Students working with lettuce greens in Saint Joseph's hydroponic freight farm.
By MaKenzie Copp 鈥�20, double majoring in English and Writing and Publishing
As a teaser for an upcoming event on their webpage, recently shared a short story online about Saint Joseph鈥檚 College. The story featured a group of 色虎视频 students and staff who have all been hard at work on the school鈥檚 hydroponic Freight Farm for over a year now. The college鈥檚 core mission, and strong focus on creating a sustainable environment鈥� not only at our school, but in the larger community鈥� made it a perfect place to cultivate and run this type of farm. The Freight Farm is located inside a large shipping container behind Mercy hall on our Sebago Lake campus. Inside the container is an amazing, student-run farming operation that helps to provide the local and sustainable greens to feed our community here at the college. If you have eaten at Pearson鈥檚 Caf茅, you have quite literally tasted the fruits of the Freight Farm worker鈥檚 labor, as they produce two different kinds of lettuce for use in the salad and sandwich bars.
鈥淭he opportunities and experiences I have gained through working on the farm have shifted my focus of study.鈥� 鈥� Rebecca Barulli 鈥�20
Rebecca Barulli '20 in the freight farm
The farm on our campus was originally at Hannaford Supermarket, as a part of a trial they were doing with Freight Farms; however, it was later moved to 色虎视频. Saint Joseph鈥檚 Enterprise Startup and Operations Manager, Maya Atlas, said that 鈥渢he farm was better suited to a system like ours where we could staff, harvest, and serve everything within our immediate community, so we brought their farm to our campus.鈥� Since its arrival, the farm has become highly productive, and the passionate group of student workers that help to maintain the farm, alongside Hilary Lamkin, who manages the farm as well as Pearson鈥檚 Caf茅, are eager to share their work with all those at 色虎视频 and beyond. Student worker Rebecca Barulli, on her experiences with the farm, says 鈥渢he opportunities and experiences I have gained through working on the farm have shifted my focus of study.鈥� She will now be 鈥減ursuing a career in hydroponic or aeroponic growing鈥� after graduation from Saint Joseph鈥檚. It is clear that those who have been working to grow and maintain the farm love their work, and the impact it has on those around them. Maya Atlas notes that 鈥渢he best way to get people excited is to bring them into the farm,鈥� and urges anyone who is interested in learning more about the farm to reach out!
Check out the . And make sure to , happening Monday, October 21.
