BY GINNY PRIVITAR
Luke Slott has been thinking about the environment for a long time.
Now 21, Slott became the executive director of Sustainable West Milford this past January, but has been a member for years. The organization, founded in 2006 by Dave and Wendy Watson-Hallowell, has as its goal, “making sure everyone in West Milford and surrounding towns was living a more sustainable life so it doesn’t have a negative effect on the planet. Not just healthier lives but economically secure lives, too,” according to Slott.
Sustainable West Milford offers a lot to the community: the West Milford Organic Community Garden and educational programs to help the community live healthier lives.
One of the group’s earliest efforts was to connect with the farmers market. “There’s hunger in our community and the farmers market would like to combat it by donating food,” Slott said. Hungry families have the opportunity to get fresh produce, instead of just processed food. Participation in the farmers market “gives members of the community a chance to talk to farmers and find out where their food comes from and how it’s grown.” Locally-sourced food reduces transportation and fuel costs. In addition, Slott said, “When food is transported over long distances, certain foods convert their sugars into starch and lose their flavor, vitamins and minerals.”
As a member of SWM, Slott was involved in the food pantry at the First Presbyterian Church, setting up and taking down food stores and greeting guests. Sometimes he even greeted them dressed as a vegetable. The carrot costume was okay, but the pea pod costume, with its extra layer, he noted with a laugh, was uncomfortable in hot weather.
In conjunction with working at the food pantry, Sustainable West Milford started an Organic Community Garden at Apple Acres, a historic property on Union Valley Road. The land is a part of the original tract of the Terhune property, going back close to 200 years and was at one time filled with apple orchards.
The present owner, Anne Terhune, graciously allows SWM to lease approximately 35 garden plots to individuals.
“In a case of going back to the past, SWM is still using land for farming organically, with no chemicals, and the water is taken directly from the creek there,” Slott proudly said.
For residents who don’t have gardens or those lacking good soil or enough sun in their yards for growing produce, the community garden has been a boon. Slott’s research indicates that Americans throw away 100 billion pounds of food each year.
“It was mind-blowing so much food can be thrown away and [yet] 49 million people are food insecure – not knowing how much food they’ll be able to get,” he said. SWM aims to make sure no food is wasted.
On Fridays from 6 to 7 p.m., Sustainable West Milford harvests the extra produce from the plots at the community garden. Township residents who have their own gardens can bring their extra produce there at the same time through the last week in October. Volunteers are always needed for the harvest.
Slott noted that Gary Oppenheimer, a West Milford resident and former board member of Sustainable West Milford, began Ample Harvest, an organization that started in the SWM community garden. Ample Harvest connects those with surplus food to food pantries and those in need. The website has a wealth of information.
In high school, Slott was part of the “green team,” an environmental club. His advisor was Norma Bozenmayer, a chemistry and earth science teacher.
“She was an incredible inspiration to me because she was so passionate in bringing attention to issues facing the environment to her students," said Slott. "When Bozenmayer retired, no other faculty member stepped in; the kids wanted to continue, but could not, without a faculty member as mentor."
Slott works as a front-end manager at Target and will be entering his senior year at Ramapo College in Mahwah this fall. He expects to earn his degree in environmental science.
In his spare time, he loves to hike Surprise Lake, particularly the Jeremy Glick trail, named after the West Milford resident who was on Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001.
Slott started his own vegetable garden this year, reaping some surprises along the way.
“The potatoes I planted ended up growing seed pods that looked just like cherry tomatoes.” A garden expert assured him the growths coming out of the leaves on top were just seeds. And, due to a mis-labeling at the nursery, “A tomato plant I bought ended up being a pepper plant. What is going on with my garden?” he wondered.
“I just want to make sure people are aware of growing your own food; it saves money and connects your kids to food," he said. "Preschoolers who ate food grown by their families were more likely to have the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables.”
Slott realizes more people might eat fresh vegetables if they knew how to season them. In keeping with that, he offers his take on zucchini.