Solar energy powers summer educational fun at farming academy

The normally quiet grounds of the Montana Veterans Home were shaken up last week when a hovercraft race was held on the premises.

Farming for the Future Academy is an educational nonprofit and is considered a private school. The farm covers about an acre and is located on the Montana Veterans Home campus in Columbia Falls.

Sherry Lewis-Peterson is the executive director of the Academy as well as a teacher and a farmer. She earned her master’s degree in education, specializing in curriculum and instruction and special education, from the University of Montana and her energy and guidance make a myriad of school programs possible.

“We give programs to people with special needs or camps for kids with diverse abilities,” she said.

Since 2013, the Montana Veterans Home has given her use of the land and utilities and she gives back programs for residents there. Through her academy, she runs programs for every part of the community from preschool students to the elderly.

Recently, Lewis-Peterson successfully wrote a grant to acquire solar panels. The Sample Foundation, a private, family foundation based in Billings, awarded the grant which paid for the materials.

After having trouble finding someone to install the solar panels, Lewis-Peterson called Northstone Solar and they were happy to help. They donated their time and provided some parts she didn’t have.

“When she reached out to us we knew it was a no-brainer to work with her,” said Thomas Clark with Northstone Solar. “What she’s doing with agriculture and community outreach with the Veteran Home and also people with special needs… we loved working with her.”

The work was completed about a month ago and the system works beautifully. The farm and all the camps they are hosting this summer are now totally powered by solar energy.

“We’re using no energy from the Veterans Home,” Lewis-Peterson said. “What we’ve tried to do is become as self-sufficient as possible and to teach that self-sufficiency.”

The farm hosts STEAM camps in the summer that are free and open to everyone. STEAM-based education combines science, technology, engineering, art and math with hands-on learning.

The summer camps began last week. On the first day, campers learned about solar power from the team at Northstone Solar. They learned how batteries are charged and each made a small solar panel.

Tuesday, June 13, retired airline pilot Captain Randy Cheney talked about lift and aerodynamics to help prepare the campers for the task of building a hovercraft, which they worked on in the following days.

The rest of the week, campers worked with plywood, paint and plastic to build the hovercrafts. The power tools they used and the leaf blowers required for the project were all charged with the farm’s new solar power system.

The hovercraft races were held on Friday when each of the camper’s crafts had to successfully convey a nearly 65-pound haybale to the finish line.

For every camp, an adult accompanies each camper and the teams were often seen working feverishly on the sidelines of the race, making adjustments to the leaf-blower-powered vehicles.

“They're in there with their kids, trying to figure things out faster and they’re committed to making sure their child is going to succeed,” Lewis-Peterson said. ”It’s really a wonderful situation for both of them and for all of us.”

Lewis-Peterson said she offers camps that encourage kids to learn the way she would like to learn. She said summertime gives kids a chance to be creative and learn outside the box of typical educational offerings.

Projects in upcoming camps include making a felt vest with materials from the farm’s fiber animals, cheese making and some woodworking.

“I wanted to put different camps out there that might be meeting the needs of kids that don’t generally get to go to camps,” she said. “These are camps that kids will say, ‘Hey, I want to try that camp. I want to make cheese. I want a hovercraft.’”

The campers took their custom-built hovercrafts home and Lewis-Peterson hopes they continue to think about the project and consider ways they can improve their vehicle.

“That’s education, right there,” she said.

For more information about the Farming for the Future Academy, visit www.farmingforthefutureacademyinc.org/