Letter to the Editor: Shocked by News of Michael Aitkenhead’s Termination

It was with shock and severe disapproval that we received the news of Michael Aitkenhead’s termination by the Green Village Initiative.

Regardless of how certain GVI board members feel that the Wakeman Town Farm is doing, there is no doubt that Mr. Aitkenhead has done an excellent job running the property and is without question the best man for the position. He is not only an intelligent and hardworking individual — he is passionate about his teaching and his role as our town farmer.

We were both in Mr. Aitkenhead’s AP Environmental class during our junior year of high school. This is one of the few classes at Staples where ideas are taken out of the classroom and put into effect in the local community. Mr. Aitkenhead’s constant encouragement inspired us to attend local meetings about the environment and participate in a multitude of green activities, such as cleanups, fairs, and the EcoFest event.

During that year, Mr. Aitkenhead was asked by the GVI to live at the Wakeman Town Farm and manage the property. As soon as he could, he told our class about this development and expressed his great joy. This, he told us, was one of his lifelong dreams, and he was extraordinarily thankful to GVI for letting him live it out.

That summer, we both volunteered at the farm and were impressed by how Mr. Aitkenhead managed to take an undeveloped field and transform it in such a short time into a living and breathing (albeit small) farm. This was all the more astonishing considering that Mr. Aitkenhead and the vast majority of the interns had no farming experience, making the summer a time for learning as well as growing.

On top of the initial difficulties, the Aitkenheads had to deal with numerous delays regarding the farmhouse, forcing them to commute for most of the summer and only narrowly moving into the house a week before the school year began.

By living on the farm, Mr. Aitkenhead has brought it to life — he has invested a great deal of his own time and resources to get it off the ground. Furthermore, Mr. Aitkenhead has brought a family feel to the farm — his wife and two young children are an essential part of what makes the Wakeman Town Farm such a healthy and happy environment.

Beyond the farm, Mr. Aitkenhead has truly made a difference in Westport — his influence extends from EcoFest to his teaching achievements at Staples, where he was able to show the youth of Westport how important it is to live cleanly and sustainably. This attachment to the young makes Mr. Aitkenhead the ideal man for the job at Wakeman. He can communicate effectively to kids at Staples, ensuring that the farm will always have new recruits.

GVI should have considered this before deciding to terminate Mr. Aitkenhead’s contract and should reconsider their decision now. While it may be possible to find a replacement to simply manage the farm, Mr. Aitkenhead’s love for his subject and charisma with the student body is irreplaceable. GVI is making a huge mistake by removing someone so enthusiastic and qualified.

In an article in Westport Magazine, Dan Levinson, founder of GVI, was quoted as saying that in a few years, “the Farm and Mike [Aitkenhead] will be the hub of a rejuvenated local food network.” This is what our town should be striving towards, and thus we believe that the Aitkenheads must be given another chance and should be reinstated at the Wakeman Town Farm.

Gabe Block and Petey Menz

Staples High School Class of 2011