Top 30 Sustainable College Run Farms

Key Takeaways:

• Berea College tops our ranking of top sustainable college run farms, followed by the College of the Ozarks.
• Sustainable college farms are key to educating future environmental leaders and developing solutions for climate-resilient agriculture.
• Sustainable college run farms provide hands-on learning, teach sustainable practices, and can benefit the local community food systems.

In recent years, Americans have become increasingly concerned with food production. Where does our food come from? Who grows it? How is it grown? This increased awareness is directly reflected in the number of colleges and universities that have implemented student-run farms. As our list of the top 30 sustainable college-run farms attests, these student farms are everything from research centers to community gardens. 

We looked at more than 100 college farms to put together our list. We then considered factors such as student involvement, environmentally friendly farming methods, diversity of production, connection with college instruction, and sales both on-campus and in the greater community. To rank our final 30 schools, we used the following points system: 

• Farm Size: 1 point (10 acres or fewer); 2 points (11-50 acres); 3 points (more than 50 acres)
• Certified Organic: 1 point
• Animal Component (milk, eggs, pork, beef, lamb, honey, etc.): 1 point each
• Academic Courses Held on the Farm: 1 point
• Sells to Campus Dining Hall: 1 point
• Sells at Other On-Campus/On-Farm Venue: 1 point
• Sells Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Basket Shares: 1 point
• Sells at Off-Campus Venue (farmers’ market, restaurant, etc.): 1 point  
• Wow Factor: 1 point for each additional impressive farm/program feature 

In the event of a tie in points, the higher ranking was given to the farm with more overall acreage. 

1. Berea College

16 points

Berea College Farm

The farm at Berea College in Kentucky is easily one of the world’s most impressive sustainable college-run farms. Consisting of 500 acres of pastures, croplands, ponds, woodland, and gardens, the farm is an essential learning tool for the 45 majors included in Berea’s Agriculture and Natural Resources department. More than 8,000 acres of woodland are managed by students concentrating on forestry, while others are responsible for the farm’s cattle, pigs, chickens, eggs, goats, honey bees, and fish. The certified organic garden produces dozens of different vegetables and bush fruits, which are then sold to on-campus dining services, Berea College’s farmers’ market, the Berea College Farm Store, and even local eateries.

2. College of the Ozarks

14 points

Various

Tuition-free College of the Ozarks requires all students to complete a set number of working hours throughout their education. Many students choose to complete those hours with the college’s various agricultural work stations: a cattle farm, a dairy farm, a feed mill, a hog farm, an orchard, a garden, a horticulture lab, a processing plant, an agronomy station, and a farmer’s market. Pretty impressive! Some classes take place at the various workstations, as do special agriculture-centered experiences held by campus clubs such as the Ozark Fisheries & Wildlife Association, the Horticulture Club, Collegiate Farm Bureau Aggie Club, AG Ed Club, and Delta Tau Alpha, the national Agriculture honor society. The college also hosts an annual educational workshop attended by more than 2,000 Future Farmers of America.

3. Santa Rosa Junior College

13 points

Shone Farm

Santa Rosa Junior College students interested in farming and agriculture have access to one of the most impressive college-run farms in the entire country. Shone Farm consists of a whopping 365 acres of pastures, forests, and vineyards (Santa Rose has easy access to both Napa and Sonoma). Twelve acres are dedicated exclusively to crop production, including an outdoor laboratory. Students working on the farm are responsible for all aspects of the production process, from the initial planting to marketing and sales. The various products are sold to various sources: campus dining halls and restaurants, local farmers’ markets, off-campus restaurants, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares.

4. Berry College

12 points

Berry Farms

Berry College, which boasts the country’s largest college campus, offers students interested in farming and agriculture its impressive Berry Farms. Uniquely, these student-run farms comprise seven different components: AgriEducation, Angus Beef, Berry Bees, Blue Hen Eggs, Genetics, Jersey Milk, Martha’s Herbs, and Season’s Harvest. AgriEducation is dedicated to spreading the word about sustainable farming and gardening and offers college student-led tours of Berry Farms to local elementary school classes. Most of the other components of Berry Farms are responsible for growing and producing various consumables such as honey, cheeses, fresh herbs, eggs, and milk, each sold throughout the greater community.

5. Deep Springs College

12 points

Various

In most cases, the farm is located on the college campus, but in the case of Deep Springs College, the college is actually located on the farm! Deep Springs College is a one-of-a-kind institution situated on a cattle farm and alfalfa ranch in California’s high desert. The college consists of only 26 students, each driven by the school’s mission of academics, labor, and self-governance. Thanks to its unique set-up, Deep Springs offers students a variety of agricultural experiences, including a cattle ranch with more than 300 head, 152 acres of alfalfa fields, and the Deep Springs Garden, which itself consists of a fruit orchard, vegetable beds, a greenhouse, and a chicken coop. Every seven weeks, students are assigned a new position on the farm, ranging from butcher to student cowboy.

6. Hampshire College

12 points

Hampshire College Farm

The Hampshire College Farm has truly distinguished itself as one of the leaders in sustainable student-run farming. The farm takes seriously its mission of educating future generations about the ethical production of healthy foods. It organizes a number of educational programs for Hampshire College students, local community members, and school groups throughout the year. The farm’s impressive vegetables-only Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program boasts more than 200 members, while its newer meat-only CSA is rapidly proving to be just as successful. The farm produces various types of vegetables, plus grass-fed beef, heritage pork, and lamb. A U-pick option for students and the greater community is also offered throughout the season.

7. California State University, Chico

11 points

Chico University Farm

Cal State Chico is situated in the heart of California’s Central Valley, or the “breadbasket” of the Golden State, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that Chico boasts one of the most impressive student-run farms in the country. The Chico University Farm consists of approximately 800 acres, on which organic vegetables and fruit grow, and dairy cows, beef cattle, sheep, swine, and more are raised. The more than 35 part-time student employees participate in every level of the farm’s operation. The food produced on the farm becomes available to the greater student population via the dining halls and the on-campus produce stands, while the meat is sold to the public and in local restaurants.

8. Evergreen State College

11 points

The Organic Farm

Any student interested in spending some time at Evergreen State College’s Organic Farm needs to simply walk along the short system of trails that lead directly from campus. Once there, students will find an impressive setup that includes a farmhouse (built by students, no less), fields of sheep, chicken coops, orchards, greenhouses, and even a composting facility. Throughout the growing season, students manage everything from the planning to the harvesting, then watch as their fruits, vegetables, herbs, and eggs are sold throughout the community and donated to local food banks. Interestingly, the farm also hosts Community Gardens with gardening spaces rented out to community members.

9. College of the Atlantic

10 points

Peggy Rockefeller Farms and Beech Hill Farm

College of the Atlantic in Mount Desert Island, Maine, is home to not one but two sustainable student-run farms. The first, Peggy Rockefeller Farms, is the largest contiguous area of pasture on the entire island. The two farms consist of three barns, various animal pens, solar panels for electricity, orchards, a vegetable garden, and a raspberry patch. In addition to growing food, students who work on the farm are responsible for caring for and rotating cattle, sheep, and chickens. The farms’ products, all of which is certified organic, are sold at the Beech Hill Farm Stand or through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares.

10. Michigan State University

10 points

Student Organic Farm and Organic Farmer Training Program

Michigan State University’s Student Organic Farm is home to the university’s Organic Farmer Training Program. The 10-acre farm focuses on teaching and research, and a number of courses in agriculture, horticulture, the environment, and organic farming take place right on the farm. Various products are grown on the farm, and thanks to a 16,000-square-foot greenhouse, growing can continue into Michigan’s cooler months. Products grown are sold to on-campus dining services, local farm stands, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA ) program, and local businesses such as The Brinery and Drought, which specialize in fermented vegetables and raw juice, respectively.

11. Green Mountain College

10 points

Cerridwen Farm

Green Mountain College was named by Outdoor magazine as one of the “Best Outdoor Schools” in America, so it should come as no surprise that this small college is home to a top sustainable college-run farm. The entirely student-driven Cerridwen Farm specializes in vegetables and animal husbandry. Various courses, educational programs, and public events are held on the farm, each of which is meant to provide knowledge about eating as healthily as possible. Products produced on the farm are sold through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and to the college’s dining hall and a local farmers’ market.

12. Pomona College

10 points

Pomona College Student Farm

Pomona College, one of the five undergraduate institutions making up the Claremont Colleges consortium, has operated its Pomona College Student Farm for over two decades. The organically certified 1.2-acre farm consists of more than 50 rows of vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees (including a banana grove). There are also chickens, bees, and even an earth dome. Many of the classes required for a degree in Environmental Analysis are conducted right on the farm, including “Principles of Soil Science” and “Food, Land, and the Environment.” Products grown on the Pomona College Student Farm are sold to the public via an on-campus farm stand, Pomona’s Sagehen Café, or a summer produce box subscription. The farm plans to expand to include a produce refrigerator, a farm vehicle, and a covered kitchen area.

13. Warren Wilson College

9 points

Warren Wilson College Farm

“Work, Service, and Academics” is the driving force behind life at Warren Wilson College, and that philosophy perfectly describes Warren Wilson College Farm. These 275 acres have been farmed for more than 120 years, and today, the farm is run by two staff managers and more than 100 students. The farm, which does not use pesticides or herbicides, grows a number of products but specializes in raising beef. In fact, beef produced by this sustainable college-run farm provides all of the beef products used in the Warren Wilson College dining hall.

14. Ferrum College

9 points

Titmus Agricultural Center

Thanks to the existence of the Titmus Agricultural Center, students at Ferrum College can experience various facets of the agricultural industry first-hand. Students have played a part in the development of the Center since its inception, even going as far as building the greenhouses and designing the gardens. The Center produces a variety of crops and flowers, plus sheep, cattle, and horses. The Farm-to-Café Program ensures that produce grown at the Titmus Agricultural Center ends up on the tables of the campus dining hall. At the same time, various other products are sold at farmers’ markets or donated to individuals in need. Each year, the Center also hosts an Earth Day Show and Grow event, during which members of the local community can learn more about sustainable gardening and farming.

15. University of California, Santa Cruz

9 points

UC Santa Cruz Farm and Alan Chadwick Garden

The town of Santa Cruz has long prided itself on its respect for the environment, and its university, U.C. Santa Cruz, has been farming sustainably since 1967. The U.C. Santa Cruz Farm consists of more than 30 acres used primarily for teaching, research, and growing sustainable organic agriculture and horticulture. The campus also boasts a three-acre garden named for Alan Chadwick, its founder and the father of the French-intensive/biodynamic method of growing. The products grown on both the farm and in the garden are sold to campus dining services and on-campus restaurants.

16. University of New Hampshire

8 Points

Organic Dairy Research Farm and The Kingman Farm of the University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire is home to not one but two impressive sustainable farms. The Organic Dairy Research Farm covers more than 300 acres of pastures, croplands, forage production, and forest. At the same time, The Kingman Farm serves as a research facility for horticulture, crop research, wildlife management, and even the renovation of oysters in nearby Great Bay. Collectively, the two farms are quite the resource for the education for university students and the greater community. The University of New Hampshire runs the Get Smart Eat Local 10 District Project, which connects local school districts with nearby wholesale farms to introduce better foods to schools and school children.

17. Goshen College

8 points

Merry Lea Sustainable Farm

Goshen College is home to the impressive Merry Lea Sustainable Farm. This Environmental Learning Center covers approximately nine acres of a 1,000-acre nature preserve. Such a sizeable natural setting provides myriad benefits for the students and their products, the latter of which include pigs, chickens, mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Various programs for both students and the public take place on the farm, including the Agroecology Summer Intensive, a master’s degree program in Environmental Education, and various K-12 programs. Food grown on the farm is sold to the Goshen College dining services, as well as Goshen Farmers’ Market, Maple City Market, and Pizzeria Venturi, among others.

18. University of Vermont

8 points

The Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Horticulture Research Education Center, and University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm

The University of Vermont boasts a whopping three different student-run college farms. The first, The Center for Sustainable Agriculture, partners campus researchers with different innovative research topics to advance sustainable systems worldwide. The university’s Horticulture Research Education Center is just as ambitious, where students can learn about sustainable gardening and farming by working hands-on with different shrubs, trees, fruit trees, and perennials. Finally, the University of Vermont owns and runs the Morgan Horse Farm. This unique addition to the college farm houses a group of Morgan broodmares and their weanlings and yearlings. The farm provides valuable experience to those students interested in training, riding, and breeding Morgan horses as part of their equine studies.

19. University of California, Davis

8 points

Student Farm Program

The Student Farm at U.C. Davis has provided students with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities since 1977. Though the farm employs a few paid employees, most of it is managed by student interns and volunteers. This massive crew works hard to produce large amounts of produce that are ultimately sold to the campus dining services, the on-campus coffee house, local farmers’ markets, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers. In addition to various academic courses taught on the farm, U.C. Davis’s student farm offers multiple programs for K-12 students and seed research through the Organic Seed Alliance.

20. University of Virginia

7 points

Blandy Experimental Farm

The University of Virginia is home to the impressive Blandy Experimental Farm. As its name suggests, the farm hosts various university-level agricultural courses, plus a fun inquiry-based program in which K-12 students can participate in workshops, tours, and children’s camps. Field-based ecological research is also conducted on the farm on topics such as plant-animal interaction, plant pollination, and destruction of the gypsy moth, among other things. Besides the typical crops grown, the farm also consists of a Virginia Native Plant Trail, an herb garden, and an arboretum composed of 5,000 living trees.

21. Bowdoin College

7 points

Bowdoin Organic Garden

Although the Bowdoin Organic Garden is overseen by Bowdoin College’s dining service and managed by a full-time garden manager, the garden was founded by a group of students in 2005. Today, the Bowdoin Organic Garden is thriving under its student volunteers. The garden employs several methods, both traditional and cutting-edge, including composting, sustainable landscaping, and the collection of rainwater. The farm grows various vegetables, bush fruits, and flowers, all used in the campus dining halls, special events, or for research and other agricultural experiences.

22. University of Kentucky

6 points

UK Horticulture Research Farm and UK South Farm

The University of Kentucky is well known for its degree programs concerning agriculture and animals. The College of Agriculture and the Department of Horticulture work together to run the UK Horticulture Research Farm and UK South Farm, providing students with hands-on farming experience. Students and faculty involved in the Sustainable Agriculture Undergraduate program run and maintain the Horticulture Research Farm and its highly successful Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. The non-profit farm produces fruits, vegetables, and honey and then distributes them through the program. All financial proceeds are then returned to the farm to support the next growing season.

23. Wilson College

6 points

Fulton Farm

Wilson College is home to Fulton Farm, a 50-acre working farm that provides hands-on environmental and agriculture education. Fulton Farm goes to great lengths to ensure its land and products are safe and organic. No chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers are used. Besides selling food to on-campus organizations and the greater community, Fulton Farm teaches classes on-site and offers various internships and work-study jobs for students interested in gardening and agriculture.

24. Clemson University

6 points

Clemson University Student Organic Farm

Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina, is home to the Student Organic Farm. Run almost exclusively by students, the 15-acre farm grows various fruits and vegetables, plus some herbs and flowers. While some of the farm’s products are sold at local farmers’ markets, most are included in the farm’s popular Community Supported Agriculture baskets, which are sold to members of the community.

25. University of Massachusetts, Amherst

6 points

University of Massachusetts, Amherst Student Farm

The student-run farm at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is serious about empowering students through food and providing loads of nutrition to both campus and community. The 12-acre certified organic farm sells its products to a 60-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, campus dining services, the Earthwoods Cafe, farmers’ markets, and the Big Y Supermarket in town. The University of Massachusetts, Amherst student farm has proven highly influential. Many of its student volunteers have started their own sustainable farms.

26. Ursinus College

6 points

Ursinus College Organic Farm

Ursinus College is home to a highly respected and certified organic farm. With 2.5 acres, the Ursinus College Organic Farm produces bush fruits, vegetables, and herbs and even has some chickens and bees. Anyone looking to relax in nature and connect with the earth is welcome at the farm, and student volunteers often go on to work their own farms after graduation. Products grown are sold to the campus dining services, the campus farm table, and the local farmers’ market.

27. Montana State University

5 points

Arthur H. Post Research Farm

As its name suggests, Montana State University’s Arthur H. Post Research Farm emphasizes agricultural research and experimentation. The farm’s more than 250 acres are used for developing new varieties of wheat and barley, researching different cropping systems, studying ways to control weeds in small grains, and increasing seed production through foundation seeds. A number of classes are taught on the farm, including some focusing on plant breeding.

28. California Polytechnic State University

4 points

Cal Poly Organic Farm

California Polytechnic State University, better known as Cal Poly, employs a “learn by doing” philosophy of education. This philosophy extends to its 11-acre Organic Farm. Students, faculty members, and a few volunteers work on the farm to grow a variety of produce. The produce is then sold to local restaurants, vendors, and farmers’ markets or donated to nearby food banks.

29. Middlebury College

4 points

College Organic Farm

Middlebury College’s sustainable student-run College Organic Farm aims to “promote awareness of food production through hands-on learning and special events.” When school is in session, the tw0-acre farm is managed by two student interns and a group of student volunteers. The two student interns continue with the farm’s production and sales during the summer. College Organic Farm grows large quantities of fruits and vegetables, which are then sold to campus dining services and the public through CSA shares.

30. Dartmouth College

3 points

 

Dartmouth College Organic Farms

Like just about everything else associated with Dartmouth, Dartmouth College Organic Farms is an excellence. Run almost entirely by students, the Farms promote sustainable food production through independent research, student projects, and opportunities for hands-on experience. Students interested in learning about sustainable farming, agriculture, and gardening can volunteer to work on the farm, take a class, or help coordinate a potluck dinner.

Further Reading:

• 30 Best Value Agricultural Colleges
• Online Agriculture Degrees: Top 8 Values 2016
• Sustainability Degree Online by Affordability
• Sustainable Agriculture Degrees by Net Price
• Top 10 College Run Farms for Animal Husbandry
• Free Online Colleges
• Great Food Science Jobs