Whether you are a returning student ready to tackle Div III or a first-year student itching to discover all that Hampshire has to offer, there are many ways to get involved with food, farm, and sustainability this fall! Peruse this list of groups, programs, activities, and events and get ready to become an active part of Hampshire’s Healthy Food Transition!
Join a student group…or start a new one!
There are many vibrant student groups related to food, farming, and sustainability at Hampshire. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you can start your own!
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Community Garden Group: Hampshire’s community garden, located in the heart of the campus by the new Roos-Rhode House, is managed by students and provides free space for students, faculty, and staff to plant their own annual and perennial gardens.
The Local Foods Initiative is dedicated to the appreciation and promotion of the diverse food products produced in the Pioneer Valley.
Mixed Nuts is a co-op, which has provided reasonably priced organic and natural food to the Hampshire community since 1972.
The Growing Farmers Collective focuses on ecological food production from sustainable agriculture and permaculture to urban farming and beekeeping. From October to May, the group operates the Winter Farmer’s market on campus, featuring produce from season extending greenhouses.
Climate Justice League works to engage the Hampshire and Pioneer Valley communities on issues of environmental sustainability through education, collaboration, and direct action.
Greenwich Forest Garden, created in 2007 as a Division III project, is a biodiverse perennial landscape of nutritious and useful species surrounding a building in the Greenwich residential area of campus.
The Enfield Solar Greenhouse is a place for growing plants and food, learning about environmental sustainability, and for events that bring the Hampshire community together.
Split a CSA share with friends!
As soon as you arrive on campus, you can start eating the freshest, healthiest produce grown right here at the Hampshire College Farm! Fall CSA shares are $360 for 13 weeks of bountiful veggies. Shares are large enough to split between 4 people and are the perfect way to feed a mod for the fall! You can sign up online and pick up on Tuesdays or Fridays at the farm. Don’t miss this great opportunity to support local agriculture and eat the best tasting food around!
Sign Up! »
Eat local food at the dining hall!
Have you heard about Hampshire’s 100% Local Food Challenge? Together with dining service provider Bon Appetít, we aim to source all of our food locally (except for a few things like coffee, chocolate, and citrus). Bon Appetít already purchases produce and dairy from over 15 local farms as well as 50 of the Farm’s CSA shares in addition to eggs, meat, honey, and maple syrup. Every time you swipe at the dining hall, you are helping Hampshire move toward the goal of 100% local. We can’t get there without your participation and support!
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Work or Volunteer at the Hampshire College Farm!
The farm has several work study positions available this fall! If you would like to harvest vegetables for the CSA, email Farmer Nancy at nhanson@hampshire.edu or call the farm center at 413-559-5599. To volunteer, simply show up to the fields by the Greenwich parking lot on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7AM or Mondays and Thursdays from 1PM-4PM.
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Take a tour, start a project, or do research at the campus farm!
The Hampshire College Farm is a working farm that also provides agricultural programs for the College, local community members, and school groups. It’s easier than ever to work with our farm staff to conduct research or do a project at the farm. Please fill out our online form to submit requests for tours, use of Thorpe house, and on-farm class projects.
Community Engaged Learning at the Hampshire College Farm!
Students in Division I must carry out one or more Campus Engaged Learning (CEL-1) activity totaling a minimum of 40 hours. The Farm offers multiple projects to develop innovative techniques in sustainable agricultural practice. Current projects are continuing and new projects are forming now. Examples include washing and packaging eggs, video-taping chicken behavior, construction and design, and prepping heifer pens. Div II students can get CEL2 credit as well.
Get growing with help from the Hampshire College Seed Library!
The seed lending library is located at the Harold F. Johnson Library on campus and serves as a resource for those who want to learn about sustainable gardening, particularly the practice of seed saving. You can “check out” seeds to plant in pots and planters on your windowsill our outside your mod or in a community garden plot. Best of all, the seeds are FREE! Just borrow, grow, and return!
Mark your calendars!
Keep an eye out for upcoming food, farm, and sustainability events! All events will be announced on this blog and on the Sustainability Events Calendar. You can mark your calendars now for the annual fall Farm Festival on Saturday October 25th from 12 to 4pm. There will be hay rides, a farm and craft market, apple cider, and traditional games!
Stay informed!
Here are some things you can do to keep up with the Healthy Food Transition and the 100% Local Foods Challenge:
- Read this blog! This is where we post updates related to Food, Farm, and Sustainability.
- Look for the “Farm to Fork” and “Hampshire College Farm” labels in the dining hall and consider whether your choices reflects our local foods goals. You can always ask the kitchen staff what farms are on the menu when you go to the dining hall!
- Come to events at the farm, or stop by Thorpe House to chat with the farmers and Food, Farm, and Sustainability staff about how you can get involved!
- Email sustainable@hampshire.edu or farm@hampshire.edu if you have any questions about the Healthy Food Transition.
