The Knoll
The Middlebury College Knoll explores food as a medium to cultivate well-being in people, place, and the planet. We root our work in celebrating connection and dismantling oppression.
We are fundraising!
As the Knoll celebrates 20+ years of bringing our community together around food, land work, wellness, and justice, we’re delighted to announce a crowd-funding campaign to support our dear Knoll! Donations, no matter how big or small, support the longevity of this space dear to our hearts. Read more on the blog!
The Knoll offers three main program areas and ways to engage: the Educational Garden, the Outdoor Kitchen, and the Serenity Garden. We host faculty, staff, students, and our local community for classes, research, gardening hours, internships, and events.
- The Educational Garden serves as a place for students to learn about gardening and agriculture through research and hands-on experiences. We grow food for Midd Dining and each year we contribute produce to our robust local gleaning program coordinated by HOPE, a local nonprofit.
- The Outdoor Kitchen is a space to cultivate community. In a typical year, we host pizza nights and help co-host celebrations for campus partners. Interns learn to cook with the wood-fired oven and make pizzas with vegetables from our gardens.
- The Serenity Garden is a work-in-progress on the western slope of the Knoll. This garden is a collaboration with the Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life. In 2012, His Holiness the Dalai Lama blessed a large round marble bench. We also constructed a labyrinth to celebrate 15 years of the Knoll in September 2017.
Learn More About the Knoll
Check out the intern-run blog
Browse our Annual Reports for full details of our programs
Visit the Knoll
The physical address of the Knoll is 152 Vermont Route 125, Cornwall, VT. Driving access is limited during the spring and fall, but visitors are invited to park cars at the intersection of Bicentennial Way and Route 125, then walk the short dirt road to the Knoll. When the weather allows, we will leave the gate open and visitors may park at the Knoll.
Please be respectful of our rules while visiting:
- Please keep dogs on leashes
- Stay on paths
- Leave the harvesting to us*
- please note all are welcome to snack from the Grazing Garden
- Please pack out what you pack in
- Burn permits and event registrations are required for all campfires
- The Knoll is an alcohol and other substance-free space
Event Hosting
Thank you for being mindful of the Knoll as a working garden and learning environment and yielding space to staff, volunteers, and reserved group events as needed.
Small, casual gatherings are welcome and encouraged and do not require reservation. However, campfire pit and pizza oven use are by permission only.
Starting Spring ‘24 we are again welcoming campus partners to host events at the Knoll. Please plan ahead and refer to the “Event Hosting Steps” page for detailed information and to request permission.
A winter note: Please remember that the Knoll operates as a three-season space and no amenities are available at the Knoll during winter (e.g., driving access, snow removal, restroom access, water, hand hygiene, trash receptacles). Our typical season runs from April 1 - November 1 and we are not able to support organized events outside of this period.
Knoll Student Intern Crew
From starting seedlings in the spring to harvesting in the fall, the Knoll relies on student volunteers and interns. Volunteers and interns help manage all aspects of the Knoll, including facilitating Volunteer Hours, growing and selling produce, event management and support, and participating in regular farm visits to learn more about our local food community.
2025 Summer Interns
Josue Solis ‘26
Hello! My name is Josue Solis, and I am from Las Vegas, Nevada. I’m excited to join the Knoll crew because the Knoll is a safe space for me on campus. I can’t wait to be a part of something I love so much!
Tatenda Mapungwana ‘28
Mwakadini, hello! I am Tatenda D Mapungwana from Zimbabwe. I adore nature, rocks to be specific, and I love cooking sadza. I am so excited and honored to be part of the Knoll crew because touching the soil is fun!
Gabrielle Anchondo ‘27
Hi everyone! My name is Gabrielle and I am from Chicago. I am majoring in Biology and Dance. I am excited excited to join the knoll team and be in community with everyone. I love the smell of fresh basil and wonderful spice. So excited for this summer!
Jade Zarate ‘28
Hello everyone! I’m Jade and I’m from Los Angeles, California. In my free time I love making yogurt bowls, lattes, and taking long walks. I also am a big fan of grocery shopping, so I love the co-op!! I’m super excited to be a summer intern and spend an incredible summer in Vermont, in our beautiful Knoll. I’m looking forward to enjoying the sun and watching things grow.
Spring/Fall Interns
Abigail Alfaro ‘25.5
Hi, my name is Abi! I’m from Los Angeles, California and I’m majoring in environmental justice. On my free time I like to listen to music that reminds me of home or play sports like soccer, basketball, or tennis. I’m super excited to spend my last year taking care of the Knoll, getting my hands in the soil, making pizzas and building a community invested in sustainable food production!
Kayden Lemee ‘26
Hi! I’m Kayden, a IGS Global Environmental Change major from Montville, New Jersey. I’ve loved gardening since I was a kid and also love cooking (especially Filipino food), the daily LinkedIn games, and playing the guitar. I’m super excited to be joining the team this season and learn everything the Knoll has to offer. (I’m also very allergic to cats)
Lili Platt ‘25
Hi! I’m Lili. I like to bake soft banana chocolate chip muffins and sesame-seeded challah bread. I grew up in the green mountains of Ndakinna (aka Vermont). I’m so excited to join the crew of folks who care for / tend to the Knoll and each other.
Matt Stevenson ‘27.5
Hi, my name is Matt! I love the forests, rivers, and urban farms of my home, Portland, Oregon. I’m excited to work outside at the Knoll and help cultivate community around caring for each other and the food that we grow.
Sheila Camacho ‘25
Events Intern
Hi everyone my name is Sheila, I’m a Posse Scholar from the Bronx, New York and I’ve been working with the Knoll for almost a year now. I was a ‘23 Summer Intern and I had an amazing time pulling radishes, eating clinatro leaves and laying on the grass :).
Charlotte Xu ‘26.5
Office Intern
Hi! My name is Charlotte and I’m from Plainsboro, New Jersey. Some things that bring me joy include scrapbooking, hummingbirds, and tinkering around in the kitchen with new ingredients and funky tunes. I’m super excited to make new friends in the garden this season :)
Knoll Staff
Megan O. Brakeley ’06
Associate Director of the Knoll
Megan guides all aspects of the Knoll’s programming and partnerships, manages the educational garden, supports interns, and helps organize events at the Knoll. Megan holds a BA from Middlebury College (Spanish with an Environmental Studies minor) and a Master of Environmental Management (2015) from the Yale School of the Environment. She serves as a member of the Porter Medical Center Board. Prior to this role, Megan worked on campus with the Center for Community Engagement and as a Posse Mentor. Megan resides in Middlebury and is a member and volunteer for Unlikely Riders and a former organizer and board member of the Vermont Releaf Collective. Email: mbrakeley@middlebury.edu