UMass Student Farmers.
It has been a full year since we have focused on UMass Student Farm, but for them, it has proved to be a successful one. A new portable Wash Station recently built which can be transported between their two locations, allowing CSA shares to grow from 60 to 100. Equally impressive, the Agricultural Learning Center has a new solar powered greenhouse that will allow three-season production of greens and tomatoes throughout the year! Student Farm has also become Commonwealth Quality-certified, another immense achievement.
| UMass Dining chefs love receiving beautiful, fresh Student Farm produce twice a week in the dining commons and students love eating it. UMass Dining is so grateful to Student Farm for providing our community with sustainable, nourishing food grown with such care. Jason Silverman is the UMass Student Farm Manager. Jason started as a student in the program in 2011, marking this season his fifth working with Student Farm. Jason has “always been an agriculture enthusiast” and is deeply connected to his work. Jason has an innate passion for what he does, saying that he has been “obsessed with hay production since the age of two and a half.” Growing up with such love for food and farming, it is no wonder he is so good at what he does. Jason spoke highly of Student Farm and the experience it gives UMass undergraduates to “become true farmers.” Student Farm is a “tight-knit family” with “a great community dynamic.” |
Students gain experience working long, hard days, mastering the skills to run a business cooperatively, and learning to operate tractors and equipment. Jason said they are conscious to manage the farm in a way that balances the scale of the program with the immersive experience of students and sense of ownership that goes with it.
Another new initiative that Jason mentioned was a plan to introduce “animal components” to make local, sustainable, and healthy meat options more accessible to their customers and the UMass community. He pointed out the barriers that so many families face to be connected to where their food comes from, and stressed the importance of local, sustainable, and healthy accessible food. And for those that can, the best thing is to meet their farmers and “ not hesitate to ask questions. Most of us are thrilled when people take a genuine interest in what we’re doing and want to know more.”
Thanks, Jason for your time and for all that you do!
Want to be a part of Student Farm?
The application for the 2017 UMass Student Farm Program is open NOW until November 15th! To apply, or for more information, click here: http://stockbridge.cns.umass.edu/SFE-class.
Visit the Student Farm website to learn more: https://stockbridge.cns.umass.edu/student-farm.