Policy Analysis
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For any project, the laws, regulations, and standard practices surrounding the project shape how the end result will appear. Furthermore, for a technological system, best management practices determine how the technology will be used, and what will be necessary for it to operate effectively. It is this project’s goal to lay out the processes by which our greenhouse designs could be realized, and the policies surrounding greenhouses and construction in America, Pennsylvania, and at Lafayette College define those processes. It is in this section that we explore those policies and the explain those processes.
Policies Regarding Greenhouses and Construction
Federal Policy Concerning Greenhouses. The only standards that are enforced by law in the United States about greenhouses refer to what plants can and cannot be bought and sold to other countries. That being said, USDA extension services at universities across the nation have created various Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Greenhouse construction and management which are considered the standard by which to adhere. By reviewing the BMPs laid out by Cornell, University of Massachussetts, Oklahoma State University (multiple pdfs in bibliography,) and Purdue (which has links to the guidesheets produced in many places across the nation), we have become familiar with the many aspects of greenhouse design and management which are recommended. Most of these sources will be integral to the management and growth of any greenhouse at LaFarm in the future, and therefore should be accounted for and reviewed by any who implement a greenhouse plan. Best Management Practices include what materials to use, how to orient and locate a greenhouse, how systems should operate, water quality and distribution, having an integrated pest management plan, fertilization, and weed management (Cox, Bartok, & LaScola 2010; Schnell, Cole & Dole; Schnelle & Dole a; Schnelle & Dole b; Schnelle & Dole c; Tatum & Bonner 2010).
Despite this, federal policy which applies to agriculture more broadly will also affect greenhouses and how they are used. Most significantly the Food Safety Modernization Act will impact all aspects of farming in America. Though LaFarm is exempt from the Act because of our scale (it applies only to farms making above $500,000 of revenue) LaFarm needs to strive to fulfill it not only because the policies laid out ensure the most food safety, but because as an educational farm LaFarm practices all relevant policies to be the best model for illustrating farm work in America. Furthermore, many small farmers are currently upgrading their farms to fit the FSMA even if they are exempt because wholesale buyers and markets have historically been most inclined to seek out sources who conform to standard practices even if they are not legally applicable (Sarah Edmonds, & Tianna Dupont, 2015, personal interaction).
There are several implications of FSMA for greenhouses at LaFarm. Firstly, water quality standards for irrigation and standards for washing produce and sanitizing equipment extend into the greenhouse. More importantly, since adhering to the policy requires upgrades to the washing, packing, and storing infrastructure of the farm but does not require a working greenhouse, projects like the Vegetable Washing Station may need to take precedence over building greenhouses.
Pennsylvania State Policy/Forks Township Policy. One concern for constructing a greenhouse was the question of building permits and zoning. But, in Forks Township (where LaFarm is located), the building codes do not differ from the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, which exempts any agricultural building on agricultural land from building codes. Because LaFarm and all the adjacent land owned by Lafayette is zoned as Recreational/Educational/Municipal (REM) (zoning map, Township of Forks Ordinance 331 Code § 200) it can be used for a variety of purposes including agriculture.
Because the legal regulations for greenhouses and other agricultural construction in Pennsylvania and in the United States more broadly are not very strict, our designs are not very restricted by them. This is undoubtedly the reason for the exemptions of agriculture in Pennsylvania’s building code; the exemptions were a step to facilitate the ease of expanding the scale of farming operations and experimentation in a state with a good deal of farmland and a good policy infrastructure for agriculture (with other policies like agriculture conservation easements, lowering the cost of owning land in agricultural production.) This creates a good atmosphere for doing research on such infrastructure, helping our cause.
Lafayette College Policy. Given the precedents of construction at LaFarm of small infrastructures like the two sheds, the apiary, and the Gazebo which was built by the Green Building Club, it would not be hard to say that if the resources for constructing either the temporary hoophouse design or the Gothic greenhouse (which is also temporary as it lacks any foundation and is sided by a plastic sheet) were found, that either of those designs could be constructed by LaFarm Manager Sarah and some LaFarm workers without having to undertake any bureaucratic process. At the same time, since the Gothic design will require some electrical systems it would be advisable to have it constructed professionally if possible.
As for the permanent greenhouse, which would need professional construction equipment, a concrete foundation, and contractors, the construction of it would go through the capital project process of Lafayette College. Details on submitting a proposal for such a project are located here. As a summary, for the permanent greenhouse a division head needs to support the project (for example, the Provost is the head of the Academic Division, the VP of Campus Life is the head of the Campus Life Division,) the project must be proposed through an online form which will be approved from the Division Head and then advanced to a board for consideration by the following October. After this, the request will need to be formalized further and ITS will help estimate ROI, after which the project may be approved and begin the next fiscal year.
Funding for the greenhouse could be secured from several sources. Yearly, the LaFarm Advisory board and LaFarm Manager Edmonds negotiate the budget for LaFarm, in the past some projects have been undertaken by student organizations with funding from student government, and more complicated projects have had money given to them from what is known as the Hendrickson Fund, funding from a specific Alumnus for projects that integrate technology and art.
Processes for realizing greenhouses at LaFarm
Student Organizations. Student organizations like the Lafayette Food and Farm Cooperative (LaFFCo) can request funding from student government. This means that it would be possible to buy the hoophouse or even Gothic greenhouse design entirely with student government funding. Since in its first year LaFFCo secured over $2,000 in funding from student government in order to pay for equipment, it would be very easy to get enough for a simple hoophouse. And the precedent for something as expensive as the Gothic greenhouse being funded has been set. Our club crew team, for example, has gotten $60,000 in years past to purchase new boats. That funding would easily cover the Gothic design. Therefore, there is the possibility that the capital project process and even fundraising through alumni would not be necessary for those two projects. Furthermore, organizations like LaFFCo, which already works closely with LaFarm Manager Edmonds, would be able to provide the labor and capital for some maintenance and operation of the greenhouses, especially the hoophouse or Gothic designs. This would mean that the required maintenance for the greenhouses would be partially covered, and it would be easier for Edmonds and Plant Operations to maintain.
The Capital Project Process. For a capital project to be undertaken, it must be endorsed by a division head and approved by several committees. Because of the academic opportunities provided by a greenhouse, the endorsement it would be best to pursue would be that of the Provost. In order to get that endorsement, it is necessary to focus on the educational importance of the greenhouse in applying for the project. In any application, focus should be given to the way that the Gothic and A-Frame greenhouse designs offer a plethora of research opportunities for engineers and scientists, and about how expanding the farm gives more space for students of any discipline to learn more about agriculture. This will squarely secure LaFarm and its activities as part of the academics of the school, centering the purpose of the greenhouse on education. This is very good because as an educational institution, LaFarm should not be pressured to make a profit through its operations, which many college farms are. Since it is difficult for even professional farmers to live off of their farms, demanding that students who are trying to learn run a profitable farm is overly demanding.
To gain further approval and show how a greenhouse is an important part of Lafayette’s future, it is important to note that Lafayette is committed to the Sustainable Food Loop, the system through which food is grown at the farm, eaten in the dining halls, composted by Plant Operations, and that compost is returned to the farm to grow more food. The goal of the Sustainable Food Loop is to make Lafayette’s food system more closed and sustainable, and to educate students in sustainability. At this point, LaFarm cannot produce nearly enough to feed the entire student body at the dining halls. But a dedication to this loop, and to sustainability in general, supports a greenhouse project, which will allow LaFarm to produce more of the food for the dining halls for more of the year. Additionally, making the greenhouses sustainable through student research is a great opportunity for Lafayette to further its academic goals around sustainability. A greenhouse is a logical step for Lafayette’s continuously growing commitment to sustainability; a commitment that has been demonstrated by the start and growth of the farm itself, by the establishment of the Environmental Sciences and Studies program, making sustainability one of Lafayette’s three core principles, and the upcoming hiring of a Sustainability Coordinator.
Additionally, to continue with LaFarm’s connection to the Hendrickson Fund, it is possible that those who seek to implement the A-Frame or Gothic designs work with the arts department from the beginning of the process to integrate art and technology in the project. The Hendrickson family can be a valuable ally for championing this project as it has been for LaFarm in the past. Professors Nestor Gil and Jim Toya are especially likely to be interested in the project because of their previous work with LaFarm, food, and technology in their art. For details on how much money would be needed for any of these projects under specific circumstances, see the economic analysis.
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