Redefining College Dining: Hampshire College’s Food Plan for the Future

The Hampshire College Farm and its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs provide our campus and community members with local, sustainably-raised produce and meat, as well as rich educational opportunities.

Begun in the late 1970s for on-campus research purposes, the farm expanded its scope in 1992 when a small group of students began a 30-member organic vegetable CSA as a Division III project. The Hampshire College Farm now produces over 75,000 pounds of organic produce on 15 acres of land, with an additional 65 acres in pasture and livestock production.

The farm, however, still maintains its academic roots. Whether exploring sustainable agriculture, animal behavior, or local food systems, Hampshire College students and faculty use the farm as a hub for investigating the intellectual, political, and scientific issues surrounding food production. Of course, they eat well while doing so!