Just as classes wind down for the year, students are ramping up their work at college farms. For beginner farmers and those interested in exploring agriculture in an academic setting, university-based farm programs offer a unique perspective. Students are actively involved in all aspects of the farm operation from greenhouse management to field planting to harvesting and distributing their farm-fresh products. College farms provide opportunities for learning, research, independent study, and networking and can be a great way to earn credits and internship hours!
In the next few weeks the Resource Spotlight blog will highlight student farms across the country. This week we’re focusing on these farms in the Northeast.
From Maine to Massachusetts, colleges in the Northeast are growing food for CSA’s, local restaurants, farmers’ markets, and some even supply their campus dining halls! With a short growing season and often-small amounts of farmland to work with, these schools are farming very intensely, and incredibly efficiently.
Check out the student farm directory from the Sustainable Agriculture Education Association to find out more about university farms near you. If your college farm isn’t listed below, tell us about it in the comments section!
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Beech Hill Farm – College of the Atlantic
Mount Desert, ME
Beech Hill Farm is a 73-acre organic farm that is owned and operated by College of the Atlantic (COA) on Mount Desert Island in Maine. The farm, which COA bought in 1999, has fields of crops and three orchards of heirloom apples. Shuttles run from COA’s campus in Bar Harbor to the farm to ensure easy access for students, faculty and staff who want to get their hands in the soil. Students also conduct research and independent study projects on the farm. Produce from the farm goes to COA campus dining hall.
Contact: beechhillfarm@coa.edu
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Farm Center – Hampshire College
Amherst, MA
The Farm Center was created in the late 1970’s as a place for students and faculty to learn about sustainable farming and to provide a place for academic work like studying animal behavior and agriculture science. The farm has a CSA, of which Hampshire College Dining Services purchases 20 shares per year to use on campus. The farm also offers a Food, Farm and Sustainability Institute where students, faculty, staff and alumni can learn about food production and sustainable agriculture during the 6-week institute. This year’s institute runs from June 3-July 12th.
Contacts: lcox@hampshire.edu or nehFC@hampshire.edu
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Cook College Student Organic Farm – Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ
Rutgers University boasts having the nation’s largest organic farm managed completely by students. The five-acre farm was founded in 1993 and provides locally grown, organic produce to CSA members and surplus produce to a nearby soup kitchen. Cook College farm also has paid summer internships for students who not only work the land, but also write the weekly newsletter, The Cover Crop.
Contact: 732-932-9711, ext. 256
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Dilum Hill Student Farm – Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
Dilmun Hill is a student-run farm with a mission to provide students, faculty, and staff, as well as community members with opportunities to experience sustainable farming. The farm’s bounty is sold in Ho Plaza and in front of Mann Library June through October and supplies fresh veggies to the Cornell Dining and Manndible Cafe.
Contact: dilmunhill@cornell.edu
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Dickinson College Farm – Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA
At 50-acres, the Dickinson College Farm is a certified organic living laboratory that gives students hand-on experience growing food for their community. Most of the harvest is split between the campus dining hall and Dickinson’s CSA program—which in this case stands for Campus Supported Agriculture. The rest goes to the town farmers’ market, local restaurants, and some is donated. In addition to dark leafy greens and bulbous root vegetables, the farm also manages a flock of sheep, grass-fed beef cattle, laying hens and broiler chickens.
Bonus: Jenn Halpin, the farm’s director, was a Farm Aid Farmer Hero!
Contact: halpinj@dickinson.edu; (717) 245-1969
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Common Ground Student-Run Educational Farm – University of Vermont
Burlington, VT
Common Ground’s three-acre farm is 100% student run and operated. In addition to row crops, the farm has a perennial fruit area with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, black currants, gooseberries, sour cherries, plums, peaches, and nectarines. The farm contributes fresh, organic vegetables to the Campus Kitchen Project—a hunger relief program that distributes meals to the community. Produce is also sold at a stand in front of the library, and distributed through a CSA. UVM has really jumped on board, offering courses like an Organic Farm Practicum and Organic Farm Planning.
Contact: cgsref@uvm.edu
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Agricultural Learning Center – University of Massachusetts
Stockbridge, MA
Perhaps one of the newest college farms in the Northeast is the 50-acre farm at UMass Stockbridge, which launched this past April. This farm will act as a classroom, giving students a place to learn about agriculture while also digging in and participating in growing crops and raising livestock. UMass has other farms throughout the state of Massachusetts, but those are primarily for professional research—this farm is specifically for students and pairs with the new Sustainable Food and Farming major at the university, which offers classes like: organic weed control, community food systems, and sustainable soil and crop management.
Contact: AgLC@cns.umass.edu
