Spring 2015
- The Lafayette Food and Farm Cooperative—LaFFCo forms to try to rally student interest in and work on the farm
Winter 2015
- Applied for funding for grant to create 2 native plant gardens, one edible and one to preserve the swale
- Excel Student Researcher Joe Ingrao continues working with Sarah to plan the 2015 season in cooperation with Chef John from Dining Services
Fall 2014
- Market continues until grand finale right before Thanksgiving
- LaFarm celebrates with new Environmental Science Colleagues with a picnic composed of food entirely from LaFarm
Summer 2014
- Solar powered irrigation pump finally installed
- With the new well, the farm begins using a drip irrigation system
- LaFarm gains extra an extra 50ft of land on each side to separate from neighboring field
- Excel Student Researcher Joe Ingrao begins studying farm infrastructure with Sarah
- Several part time student workers and researcher begin forming connections with other local farmers through arranged tours and volunteering through Sarah
- Student garden restarts selling produce directly to students and faculty
- Professor Drummond of Biology and 2 students restart monitoring of Milkweed garden
Spring 2014
- A well and solar powered pump for irrigation are planned and began to be constructed
- Technology and Nature class led by Prof Cohen works with the farm to publish a book about food and agriculture in the Lehigh Valley
- LaFarm partners with the local Switchback Pizza Company for a Sustainable Pizza celebration
Fall 2013
- Sarah, Prof. Cohen, and two student workers, Joseph Ingrao and Brooke Fisher, present workshop at LVAIC Sustainability Conference about LaFarm
Summer 2013
- Begin selling produce to Bon Apetit
- Begin donating surplus vegetables to VIC
- Several part time student workers tend the garden carefully during its transition to our new manager
Spring 2013
- Farm Gazebo constructed by the Green Building Club
- Vegetables in the Community (VIC) project started by Tech Clinic
- Lafayette switches Dinning Services to Bon Appetit
- The garden gets a swale
Spring-Fall 2012
- Experienced farmer Sarah Edmonds hired as new manager for LaFarm
- The garden gets an Apiary from that is tended by professors from the biology department
Fall 2011
- Produce sold at Orientation farm market
- Produce used in food tasting demonstrations during special events on campus
- Paid research student position extended
- Received $5,000 grant from Mellon Foundation for materials
Click on this image to see a visual timeline of the Jenn Bell years!
Summer 2011
- Full time job position created for Garden Manager and Environmental Project Coordinator funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for 1-year period: Jenn
- Produce given to campus restaurant and sold at markets
- Two part time students’ positions and full time research student work at garden
- Research student, Julia Seidenstein studies organic pest control methods
Spring 2011
- Sustainable Food class project builds window planters for growing seedlings to plant at garden out of recycled materials
- Became partner with Buy Fresh, Buy Local Lehigh Valley
Fall 2010
- Begin selling veggies at campus farm markets on Friday afternoons
- Received approval from campus dining services, Sodexo to begin serving vegetables in campus dining halls
Summer 2010
- Two part-time job work/study student positions paid for by College
- Full time research student, Jenn, looked into and tested organic weed control methods
Spring 2010
- Civil Engineering Design Course
- Garden featured on two TV shows: PBS and local channel WFMZ 69
- Biology department grows milkweed for experiment to monitor Monarch butterflies
Fall 2009
- Community Garden Harvest Party! First year had ups and downs, but there were no downs at this shindig!
Summer 2009
- Student Farm harvest began: brought to Safe Harbor, local homeless shelter serving 2 meals per day to residents
- Discussions with dining services began about the possibility to serve food in dining halls
- Built tool shed
- Full time research student, Jenn, worked with Dave Brandes and Andy Smith
- Creation of this website!
- College receives grant from DEP to create large scale food waste composting program
Spring 2009
- Built fence with tons of volunteers: students, faculty, staff, administration, kids, everyone came out to help!
- Rainwater collection system built as civil engineering class project
- Purchase of garden equipment through grant and student club funding
- Established garden layout
- Planting of student garden
- Opening of Community Garden
- Food and Technology course creates garden layouts plans as class project
Winter 2009
- Secured funding from Clinton Foundation to start garden
- Secured land from college administration
- Began preliminary planning and direction of project: community + student garden idea
- Background research on other College Farms
- Jenn and Professor Kney speak at University Hunger Summit Conference
Summer 2008
- Previously, students created small-scale food waste composting program
- Grew Corn on the Quad as part of first-year orientation themed “Live Green Lafayette”
- Visited Dickinson College Farm and became inspired to start something at Lafayette
- Applied for Clinton Global Initiative Outstanding Commitment Award to fund garden
- Began discussion with administration of possibility
great job guys! The pics look great. I look forward to following this