Incoming students often raise their eyebrows at the idea of an organic farm becoming part of their college experience. You may be surprised to learn that back in the late 1800s, Dartmouth actually hosted an agricultural program of 50 students as part of the same government initiative to educate farmers that created famous agricultural programs at Cornell and the University of Vermont. Our agricultural program ended: it didn’t fit the classical education that was the Dartmouth mission of yesteryear.

Times have changed. The demand for interdisciplinary and experiential education is increasing as the complexity of environmental and social challenges becomes more apparent. The state of the world today would indicate that knowledge of our place in the environment is absolutely crucial. The question is, over one hundred years later, is Dartmouth ready for farming?

As the eighth growing season of the Dartmouth Organic Farm draws to a close, the answer appears to be yes. Located three miles north of campus on Route 10, the farm entered its first field season in 1996, two years after a group of inspired ESD students planted a garden on the same property. The farm was born of student initiative: two proposals from ENVS 50 classes laid the theoretical groundwork that was picked up by later classes and put into action. The idea was that it would be a part of a campus-wide composting program, thus making steps towards a sustainable campus. Today, the farm has evolved into so much more.

Professor Ross Virginia, who uses the farm as a laboratory for his Ecological Agriculture class, said, “To truly teach liberal arts is difficult to do without being able to go outdoors, away from a sterile classroom. The farm can energize people to learn things. It is a beautiful slice of New England: The river, the forest, and the fields set in between. It represents the best of what Dartmouth has to offer in terms of a liberal education.”

A farm provides a context for putting theory into action, a chance for hands on experimentation with questions of sustainable living, and a way to experience the relationship between humans and soil, the relationship that forms the basis of our food chain.

Whether they come to the farm for an afternoon of planting, a seasonal festival, a weekly potluck, or with a class, students find themselves entering into a whole new side of the Dartmouth experience. John Nixon ‘04 was introduced to the farm through Dr. Virginia’s ENVS 25 this last summer and soon was hooked. “I never realized the farm was an experimental place, a space where you can try out new things,” he said.

The ample opportunities for individuals vary widely¬whether through an independent study for academic credit or as a personal mission-in areas as diverse as creative writing projects, biological studies of plants, soils sciences, engineering proposals for alternative energy sources, or studying traditional agricultural methods.

Meredith Eilers ‘03 praised the farm, “There are so few spaces like that on this campus. The farm is one of the few outdoor areas where students can truly make it their own. There are so many opportunities, I don’t think people need to see it as purely a working farm. There’s so much more potential than that.”

The farm offers places for students at all levels of commitment, whether it be a full time internship, a part time job, an afternoon of planting lettuce, or simply relaxing in view of the river. Erin Bingham ‘05 who was not involved in the farm until her sophomore summer, signed on to be a part time intern for the summer. She said, “The people involved are so great that you are drawn to the farm by their sincerity.”

Allie McGinty ‘05 was another part time intern this last summer who was introduced to the farm on her freshman trip. “I really liked the idea of working with your hands, especially with something so important as food. It is easy in today’s society to be disconnected from things. The farm reconnects me. I like being outside, meeting new people, and doing good things for the land, and ultimately I am doing a good thing for myself,” said McGinty.

John Nixon ‘04 was inspired to rise early every Thursday morning to help harvest food to be donated to The Haven, a local food assistance program. “My time out at the farm is relaxing, contemplative time,” he said, “I leave each visit feeling generally better and somehow enriched.”

John also took pleasure in cooking great meals for the Friday night potlucks that are an ongoing tradition at the farm. “They are a chance to cook nice meals for good, appreciative crowd. It is my downtime to de-stress and unwind.” It isn’t all hard work: students can quietly take in their surroundings and appreciate the beauty of this unique part of New England.

Unlike most Dartmouth students who have little or no farming experience, Norah Lake ‘06 arrived having worked on both a dairy farm and an organic farm where she said she had “a typical field position. I’d arrive for work in the morning and be sent out on tasks do, and then I’d be tired and hot at the end of the day. I still wouldn’t feel like I’d learned much.”

After completing her freshman year, Norah became a full time intern for the eighth field season along with Meredith Eilers ‘03. “Working at the farm here is so different because every day I learn the bigger picture of running a farm,” she explained. “At the end of the summer the garden had really become our own and walking down the path to the fields we could confidently envision a day of work for ourselves.”

Being able to live out at the farm completed the experience for her: “It is so wonderful to be able to spend a season or more fully immersed in thinking about where your food is coming from, how your house fits into the landscape of fields, woods, and river, and how to build a community around a way of life. It is a beautiful location with wonderful, energetic people cycling through-Not a bad place to call home!”

Norah, who is drawn to Environmental Studies and Ecology classes finds the farm to be a perfect complement to her studies. “Each has taught me a bit more about the other,” she explained, “Farming teaches an understanding of the land and what it takes to make it healthy and productive in a sustainable way. It teaches us not to take food or labor for granted.”

What’s On for 2003-2004

This summer the farm had three new faces: with four horns each and black and white spots, wiry, tough, and “goat-like”, these were no ordinary sheep. They are Julie, Esther, and Cecilie: Jacob sheep, a hardy heirloom breed on loan to the farm from local sheep farmer Betty Berlenbach.

Simultaneously shy and companionable as they graze across the field from where the students work the fields, the sheep became the focus of much attention when they escaped from their enclosure for an adventure that was three days in the making, calling on the resources of students, local farmers, neighbors, and even the Hanover police, before all were returned safely. The sheep are now local celebrities of sorts and certainly a part of the farm landscape for any who frequented the farm this summer.

Thanks to an anonymous donation, there are funds for implementing several sustainable energy strategies at the farm. Students are needed to get involved in the planning and installation of a windmill and solar panels at the farm, and potentially other improvements to move it towards being a sustainable system.

This year the farm looks forward to both the continuation of several favorite projects and activities: weekly farm stands on campus during the growing season, seasonal festivals, weekly potlucks, traditional Native American and African gardens, and field work every day of the week during the field season.

Also, there are hopes to put in a berry patch and expand the Maple Sugaring production. Things slow down in the fields during the winter, but that doesn’t mean that student farmers do. Winter is a time for preparing for the next growing season, ordering seeds, and planning that next brilliant independent study …

How do I get involved?

Blitz the Dartmouth Organic Farm. Come to weekly meetings in the basement of Robo. Monitor the blitz bulletin for farm events and weekly activities, on campus and off. Blitz the account to be added to the mailing list and/or the ride share list. Student farmers are so eager to get new people into the fields that they will go out their way to find rides for those who are interested.

Otherwise, run or walk or paddle or ride your bike or drive … It is only three miles up Route 10: you will see a greenhouse next to several white buildings. Grab a favorite book to read by the river or come ready to get dirty!

Jackie Burnett ‘02 hails from Colorado. She likes evening walks, sandy soil, spicy food, and writing about her dreams. She will be living at the farm this fall.