While working last summer in New Haven, I was fortunate enough to discover the Yale Farm, a rich educational resource on sustainable agriculture from which I knew my own college’s farm could learn so much. Realizing this gave me the idea to create a space in which college farms across the country dedicated to teaching about and producing local, environmentally-sound food could share knowledge and ideas.
There are several benefits this network provides. First, it strengthens the sustainable farm movement on college campuses by providing a space where farms come together. Second, it helps validate the college sustainable farm movement that has grown substantially in the past few decades. This is particularly important where the future of college farms is less certain, such as at my own Pomona College. Third, it provides information and contact details for colleges looking to start their own farm.
In this beginning stage, I am contacting college or university farms dedicated to the promotion of sustainable agriculture practices to profile them on the website. If you are a member or know a member of a college farm that may be interested in joining this network to please email the Academic Farm Association at academicfarmassociation@gmail.com. Additionally, if you have any suggestions or resources you would like me to share here, I would love to hear from you.
Thank you for visiting the website, and I hope you continually check back as I update it.
Aidan Orly, Pomona College 2016
Academic Farm Association 