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.
Spring/Fall Interns:
Caitlin Sheen ‘26.5
Hey friends, it’s Caitlin! I’m from Oakland, CA and I love making soup with friends (I was on the kale and white bean + sourdough grind during J-term). I’m so excited to join this awesome group of people, touch some dirt, and meet all the volunteers!
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.
Lucy Pollitt ‘26
Hey, I’m Lucy! Growing up in Toronto, I worked in sustainable landscaping planting native pollinators & urban gardens. I can’t wait to get my hands back in the dirt this spring and learn all there is to know about the knoll! When I’m not gardening, I am probably canoe tripping or bouldering outside
Mary Nagy-Benson ‘24.5
My name is Mary. I am a senior Feb and Independent Scholar in Regenerative and Just Food Systems and I am from Weybridge, Vermont. I couldn’t be happier to spend my last year at Middlebury at the Knoll. Some of my favorite things: carrots that have legs, a warm mug of tea, flowers of every kind, New York Times Spelling Bee, sunny days.
Sam Medina ‘25
Samuel is a POSSE Scholar from Los Angeles, CA, majoring in Conservation Biology. On his free time he loves to play guitar and create music. Samuel is excited to join the Knoll crew because he wants to foster a deep connection with the surrounding landscape and share the joy of food with others.
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 :)
Summer Interns
Changchang Ma 马畅畅 ‘26
Hello! I am from Wenzhou, China. I am an environmental anthro major and I spend a lot of time crocheting, reading, and cooking. My favorite food moment of all time is having clear grass jelly with mint in a humid summer night at home! Highly recommended.
Leslie Ramírez ‘25
I’m Leslie coming to you all from Geneva NY. I’ve always been in awe of the Knoll and all it offers where days in the sun building bouquets has always been a day to remember. It is an honor to be one of the interns upholding this space. Let us make the Knoll bloom as beautifully as ever.
Ryan Smith ‘25
I’m a rising senior and religion major from Royalton, Vermont. Some of my favorite foods to grow are kale, chard, and garlic, and my favorite food to eat is peanut butter (such a shame you can’t grow peanuts in VT…). I can’t wait to join the knoll crew to learn from the beautiful world around us and build community through food.
Sam Surks ‘25.5
I’m a junior feb, a Biology - Earth and Climate Science joint major and an avid lover of the Ross panini presses (please ask me about my go-to sandwich creation). I’m lucky enough to live on the beautiful North Shore of Massachusetts, so I’ll be missing the ocean this summer, but I’m so excited to spend my days outside and get my hands in the soil as one of the Knoll summer interns!
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