The Purple Carrot Farm
Location: Bennington, VT
History:
There has been a farm on and off since World War II here, but this particular incarnation of the farm, The Purple Carrot Farm, has been around since 2005 and gradually expanding.
Size:
0.5 acre
1/4 acre labyrinth herb garden, the rest is farmland, and one small tool shed and a small compost area.
Crops:
Corn, beets, potatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, kale, chard, spinach, lettuce greens, pea shoots, various beans, eggplants, tomatoes, turnips, garlic, broccoli, leeks, various herbs.
Produce Use:
Sales to dining hall, sales to students.
Livestock:
None.
Education and Academic Programs:
Agroecology classes use the land as lab space, and workshops and lectures are held on the farm and about the farm throughout the term. Also, summer interns learn to work the farm and manage it over the summer. Also, 11 out of 18 houses (dorms) use our farm land to compost — we have been learning about campus-wide composting and working together to iron out the program.
Community Programs:
Every weekend we host a community-wide work party, and concerts, talks and lectures held on the farm throughout the term are also open to the college community. The farmers here also work on local farms, trade volunteer hours for greenhouse space, and buy local fertilizer and manure in collaboration with local farmers.
Special Features:
Campus composting; entirely Student-led labyrinth
Contact:
Sylvia Madaras (Bennington Sustainable Food Project Secretary): benningtonsustainablefood@gmail.com
Media:
Website: http://benningtongarden.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/351667488663/
Tumblr: http://purplecarrotfarm.tumblr.com/[/embed]
Academic Farm Association 