Political Context
Understanding the laws, policies, and regulations involved in implementing a project is paramount to its success. For the LaFarm greenhouse, these contexts exist at 2 levels. First, we need to pull back and look at policy on the federal level, particularly regarding small scale agriculture. Here we look at how LaFarm fits into agriculture on a national scale and how these practices and policies govern operation. Next we look at Lafayette college and how its policies influence the greenhouse. Being a small liberal arts school situated in Eastern Pennsylvania, Lafayette College has a particular set of interests and policies that may not exist at local or national level. This is followed by a discussion of the laws, regulations, and permits required for greenhouse implementation at this scale within forks township.
It is important to be aware of how these contextual layers interact, as they may conflict with each other at times. These intersections are at the forefront of our considerations, as they determine the potential success of the project.
Since LaFarm is a small-scale operation grossing less than $500,000 per year, there are no required federal policy measures to consider in the construction of the LaFarm greenhouse. Although not required, the USDA’s extension services at universities such as Cornell, the University of Massachusetts, and Oklahoma State University have led to the development of various Best Management Practices (BMP) for greenhouse construction and management which are considered standard policy. These BMPs range from material use and location and orientation of greenhouse space, to broader themes such as risk assessment & management.
Although LaFarm is not required to adhere to federal policy regarding greenhouse construction (LaFarm grosses < $500,000/yr), it should follow, as closely as possible, the guidelines laid out in the Food Safety Modernization Act. The reason for this is two-fold. The first, is that although LaFarm is exempt from following FSMA, LaFarm as an educational farm serves to be the best model for illustrating sustainable farming practice in America and thus should follow FSMA as best as possible. “Operating under strict industry standards, LaFarm strives to be a model for small, local farmers to glean important knowledge about agriculture such as how to grow, what to grow, when to start and when to harvest. However, seed starting and season extension are critical parts of agriculture in our region that necessitate a greenhouse, which LaFarm does not have. A greenhouse would enable LaFarm to educate small farmers and students on how to perform these tasks and construct their own greenhouses, and potentially provide space for local farmers or other community members to use alongside Lafayette.” (Capstone Report, 2015) The second reason for following FSMA involves wholesale buyers and markets, “wholesale buyers and markets have historically been most inclined to seek out sources who conform to standard practices even if they are not legally obligated” (Capstone, 2015). Aligning with FSMA practices serves as an economic opportunity as well as a means for greater engagement with the community.
It is important to point out that while adopting Best Management Practices and FSMA policies can be beneficial to the long term success and growth of LaFarm, it presents short term roadblocks that can hinder the implementation of a greenhouse. As pointed out by the 2015 capstone report,
“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.” (Capstone Report, 2015)
Designing around the inevitable adoption of FSMA standards is crucial in the successful implementation of the LaFarm greenhouse. While technical constraints such as the vegetable washing station are important to consider, it is easy to overlook the non-technical components of FSMA & BMP, which are paramount to the project’s success. A bulk of these components build toward developing a standard operating procedure (SOP) governing proper greenhouse practice as it pertains to safety, sanitation, pesticide use/storage etc. While adoption of these practices is not necessary to the operational success of the greenhouse, we consider it crucial in achieving the goals laid out in this project for LaFarm to be a model community garden.
Lafayette College Policy & Forks Township
Lafayette is committed to building for a sustainable future and heavily weights sustainability when considering all new development projects. The Campus Energy Policy for Lafayette states that all new construction and development will strive for LEED certification. Additionally, the President of the college signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, a consortium of colleges and universities committed to reduced greenhouse gas and carbon emissions. The College has developed a Climate Action Plan to reduce emissions. This information must be taken into account when planning for a greenhouse at LaFarm. Although we recommend the greenhouse initially be built on-the-grid in order to implement a greenhouse as quickly as possible, we also recommend having the infrastructure to add zero carbon emission power sources, such as solar panels, in the future. A greenhouse at LaFarm would compliment Lafayette’s goals and objectives regarding sustainability.
Currently, Lafayette does not have any policies that would deter the construction of a gothic greenhouse at LaFarm. Since a greenhouse in nature is not a structurally permanent, a 30” by 96” greenhouse could be purchased from a local vendor and assembled by LaFarm or Lafayette employees. However, we are suggesting a more permanent greenhouse with a concrete foundation, which would require professionals to erect a greenhouse fully equipped with proper heating/cooling and climate control features. All projects and requests must be captured on Lafayette’s project request process. For a facilities project with our scale, the formal request with details on ROI (return on investment) and final cost estimates must be submitted by January before the approval of the budget for the following fiscal year in March. If chosen, the project receives funding in the following fiscal year.
With regards to the policies and laws within Forks township, our considerations shift towards more technical components, including building permits and zoning. To that end, LaFarm is currently zoned in Forks Township as Recreational/Educational/Municipal (REM) (zoning map, Township of Forks Ordinance 331 Code § 200). According to this zoning structure (as well as Pennsylvania statewide zoning), this land can be used in a variety of purposes which includes agriculture. Moreover, the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code exempts any agricultural building on agricultural land from building codes.
Next Section: Social Context