UMASS STUDENT FARM PART IIIt has been a full year since we have focused on UMass Student Farm, but for them, it has proved to be a successful one. A new portable Wash Station recently built which can be transported between their two locations, allowing CSA shares to grow from 60 to 100. Equally impressive, the Agricultural Learning Center has a new solar powered greenhouse that will allow three-season production of greens and tomatoes throughout the year! Student Farm has also become Commonwealth Quality-certified, another immense achievement.
Students gain experience working long, hard days, mastering the skills to run a business cooperatively, and learning to operate tractors and equipment. Jason said they are conscious to manage the farm in a way that balances the scale of the program with the immersive experience of students and sense of ownership that goes with it. Another new initiative that Jason mentioned was a plan to introduce “animal components” to make local, sustainable, and healthy meat options more accessible to their customers and the UMass community. He pointed out the barriers that so many families face to be connected to where their food comes from, and stressed the importance of local, sustainable, and healthy accessible food. And for those that can, the best thing is to meet their farmers and “ not hesitate to ask questions. Most of us are thrilled when people take a genuine interest in what we're doing and want to know more." Thanks, Jason for your time and for all that you do!
Want to be a part of Student Farm? The application for the 2017 UMass Student Farm Program is open NOW until November 15th! To apply, or for more information, click here: http://stockbridge.cns.umass.edu/SFE-class. Visit the Student Farm website to learn more: https://stockbridge.cns.umass.edu/student-farm.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
UMass dininGEntries are submitted by project staff and UMass students. CATEGORIES
All
Archives
May 2022
|