Right about now, many farmers in New Hampshire and Vermont are getting ready to plant their first crops. The ground has thawed and temperatures will soon be warm enough to start seeds of the hardiest crops like carrots and peas.
Beginning next year, students at Dartmouth could also be getting ready to start gardens right here in Hanover. In the next month, a group of students and faculty will bring a proposal forward to the administration to start the Dartmouth Organic Farm.
This project was first proposed in 1992 by an Environmental Studies 50 class. Their 60 plus page report made recommendations on the proposed site, management and yearly budget. The class saw the opportunity for Dartmouth to provide a hands on learning experience for students while supplying some of its own fresh, organic produce.
Organic produce is grown without the use of chemical or synthetic fertilizers and pesticides which are typically used in large scale agri-business. Conventional methods are known to lower the nutritional value of produce, contaminate groundwater and increase soil erosion rates. Additionally, large scale producers are heavily dependent on oil for petroleum based additives, irrigation and transport.
Right now, students are working to obtain start-up funding for a similar research and education-based farm. The farm would be located at the College-owned Fullington Farm West, which lies three miles north of campus on Route 10. A professional farm manager would work with students to grow produce for the Dartmouth Dining Services, Hanover Inn and Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. Many students would be paid to work five to 10 hours a week at the farm, while others would volunteer and have their own independent study projects.
The farm would ultimately be financially self supporting through the sale of its produce to the College. In the long run, the farm would work to expand the market for organic produce by raising students awareness of the issues surrounding conventional food production.
One of the most exciting possibilities for the Dartmouth Organic Farm is to incorporate it with a proposed Facilities Operations and Management composting facility. The composter is basically a long, enclosed corridor the size of a tractor trailer with a tiller that runs along tracks on the inside. Throughout the year, food waste from DDS and local restaurants, paper towels, coffee filters, and pizza boxes will be composted and converted to organic fertilizer for the farm. Most farmers purchase compost, which improves and adds nutrients to the soil, but this facility will provide it at no cost. In fact, the College expects to save $25,000 a year on avoided food and other waste disposal costs.
Even more exciting is the potential to heat the organic farm's greenhouses by attaching them to the composting facility. Because temperatures in the composter rise to above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, even in the winter, heat and carbon dioxide could be transferred through filters to the adjacent greenhouses.
But why should an academic institution like Dartmouth support an organic farm?
First, the organic farm will provide a living laboratory for experiments and education in the natural sciences, engineering and other disciplines. With no courses taught in botany or natural science, Dartmouth needs to offer more opportunities for students to learn about basic ecological systems and the local environment. Some professors would use the farm for laboratory portions of their courses; there are also hundreds of thesis and undergraduate research projects that could be developed at the farm.
Secondly, the organic farm would allow students and faculty to informally learn and work together in the outdoors. It would provide a unique outdoor experience because it is close to campus and requires no previous experience or expensive gear. Gardening appeals to a broad range of students, as witnessed last year when students started a small garden at Fullington Farm.
The program would no doubt help create a stronger community at Dartmouth. Students would also have the chance to develop educational programs in sustainable agriculture for local elementary schools.
Finally, the organic farm would attest to the College's broader commitment to environmental concerns. As academic and cultural programs become integrated with the farm, we will share a broader awareness of local and global issues of food production and long term sustainability.
And on top of all this, we will be able to enjoy fresh, organic produce at our own dining halls.
