Pint jars of each are $8 and quart jars of garlic & dill are available for $15.

This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.