Beekeeping, Kombuchca And More: CT Teacher Reopens Home Farm To Adults Looking To Learn Agriculture

Mark Gostkevich wanted to bring his work home. So Gostkevich, a math teacher at Old Saybrook, built a school on his family's farm.

It's right next to the house he built with his wife and partner Naomi Niemann in a garden on Marvin Road in Colchester. This is the same country where his grandfather Stefan Gostkevich met his grandmother Stella Vasnyushko. But at Tri Gable High School, math teacher Lea Farm, you're more likely to find a plow than a protractor. And after years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she is ready to return to school and prepare her students for growth.

Mark Gostkiewicz has turned the Colchester family farm, Three Gable Lea, into a place to learn all aspects of farming.
Tri Gable Lea Farm / Contribution

This month's lesson was devoted to beekeeping. grow mushrooms; and grow early crops and seeds. Aspiring home gardeners and farmers can sign up for classes on making kombucha and fermented drinks, pickling, making sourdough bread, and more.

“What people should expect is the feeling that they can walk out of the classroom and be ready to start something, knowing they have a reliable resource to fall back on,” says the farmer-turned-home teacher. "When people leave my class, they leave with various resources that work in Connecticut, that work in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, in that part of New England."

Tree Gable Lea was born from Gostkiewicz's passion for farming, teaching and farming. Gostkiewicz said he grew up working on the family farm and other farms. There he learned to practice and appreciate sustainable agriculture and holistic management. When the couple built their house, they began to work in the garden. Trees then appeared in the gardens to mark the birth of their children. In 2013, they opened a farm with the intention of making products for third parties. But with kids and two challenging careers—Nieman works as a special education teacher—the scale of the growth in production has been hard to keep up with.

“In the middle of the night, I found myself picking green beans with a flashlight while my wife felt abandoned at home,” he said.

Mark Gostkiewicz and his wife Naomi Niemann have turned their Colchester farm, Three Gable Lea, into a place to learn all aspects of farming. — Mark Gostkiewicz and his wife Naomi Nieman have turned their Colchester farm, Three Gable Lea, into a place to learn all aspects of farming.
Tri Gable Lea Farm / Contribution

So Gostkevich spent the winter thinking about how they could use the land. He built several hives. This brought some profit and the family was able to buy a greenhouse. Meanwhile, Gostkiewicz and a colleague persuaded the university they worked for to set up a school garden.

“Every school has something for kids who love sports and the arts. But there are many children who love to do things with their own hands. We wanted to build it for children who are children of nature,” he said. “We gave them shovels and they literally built this park from scratch.”

Gostkevich was successful there and took the job with him.

“When we made an addition to our home, the purpose of the addition was to provide a place for learning,” he said. “After teaching the children, I thought, why not teach the same to adults?”

Gostkiewicz began lecturing on a farm and traveled around Connecticut and Massachusetts teaching at libraries and garden clubs.

“What motivates me the most is that local success depends on local knowledge,” he said.

Those who want to learn more about agriculture can find various resources on the Internet. But Gostkiewicz warns that there may be dangers there. Someone reading about the Alabama beekeeper won't be able to replicate his success in Connecticut, he says. The climate is different and requires different strategies. The same can be true for the earth.

Gostkiewicz said that a bit of creative thinking can sometimes lead to solutions at the local level. Storms that create pieces of wood that could be considered waste can be reused. Local debris can promote fungal growth.

“The way I organize my lessons is the best mushroom growing practice. This is the best practice for keeping bees,” Gostkevich said. “It's all about sustainable thinking and using local resources. I try not to buy too much on Amazon, but I definitely look for what's local."

Gostkevich said that he was also studying. Before each lesson, look at who the students will be and how it will help them get the most out of the lesson. Tri Gable Lea also offers real-time distance learning and on-demand class recording, but Gostkiewicz said she's happy to be back teaching in person.

“When I do face-to-face classes, there is a personal connection. I have four or five people who sit with me during the day. I hear their stories and can respond to what I teach. Then I can dig deeper."

The Tri Gable Lea class schedule is available on their website at trigablelea.com.