The Carleton Student Farm is located in the backyard of Farm House, the Sustainable Living House. Student gardening at Carleton has an epic history, but the current incarnation of the garden is a combination of a student Farm Club that meets for work days (planting, weeding, growing, harvesting) in the fall and spring and plans for a more established system of summer student workers to grow food for the dining halls.

Growing Practices

Entirely organic growing practices, though the garden is not certified organic

Fertilization with compost from the Farm House and manure from a local Northfield farmer

We are indebted to the Biology Department for allowing us to use their amazing greenhouse for starting seeds in the spring

Seeds

Almost all of the vegetables grown this year are heirloom varieites from Seed Savers Exchange, just down the road in Decorah, Iowa

What we´re growing

Red Russian Kale, Long Island Brussels Sprouts, Foot-long green beans, Purple Peruvian potatoes, Dragon´s Tongue Beans, Listada de Gandia Eggplant, Moon and Stars Melons, Bull's Blood Beets, Chioggia Beets, Scarlet Nantes Carrots, French Breakfast Radishes, Red Dragon Carrots, Edamame, Easter Egg Radishes, Golden Beets, Beaver Dam Peppers, Fish Peppers, Ping Tung Long Eggplant, Rainbow Swiss Chard, Lemon Cucumbers, Golden Zucchini, Sibley Squash, Buttercup squash, Waltham Butternut Squash, Minnesota Midget Melons, Arugula, Mitzouna, Ancho Gigantea Peppers, Forellenschuss, Green Oakleaf, Grandpa Admire's and Yugoslavian Red Butterhead Lettuce, Pumpkins, Sunflowers, tons of culinary and medicinal herbs, apples and pears, Love Lies Bleeding, Thai, Genovese, Purple Opal and Cinnamon Basil and many varieties of tomatoes: Green Zebra, Nyagous, Brandywine, Sungold, Roma, Yellow Pear and more!

Farm to Table

This summer we had a big dream come true in selling produce from the garden to be served in the Dining Halls by our new dining services provider, Bon Appétit.

Future Goals, Dreams, Plans...

Garden expansion to grow more food for the Dining Halls

Season extension: hoop house(s), cold frames, etc

Student farm workers as a paid job, not just a summer internship

Perennial gardens: more fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, asparagus...

Curricular connections: class use of the garden in labs, projects, etc.