2012 Strategic Planning Initiative Proposal. Sustainable Student Run Campus Farm

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1 2012 Strategic Planning Initiative Proposal Sustainable Student Run Campus Farm SAVE: Stanley Baguchinsky and Kelsey Watkins, students; Patrick Hossey, advisor Overview: The current garden on campus has been funded by the Office of Student Development through Student Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE) and has thrived for over two years, yielding three successful harvests thus far. It is run entirely by volunteers and everything is grown organically without pesticides or herbicides. However, the student club s long term goals have always been to go beyond a small garden and to create a student run farm cooperative on campus. The purpose of this proposal is to obtain funding and approval to accomplish this ambition. Initial funding would be allocated towards startup materials for the student-run farm with several different sustainable components Strategic Objectives Covered: S5, S8, S9, S10, S11, IP4, IP, ER3, ER4 Project Goals and Objectives: The farm would follow organic growing practices, staying away from pesticides and insecticides. The on campus farm will strive to maximize its potential for community building and as an educational project through a variety of events including volunteering days, harvesting days, and community tours. A community garden would help merge the Stockton community with the local community, furthering environmental education and opportunities for outreach and service learning. The produce will be the most sustainable food available on campus. The farm will be student run and student organized, but will also have input and help from a variety of professors and agricultural classes. In addition, local college employees will be able to contribute time and benefit from the potentially large harvests of the farm. The farm will continue to be strongly involved with the SAVE student club, which can also provide people involved as interested volunteers. Additionally, other clubs, students, teachers and community members would be extended an open invitation to get involved. Longer-term Goals: A long term goal would be getting the farm USDA Organic Certified: "Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony" (National Organic Standards Board, 1995). Once the farm is proven to have a successful harvest, we would like to implement a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. This would mean that people in the campus community could buy shares in the harvest and receive boxes of produce

2 throughout the harvest. Others might choose to contribute volunteer hours to earn a share of the harvest. The revenue from this operation would be turned back into the farm for supplies. To foster interactions between multiple communities and give opportunities for intellectual growth, the farm volunteers and student workers would cooperate with interested faculty to develop workshops about agriculture and sustainability. Tours of the farm would provide a great educational experience for students and the local community. One possible long-range goal is to further our sustainability initiative by incorporating bees, or possibly livestock, such as free-range chickens, into the farm in a few years when the farm is manageable and infrastructure has expanded. Chickens eat harmful pests like slugs and ticks and provide a source of manure. Any such project will have to be developed in accordance with local and state regulations, and in keeping with safe and humane livestock practices. Implementation Details: The major needs for a sustainable student run farm include labor, a location, and materials. Each will be discussed below. Labor The farm will continue to rely on volunteers (students and others), however, the farm would run most efficiently if the budget includes a paid student worker to guarantee accountability, manage volunteers, and generally ensure a good harvest. This way, even when most students go home for the summer the farm would be able to still flourish. A head worker will provide continuity and an established and knowledgeable leader. The farm will develop an intern system, where interested students will have to begin volunteering their freshman or sophomore year and spend at least a year being trained by the current interns before they take over the lead position. Currently there is great interest in sustainable agriculture in SAVE (SAVE has already attended two organic farming conventions with over 12 different students). In addition, student interns will likely be environmental, geology, or sustainability majors since these fields are all being incorporated into the farm. The farm will be administered through the School of Natural Sciences, and managed cooperatively with the students of SAVE. The paid student workers will be paid through the NAMS budgetary process at the rate of $7.50/hr. Farm operations, paid workers, and volunteers will be supervised by a designated faculty member who will also serve as an advisor to SAVE. Professor Patrick Hossay, the current faculty advisor for SAVE, has agreed to serve in this role. Safety procedures and policies for farm operations will be defined by the supervising instructor and paid volunteers, and approved by the NAMS Director of Academic Laboratories and Field Facilities.

3 The student workers will be responsible for coordinating farm volunteers, building and repairing needed farm infrastructure, managing plantings and harvest, and other farm duties as required to maintain farm operations and harvests. The bulk of the work by paid student workers is likely to be done over the summer, since student volunteers will be available during the terms to help lighten the load. Any student may apply to serve as a paid worker, but students who have previously volunteers on the farm will be given a strong preference. Successful applicants will be selected by the supervising instructor(s) advised by the existing student workers. Location The most ideal location for the farm would be on Stockton s campus adjacent to the meteorological tower that is by the campus arboretum. The arboretum site has a building which would provide the farm with access to electricity and water. Don Moore and Don Woolslayer have been consulted on this location and expressed their support. Field 1:

4 Field 2: Field 3:

5 Materials Fence o The materials listed are to make a 600ft long by 6ft high fence, using both 10ft6in metal posts and 10ftX4inX4in black locust posts. Using these specific materials will guarantee the fence for several years without much maintenance. After consulting with specialists, we fully expect that this fence will be capable of excluding deer from the area under cultivation. The height of 6ft was chosen because of its cost effectiveness. Also, with the chosen posts the fence has the capability of adding a wire at a height of 7ft with minimal work. In addition, with some modifications higher wires could be added. o In addition enough materials should be left to make a smaller, portable, less sturdy fence for smaller projects that may take place outside of the main fence. Irrigation System o The current irrigation system at the SAVE community garden relies on a water catchment system that has the capabilities of holding 200 gallons of water. The rain barrels capture water runoff from the roof top of the building next to the garden. Rain barrels are very efficient and will also be implemented on the farm in order to increase sustainability. The system will have a main 300 gallon barrel raised to a height of 10ft in order to guarantee a minimum 4 p.s.i. and thus allow the use of drip irrigation In addition, a shed and an added roof extension (totaling around 400 square feet of water catchment area) will catch the water and will initially go into lower small rain barrels. From here, a solar-powered pump will move the water up into the elevated barrel. A drip irrigation system using drip tape will be implemented in order to guarantee minimized soil erosion, high water application efficiency, and reduced energy costs as compared to other irrigation systems. Other start up costs would include seeds, wood or in-ground infrastructure, tools, and a shed. Partnerships: The farm will entail cooperative efforts between student clubs, faculty, and the general campus community. Major partnership would be with Student Action Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE), the club that ran the student garden. The club would provide a large basis of volunteers, as well as connections to local environmental groups. The Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) provides many services for New Jersey organic farmers including advice, counseling, and workshops on farming practices. After communicating with NOFA, they have expressed great interest in being more involved with Southern New Jersey Farmers since they have traditionally been involved with the Northern farms. We are hoping to develop a strong partnership that could potentially help all Southern New Jersey Organic Farms.

6 Proposed Budget for Year 1: Soil/Conditioning- $1,000 Irrigation System- $2,500 o 800ft Drip Tape Irrigation kit - $320 o 305 Gallon Plastic Water Storage Tank - $225 o Hosing - $100 o Solar Pump System - $1.000-$2,000 Fence Supplies- $3,500 o 35 Black Locust Posts (10ft) = $700 o 10ft6in Metal Stake Posts (80 Stakes) = $1,096 o 660ft of 6ft high fence = $700 o 10ft wide by 6ft high Welded Wire Double Swing Gate = $345 o Two Knock-In Post Driver = $90 o Height increased wire or trenched wiring = $569 Student Worker Stipend- $7,000 Wood Infrastructure- $800 Storage Shed- $2,000 Tools- $700 Seed and plants $500 Total: $18,000 ($10,500 startup cost + $7,500 annual budget) Resources for Materials: Fence o Academy Fencing o Riephoff Sawmill o Butterhoff s Farm Supply Water o Drip Works Other Materials o Home Depot o Farm and Tractor Supply

7 Assessment Plan: Year One Main Goals: 1. Develop farm s main infrastructure 2. Develop a system for training and involving volunteers 3. Yield a late fall harvest Measures: 1. Farm s main infrastructure should include: o Develop a full farm plan to be reviewed and approved by NAMS faculty o A shed that is integrated into the rain-water catchment system o An irrigation system working towards a sustainable, efficient drip tape system o A fence that encompasses necessary parts of the farm o A shaded meeting area incorporated into the shed with seating for group workshops, meetings, and class projects o Cultivation of a 3,500 square feet 2. Student Volunteer Goals o Student volunteers may come from clubs such as SAVE, academic departments, as well as the Sustainable Living Learning Community. (detailed volunteer goals below) o Volunteers will be trained about sustainable agriculture, soil science, and the importance of local agriculture o Two workshops run by specialists (NAMS professors) incorporating educational components of the farm o The participation of lead volunteers in regional conventions to be trained by organizations such as NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) and the Just Food s organization o Volunteer goals for 2012 Summer (In addition to interns, around 75 volunteer hours) 3-7 Core Volunteers (These students will volunteer a minimum of 10 hours each) 5-10 Supplemental Volunteers (These students will volunteer a minimum of 5 hours each) o Volunteer goals during the 2012 Fall Semester (In addition to interns, around 150 volunteer hours should be recorded) Core Volunteers (These students will volunteer a minimum of 10 hours) Supplemental Volunteers (These students will volunteer a minimum of 5 hours) 3. First Harvest o First Harvest will take place in late fall

8 o Four crops will be planted with a goal of harvesting at least 50% of three of the crops o All crops will be grown following organic practices and be organic certifiable Year Two Main Goals: 1. Continuation, implementation, and expansion of first year s goals 2. Integration of academic courses 3. Community Outreach 4. Developing an on campus CSA program Measures: 1. Continuation, implementation, and expansion of first years goals o Farm will begin to act as a field location for classes o Fall/Spring Semester Volunteer Goals o Core Volunteers (These students will volunteer a minimum of 10 hours) o Supplemental Volunteers (These students will volunteer a minimum of 5 hours) o Fall/Spring Semester Tour Goals o During the fall and spring semester at least 50 Students will go through a farm educational tour where students will learn about the on campus farm as well as all of the sustainable components that it contains o During the summer students will go through the educational farm tour o Summer Volunteer Goals o 5-10 Core Volunteers (These students will volunteer a minimum of 10 hours) o 5-10 Supplemental Volunteers (These students will volunteer a minimum of 5 hours) o Full Implementation of Farm Plan o Around 10,000 square feet of cultivated land o More crops will be added with proper crop rotations as well as staggered plantings in order to have a periodic harvests over several months 2. Integration of Academic Courses o Two existing courses will have a hands on farming component o Students perform coursework on the farm through projects and independent studies 3. Community Outreach o Will be able to work with outside organizations as well as internal resources in order to run workshops open to community members in order to teach about the importance of local produce as well as the benefits of maintaining an organic garden o Goal is to run a community based workshop with 15 community members learning and performing a hands on component

9 4. Developing an on campus CSA program o A small scale CSA program will be designed o This CSA will have several distributions times throughout the season in order to practice the staggered plantings o CSA members will purchase a share before the season starts Year Three 1. Implementation of a CSA micro model 2. Continuation of student and community workshops and training s 3. Continuation of Harvest Yield 1. Implementation of a CSA micro model o 50 CSA members will buy shares before the farming season o Members will be given several scheduled pick up times throughout the harvesting season o Revenue process will cover 25% of annual farm operation costs 2. Continuation of student and community workshops o Potential for partnerships with outside organizations (NOFA/Campus Kitchen) in order to run effective community workshops 3. Continuation of Harvest Yield o Proper crop rotations must have been implemented in order to increase the organic material in farm s soil and allow for many years of successful harvests