Jackie McMahon and Cinzia Bibb, nurses at Thorntons Ferry Elementary School in Merrimack, recently received a $2,000 grant from Voya Financial to further the school's Flex Farm program. Courtesy photo/Merrimack School District

MERRIMACK — After two years of lobbying for funds, Thorntons Ferry Elementary School recently received a $2,000 grant from Voya Financial to expand its Flex Farm program.

The grant process was spearheaded by Principal Julie DeLuca, Assistant Principal Brooke Ross as well as Nurses Jackie McMahon and Cinzia Bibb.

“We’ve really proven the concept that kids love fresh food,” said McMahon.

She said that in 2023, the school began using hydroponic gardening and became one of the first schools in the state to have a Flex Farm.

McMahon said hydroponic gardening does not require soil and is sustained with nutrients rather than fertilizer. Therefore, it can be housed in the school.

“The beauty of it is you can do it year-round,” she said.

She also said the two Flex Farm systems each produce 25 pounds of lettuce per month, which is used to provide students with fresh salad. The systems are maintained by the third grade Garden Club with supervision from the two nurses.

On the academic side, McMahon and Bibb have been teaching students about hydroponics, gardening and nutrition as part of their project, Hawks Harvest: Advancing Hydroponic Education at TFS. They also blended the gardening curriculum with STEAM and the Artist in Residence program.

Looking ahead, McMahon said she and her colleagues would like to have an outdoor garden to offer students other healthy options.

The grant is part of Voya’s Unsung Heroes awards competition. Thorntons Ferry is one of 50 schools across the nation to be chosen for grant funding. No other schools in New Hampshire were selected this year. The 50 schools will now compete for additional grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.

“This award is an opportunity to recognize the creativity and tireless dedication that educators demonstrate in the classroom each day,” said Braeden Mayrisch, Voya’s vice president of Impact and Culture. “At Voya, we are so proud to celebrate these unsung heroes and the impact they make within the lives of their students and communities.”

Voya has awarded more than $6 million in grants since the Unsung Heroes program was launched 29 years ago.