Patrick Turner & Henry Peller Department of Horticulture & Crop Science The Ohio State University

Transcription

1 Patrick Turner & Henry Peller Department of Horticulture & Crop Science The Ohio State University

2 Overview and History Who, What, When, Where, Why Successes, Challenges & Opportunities Conclusion Q & A Lunch!

3 College and university student farms play an important role in enhancing curricula. These farms have been in existence for decades, but recently more are being established. - Anna Leis et al, March 2011 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Journal

4 Fall of 2008 OSU students and faculty discuss possibility of a student farm Spring of 2009 Sustainable Vegetable Production Class is offered as pilot course Horticulture & Crop Science Dept season expanded to two markets stands, offered fall/winter CSA shares 2011 season - Official course offered, increasing infrastructure, farm interns, work study 2012 Offering a 15 week CSA in addition to our usual markets

5 OSU students Horticulture & Crop Science Dept. Metro Early College High School ADD/Buckeye Connections PAST Foundation Departmental Partners

6 o Be a resource for hands on learning and demonstrate sustainable agriculture practices o Create a group learning environment o Engage students within and across disciplines o Produce student-led research o Create partnerships across the University and within greater Columbus

7 Diverse student involvement 4 seasons and still growing strong Infrastructure Student farm alumni Donations Media interest Offering our first full season CSA

8 Infrastructure Turnover Financial sustainability Collective decision making

9 Community Supported Agriculture Applied student research Diverse possibilities for experiential learning Proximity to community organizations Composting initiative To many to list

10 Wexner Garden Purpose Provide museum café Heirloom with fresh produce while serving as a visible example of an edible garden for the OSU community

11 Design Considerations Circulation and accessibility for gardeners Visibility to public Responding to pre-existing site

12 Planting Small-scale intensive Intercropping for beneficial plant relationships Diversity of crops, primarily heirloom varieties

13 Education and Outreach Film screenings, food cart, garden tours Exhibit space for adjacent farmers market Funding Coca-Cola Student Sustainability Grant

14 Indianola School Garden Purpose Educational space for elementary school children to learn about gardening, nutrition, botany, environmental sciences, and outdoor artwork.

15 Design Considerations Open space for children Small beds for little people Beds divided by plant type for simplicity

16 Education and Outreach After-school program Growing Green every Friday Starting seeds and transplanting Types of plants Soils and nutrients Ecology of plants and insects Plant development and biology Pollution and contamination Art installations Mixture of hands-on activities, groups discussions, modules, and free time

17 Comparison Wexner Highly planned due to visibility Primary function is private food production and public viewing Higher budget = more freedom of crops and materials Indianola Little planning, organic creation Primary function is to educate children Lower budget = look for every donation and freebie you can

18 Recipe for Success Core group of 3-4 devoted people Regular meetings of all involved individuals Specialization of tasks amongst team Workdays scheduled in advance Solid funding USDA Farm to School grant SARE Youth Education grant Home Depot Youth Garden Grants Annie s Growing Goodness competition The list goes on

19

20 You ask em.? s We ll try to answer em!

21 Contact me: Patrick Turner Manager Student Farm at Ohio State Department of Horticulture and Crop Science The Ohio State University Phone: Lets eat!