LaFarm is part of a much larger social movement that can be seen gaining steam around the country. This movement is the Farm-to-table movement, and subsequently the college farm movement, that has started a change from commercially farmed foods to locally sourced sustainable agriculture. The evidence of this change can be seen in the establishment of sustainable food loops between public K-12 schools, who partner with local distributors, as well as private colleges who are establishing their own farms. The sustainable food loop that exists between Lafayette College and LaFarm can be strengthened by improving the efficiency of LaFarm. The best way to go about improving LaFarm is to add a root cellar that can be used as a carbon neutral, cold storage area to increase the farms harvesting capabilities through the utilization of the Earth’s geothermal cooling. By using this carbon neutral method of food storage LaFarm will work towards furthering Lafayette’s goal of becoming more environmentally friendly and eventually fully carbon neutral. In order to highlight the impact that sustainable farming and carbon neutral storage can have on the environment, a classroom space located at LaFarm could be used as an educational hub to highlight these points.
Farming Movements Impacting LaFarm
A small farm in the United States is defined as a working farm with a gross cash flow of income less than $250,000.00. As of 2010, small farms make up 91 percent of the total number of farms in the United States. Consumption from small scale farming operations is decreasing and ultimately leading to an increase in consumption at the commercial level (Hoppe et al., 2010). This movement has resulted from a decrease in produce prices in the commercial sector as well as the increase in convenience for the average consumer.
From the 1950s through the 1970s the small and mid-sized farmers that generally produced locally sourced food shut down and were replaced by megafarms (Pirog et al., 2014). These megafarms are delivering a perceived convenience among consumers by providing out of season produce at the expense of the environment and all the relative negative impacts associated with these conveniences. Three sectors where this is most prevalent is food production, food transportation, and non-organic farming. Large scale food production has far more detrimental effects to the farmed land, causing “environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, loss of ecosystem services, [and] emergence of pathogens” (Tilman et al., 2002). Once produced, the transportation of food within large scale food supply chains accounts for 11% of US household greenhouse gas emissions (Weber & Matthews, 2008). The aforementioned forms of environmental degradation are equally important when considering the question of organic vs. nonorganic foods. Organic farming is shown to cause lower soil nutrient losses as well as less biodiversity loss when compared to non-organic farming (Tuomisto et al., 2012). Over the past twenty five years, the public’s attention on food production has increased to where consumer prefer locally sourced organic foods to other types of produce (Hempel & Hamm, 2016). These preferences have grown with the popularity of two movements focused on developing and maintaining small organic farms: the farm-to-table movement and the organic movement.
A defining characteristic of LaFarm is the farm-to-table movement, which emphasizes the need for locally sourced food sold direct from producer to consumer. This movement has taken a number of forms including locally sourced restaurants, farmers markets, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). CSA is the provision of prepaid “shares” of farmed product for local community members to receive food product once it is available. Since 1994, the number of registered farmers markets has increased from 1755 to 8700. In addition to this, there are an estimated 3000 CSAs operating in the United States as recorded by the USDA (Woods & Ernst, 2017). There has also been a significant increase in the amount of locally sourced foods being used in the restaurant industry (Inwood et al., 2009). The increase in the popularity of CSAs, farmers markets, and farm-to-table restaurants shows an upward trend in supporting local sources of produce rather than obtaining it from distributors. LaFarm continues to uphold similar practices through the produce it sells to Bon Appetit at Lafayette as well as local farmers markets throughout the greater Easton area (LaFarm Annual Report, 2017). Part of Lafarm’s mission is the intent to train students day-by-day to become more sustainable individuals (Lafarm Annual Report, 2014). Through students “getting their hands dirty” at Lafarm, they are both participating and learning essential aspects of the localized farm-to-table movement. With this newfound knowledge of environmentally friendly practices, students can continue aiding in the future development and capabilities of small scale farms throughout the U.S. (Brown & Miller, 2008).
Parallel to these beneficial trends seen in small scale farming movements, the organic movement shares an equally strong position while maintaining similar ideals. Studies show that planting in soil untouched by any man made chemicals is far better for biodiversity and the maintenance of healthy soil (Rigby & Cáceres, 2001). Farming with pesticides and other chemicals can have strong detrimental effects on the local ecosystem by entering local water sources through runoff and ultimately damaging the overall aquatic ecosystem as well as any other systems that rely on this clean water (Pimentel, 2005). Moving toward organic farming is better for the environment, and the societal growth in understanding this has been positive, even though more action still needs to be taken. Concerning LaFarm, all produce grown is done so with certified organic seeds, and a program called LaSeed Library was developed to extend the use of organic seeds beyond the farm itself. LaSeed now has over 120 plant varieties of certified organic seeds that Lafayette community members, including students, can “check out” for use (LaFarm Annual Report, 2017).
LaFarm draws many of its ideals from both the farm-to-table and the organic movement while still possessing a unique identity seen in many small scale farms throughout the U.S. The motivations of becoming increasingly more sustainable, accessing fresher produce located closer to home, and farming organically aligns with the motivations of these two movements. The difference lies in that LaFarm is also an educational farm, integrating these aforementioned objectives into principles to teach students through practical experience rather than only book work. Through the addition of both a root cellar alongside a classroom at LaFarm, the farm will be in greater alignment with the sustainability initiatives it has been pursuing. It will also be more capable of teaching about such sustainability initiatives in a more direct fashion.
Sustainable College Farms
The LaFarm initiative at Lafayette College is not unique to Lafayette. The creation of farming programs has become popular across the country as an increasing number of colleges and universities are taking on sustainability initiatives in order to reduce t
heir impact on the environment and provide students with more educational opportunities. These college programs are an extension of the farm-to-table movement as they remove the middle man that is often present when obtaining produce from large scale commercial farms. The college farm program is a newer part of the farm to table movement that is fueling “ ‘… the growth of more sustainable food chains’…” as well as developing ties between the school and the surrounding community (Izumi et al. 2010). These college farms are also similar to the farm-to-school movements that have been occuring in public K-12 institutions which encourages the use of locally grown produce in school lunches (Izumi et al. 2010). Many of these programs have been in place for decades while some are rather young and still developing within their college and local communities, similar to the LaFarm program. Image 1 shows the wide reach of the college farm movement across the United States.
Image 1: College Farms Around the Country (Talis, 2016)
An example of a well established program is the Hampshire College Farm, which is located at the Hampshire College in Amherst Massachusetts. This farm was started in 1970 as a research tool for students at the college, but in 1992 it was expanded to produce crops for the college itself as well as the surrounding communities by a group of students (Hampshire College Farm). In comparison to LaFarms small acreage and low yield, the Hampshire College Farm has 15 acres of crop producing land, and 65 acres of livestock pastures. In total, it produces 75,000 pounds of produce per year (Hampshire College Farm). The goal of the Hampshire College farm is to support “teaching and research opportunities for faculty and students” as well as a model for sustainable land development for the college’s students and the surrounding community (Farm Mission and Vision). The Hampshire College Farm shares similar, if not the same, goals as LaFarm at Lafayette College but it has been established over a much longer period of time and has greater resources at its disposal.
Another example of a college that is using a farm as an interdisciplinary teaching tool as well as a source of food on their campus is Bowdoin in Brunswick Maine. The organic garden at Bowdoin was started in 2005 and recently moved in 2014 to a half acre plot located on its campus (Organic Garden). This small plot of land also has a medium to large sized barn located next to the property that is used as a gathering place for students and faculty who are taking part in events that the garden is hosting or using it for one of their classes (Organic Garden). The barn located at the organic garden is instrumental in its ability to host events and keep students involved as well as host classes. Although the Bowdoin Organic Garden is on a smaller scale than Lafayette college’s LaFarm, it is able to act as an integral part to the curriculum to a number of different disciplines and host events that make it a relevant to the college community as a whole.
LaFarm and the Community
In addition to a strong connection with the Lafayette community, LaFarm also shares strong ties with several third party groups outside of the college. While Bon Appetit is the largest consumer of LaFarm’s seasonal produce, the farm also provides some produce and services to the greater Easton Community. LaFarm is partnered with groups within the city of Easton, such as the Easton Urban Garden, in order to donate produce and provide support through the exchange of ideas (Miskelly, 2018). This relationship very accurately depicts the benefits a program like LaFarm can have on communities in Easton through the provision of healthy food to surrounding communities. It also works to strengthen the relationship between the college and the local community. The thoughts and concerns of the people of Easton and Forks Township must be considered as well because LaFarm is located within their community. As such, regulations must be abided by, and the know-how of members of the community needs to be considered. The members of the community that live directly around LaFarm may not want to see it expand due to problems such as noise and less undeveloped land that they may see as increasing the value of their community. LaFarm has a strong partnership with the Easton Urban Garden and they would likely be able to provide input on both of these additions to the farm. They would also receive a large benefit in the increase in LaFarms efficiency that would result from the root cellar project (Miskelly, 2018).
Lafayette College and LaFarm
The idea for LaFarm was created in 2009 by two students, Jen Bell (10’) and Mickey Adelman (10’), in hope to use this land that Lafayette owned for an educational purposes by integrating engineering and the liberal arts through the environmental studies curriculum, scholarly research, and community engagement (LaFarm Advisory Board, 2016). This sparked the movement to a small scale farm for produce provided to the college and donating to other outside sources. In its early stages, it was mainly Ms. Bell running the farm with the help of Professor John Wilson, a geology professor that also owns his own farm. Together, with the help of other volunteers, Ms. Bell was able to grow the farm to the point of the school offering her a job as Manager of LaFarm (LaFarm Annual Report, 2015). The farm then developed further to partner with Bon Appetit dining services in ways that were not possible with Sodexo, the old dining services, for providing the farm to table of the produce from LaFarm. The farm has now grown in size and popularity with volunteers from students, greek organizations, and professors. LaFarm in particular has become central to the College’s many greening initiatives and a leading example of Lafayette’s commitment to environmental health.
From the LaFarm’s first annual report in 2013, the farm was only a two-acre community garden and working farm practicing in natural food production in order to grow food for the Lafayette College community. The goals of LaFarm at this time include to sustain a food loop at Lafayette, encourage outreach from students and faculty, and provide academic integration between LaFarm and educational practices of the college. Between the 2013 report and the 2017 report, the farm was able to grow in many successful ways with the help from professors, volunteers, classes, and donors. These advances include: Metzgar Irrigation & Swale Project, Crop Planning, Bon Appetit Partnership, Campus Market and Holiday Market, Solar Powered Irrigation System, Donations to the Easton Community, compost implementation with Green Mountain Earth Tubs, Soil Replenishment, LaSeed – Community based Seed Library, new fencing project, Bee Program (LaFarm Annual Reports, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, & 2017). The farm has come a long way in just 10 years from Jen Bells original idea, but we believe there is two major places where the farm is lacking are food storage and a larger enclosed structure.
We propose that the LaFarm nexts efforts should be towards implementing a root cellar for storage and a classroom that can also be used as an event space for many of the community activities that take place there. A root cellar would act as site storage for some of the produce such as carrots, potatoes, beets, parsnips, rutabagas, and turnips. This cool environment is also ideal for storing jars of pickled vegetables and the bulbs or rhizomes of perennial flowers as well (Newton, 2003). This would be profitable for LaFarm because carrots and potatoes make up 19% of the vegetable are produced at LaFarm and the addition of pickling vegetable could bring a new market to the farms growth (LaFarm Annual Report, 2015).
Lafayette dining services could be affected by LaFarm in a number of ways. Currently, the food must be transported from the farm directly after harvesting and is stored in refrigerated units on Lafayette’s campus. This is not a very efficient way for food to be stored, even though the college is only roughly 3 miles away, there should be a more convenient place that the food could be stored at the farm (Miskelly, 2018). One such way is through the root cellar, thus possibly increasing total yield of the farm by providing more storage space for the farms root vegetables. Less produce from the farm would be wasted, and then less produce would have to be purchased from alternative suppliers for dining services. Lisa Miskelly expressed that the lack of storage space hinders the harvesting of crops because it has to be done on the day that the produce is scheduled to be picked up and brought to dining services. Since crops ripen at different times, the result is that multiple trips must me made to and from LaFarm, but with storage on site the food can be transported in large quantities to the college or Easton Urban Farm for food preparation and sale (Miskelly, 2018). The farm makes some of its profit by selling organic produce outside Gilbert’s on Wednesdays and with more storage of root vegetables, this could scale up, improving organic food growth in the area.
Lafayette College has a goal of being as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible while keeping the college’s ideals of providing as many educational opportunities to its students as possible. This can be seen in their actions of signing the climate action plan to reduce the colleges carbon footprint as much as possible (Climate Action Plan, 2011). Currently, LaFarm is using an inefficient method of transporting and storing food, but there is possibly a more environmentally friendly option that would go directly with the institutions’ overall sustainability goal. The creation of a carbon neutral storage unit will show that the school is living its environmental ideologies, rather than just stating them. This project will give the community a physical example of the college moving towards sustainability.
The Lafayette students would profit from the addition of a root cellar through educational experience of learning on sight at LaFarm. There is a possibility to add a course that could be directly related to the farming and genetic manipulation of plants for the either biology or environmental science departments. In the past, professors such as Professor Brandes used his Hydrology class (CE 421) with the Art department to develop the Metzgar Irrigation & Swale Project (LaFarm Annual Reports, 2014 & 2015). The implementation of more classes based on LaFarm’s growth would bring students to the farm to work on improving their knowledge on effective farming practices, the benefits of organic farming, and the advantages of the root cellar. In addition to the root cellar as an educational tool, the goal is to build a classroom a the top of the hill for classes to meet, even in poor weather conditions. This way, students can conduct lab work with LaFarm to help it move toward it future goals. They would receive first hand experience rather than learn through models in a textbook. Specific to the root cellar, it also provides a learning experience for students through them seeing it in use and understand how the college is moving towards a more carbon neutral future.
Lisa Miskelly expressed the need for an event space at LaFarm for when the weather isn’t fair for being outdoors. This is why we believe that the addition of a classroom space that could double as an event space would be extremely beneficial for LaFarm moving forward in its progression. Professors who want to teach about subject matter relevant to LaFarm can also make use of the classroom space that would be made available, teaching while in close enough proximity to the farm that students would get more first hand experience. These addition would give students and faculty direct access to a storage unit where they can keep any produce they harvest on sight and an enclosed structure for education purposes.
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