In the Beginning

Farm Club is an organization founded in the late 80's by Carleton students interested in sustainable agriculture. Students active in Farm Club maintain an organic fruit and vegetable garden on campus located near Farmhouse, a campus theme house focused on sustainable living. The garden serves two main purposes: it is a source of locally grown organic produce and an outdoor classroom where students and community members learn the values and practices of organic gardening. During each academic year since its founding Farm Club members have met regularly to discuss matters of the garden and to tend it in the fall and spring. "Membership" in Farm Club is a loose term as anyone who shows up for a meeting or Saturday in the garden is considered a part of the Farm Club family.

Each summer Farm Club offers internship positions to members interested in tending the gardens over the summer months. Carleton's Environmental and Technology Studies (ENTS) Department has been very influential in keeping sustainable agricultural practices on the Carleton Campus by providing a stipend to some of the Farm Club summer interns. Without funding from the ENTS department during the spring and summer of 2003 the significant expansion of the Farm Club Garden would not have been possible. Thank you ENTS!

The Mystery Onion Garden, Farm Club's original garden built by the club's founding members, was bulldozed by Carleton College in 2001 to make room for athletic field expansion. In compensation, the college donated two raised beds the following spring. Early this spring members of Farm Club worked especially hard to sucessfully expand the garden to a new home in the lawn just east of Farm House. This new garden, tilled in the shape of a large boot, provided Farm Club with the opportunity to grow significantly more produce.

In Spring 2008, the Farm underwent yet another fantastic transformation into its current state. Many new beds were added, and gardening had expanded to include an orchard of apple and pear trees planted in 2007. We were able to produce substantially more delicious vegetal food this year thanks to the hard work of 2008's summer interns and everyone else who lent a hand at the Farm.