Conor Caneday // Dickinson College 

Did you know that it’s possible to make popcorn from your old food? Or that you can make energy from food waste? This presentation highlights uses of food waste for energy production and composting, and the benefits and applications of these strategies at the Dickinson College Farm. Additionally, the presentation will cover how the project has engaged the college, the local community, and local schools. Lastly, the presentation will outline how other students can incorporate food waste management on their campuses, which will lead to an active discussion of sharing experiences, information, and ideas with each other on how to start a food waste management project. 

Joshua Williams, Diego Villalpando, Josh Parr // Lafayette College 

LA-Farm at Lafayette College has recently been experimenting with hemp production, to create a system of agriculture around industrial hemp that seeks to be zero waste and that can help produce material for many uses. This presentation will discuss our experience with hemp production, from planting to harvesting. We will also discuss the many benefits of hemp as a plant and crop, including the fact that it is good for soil health, contributes to biodiversity and thriving ecosystems, and has multiple sustainable uses once harvested. Participants will gain a greater understanding of industrial hemp and its applications.  

Jacquelyn Dudley // Delaware Valley University 

Capsaicin, the chemical in hot peppers that makes them hot, has many uses and mysteries to it. Its medicinal and culinary prominence has intrigued many farmers and scientists by its chemical properties and reactions, as well as the botanical fruit it comes from. In this talk, the different methods of chili pepper growing will be discussed, as well as the different varieties and cultivars. The ASTA requirements, Scoville Scale, and how to achieve desired results will be incorporated, as well as interactive discussions about the economic and environmental feasibility of growing this specialty crop.

Ashlynn Peachey, Katherine Mowry, Nicholas Waddington, Jesse Swann-Quinn // Allegheny College  

Students in Allegheny College’s Sustainable Design Team (SDT) have worked to design, plant, and nurture a permaculture food forest on their campus, an approach to agriculture that intentionally mimics the diversity and resilience of naturally occurring forest ecosystems. Indigenous people around the world have practiced similar methods of consciously cultivating plants and trees to produce food, medicine, and other services for centuries – including in the French Creek Valley, where Allegheny College is located. This presentation will cover the history, process, theory, and outcomes of student work, followed by open discussion in which participants can share feedback, exchange insights, apply lessons to their own contexts, and foster community among like-minded student practitioners. 

Jenna Seigworth, Carolyn Hogg // Penn State Behrend 

Join the Penn State Behrend Sustainable Food System Program in our campaign to bring the narrative of local farmers to the frontline of agricultural policy change as we amplify their stories of mental health and stress. In this session, we intend to share our successful, collaborative, and replicable model of interacting with our local agriculture community and action steps to create a community forum in which these issues can be discussed. We hope to facilitate meaningful interactions between student farm organizations and local communities while prioritizing farmer wellbeing. 

Haze Orner, Elyse Johnson // Penn State University 

Learn about creating opportunities for those who need it most through community farming at the ACRES Project. ACRES is a local non-profit developing an aquaponic greenhouse and community garden. This organization helps adults with autism, ADHD, OCD, and PTSD gain skills for the workforce while benefiting their mental health. This presentation will discuss the students’ experience working for the ACRES project to holistically combine humanitarian and agricultural progress, and how they are making a compelling case to various funding sources for expansion. Group discussion will allow others to get involved with this project and apply this project’s green space model to their own unique projects.  

Rebecca Durbin, Audrey Subers // Penn State University Park 

Jamie Batey // Penn State Beaver 

Student farm programs are always on the look-out for creative funding sources. One successful fundraising source for campuses is an annual plant/seedling sale, in which students grow seedlings and sell them for profit to the university and community populations. This presentation will discuss the planning, preparation and implementation stages of a plant sale, and will look at how plant sales can be implemented at different scales for programs of different sizes. Discussion questions will engage the audience in thinking about how they could replicate this process in their own student farm or garden program, no matter how big or small!

Hena Choi, John Lee, Ramya Kolagani // Penn State College of Medicine 

At the Penn State College of Medicine, a Food As Medicine student interest group reestablished a plot at the hospital’s on-campus community garden in Spring 2022. While the group succeeded in raising student awareness and revitalizing the plot from scratch, there were limitations to our effort, mostly around scheduling and volunteer incentivization. Using our experience as a case study, we identify key takeaways regarding medical student-led gardening efforts and offer guidance to future initiatives. Our hope is that other volunteer-led community gardens, especially in resource-limited areas, can avoid the same mistakes. 

Maya Asante, Rain DeLucia // Bucknell University 

Food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to nutritional and culturally appropriate foods. In this session, we discuss the steps Bucknell University Farm is taking to address the short and long-term implications of food insecurity. In order to address this issue in the long term we need to look at the root causes such as systemic racism and other influences that prevent marginalized groups from land ownership/access. 

Amanda Sames, Teresa Kustas // University of Maryland 

The Community Learning Garden at the University of Maryland in College Park is a student-run garden that aims to teach others about the environment, sustainable agriculture, food security, and mental and physical health. We will present how we achieve agricultural sustainability in an urban setting, address campus food insecurity, engage our community, and grow as an organization. We will share specific tools and practices that you can implement in your own campus garden, as well as facilitate discussion on contrasting student experiences and brainstorming solutions to possible challenges. 

Jillian Horan // Chatham University 

Silvopasture is the practice of integrating livestock, trees, and forage into a single agroecosystem. This system provides numerous benefits to the environment, the species within it, and the farmer. In this presentation, I will discuss a project currently underway to introduce sheep in a functioning silvopasture system at Eden Hall Farm. In addition to the details behind the project, we will discuss why silvopasture can be a valuable addition to an educational farm space, what challenges we have faced in adopting this system, and how to go about implementing such a project, specifically with student farmers in mind. 

Anna Burke // Dickinson College 

What is nature-based education, and why is it important? In this session, participants will learn about the S.E.E.D. (Sustainable Earth Education) program at the Dickinson College Farm. Participants will learn about the importance of connecting with children about environmental issues. The session will also provide an overview of lesson plans, go over challenges that the program has faced, and talk about how others could implement similar programs at their prospective colleges/universities. 

Darin Ripp // Penn State 

Jenn Halpin // Dickinson College 

Jen Schneidman Partica // Bucknell College 

Student farm and garden programs often utilize a variety of labor models to handle plant production and program planning, such as student volunteers, paid internships, for-credit internships, work-study and AmeriCorps members. This panel will discuss how these types of farm labor work together, with a particular focus on how funding for paid positions is sustained. It is geared mostly towards faculty and staff who are figuring out how to structure their own farm labor, but students are also welcome. The information discussed will be particularly useful for attendees who would like to start a garden or farm at their own university and want to learn out how to develop and pay a labor force.  

Hailey Longo, Rory Monaco, Jessica Larkin-Wells // University of  Connecticut 

Learn about the magic that grows in your own backyard! Creating floral arrangements cultivates new ways to interact with your planet and your local community. This workshop exhibits how to grow, harvest, and arrange beauteous blooms to engage and educate your community. We’ll offer live demonstrations with floral tools and flowers to explain floral equipment and techniques. We will also show ways of using low-waste and sustainable practices for designing bouquets with native flowers and greenery. 

Peterson Toscano, comedian 

Ever wonder how to promote your farm, garden or club programs to your campus, and how to tell a story about the important work you do? Learn how to craft a personal narrative to educate, inspire, and motivate your audience. Find out how to appeal to the head, the heart, and the gut. And discover the all-important storytelling pivot. Toscano is a professional storyteller and public speaker, and the host of Citizens Climate Radio, a monthly podcast and radio show that features climate advocates who creatively pursue climate solutions. He has trained hundreds of people in the US, Canada, and the UK on effective communication and storytelling techniques that move people to think, feel, and act. 

Hans Muse // Penn State University 

Do you have access to an area on your campus where you could grow houseplants and succulents? Workshop attendees will learn the basics of propagating and maintaining easy-to-grow plants for fundraisers and campus events. Student Farm Club maintains plants in around 150 sq ft of greenhouse space, which support free plant giveaways at two of our annual events, and generate $1000+ at our annual plant sale. The plants also offer hands-on opportunities to work with the plants year round, making this a popular club activity throughout the year. Attendees will also leave with their own cutting! 

Judson Dommer // Penn State University 

The Blooms and Shrooms club will present a step-by-step demonstration of simple, at-home mushroom cultivation and will provide the necessary information for an individual to cultivate mushrooms on their own. This workshop aims to provide the necessary resources for an individual to break into the world of mushroom cultivation and begin growing gourmet mushrooms for use in cooking. This demonstration will touch on spore printing and syringing, inoculating pre-sterilized spawn, fruiting inoculated spawn to produce mushrooms, and the various risks involved in each step of the process. 

Elaine Meder-Wilgus, owner of Webster’s Café   

Are you interested in eating a more plant-based diet, but aren’t sure how to start? Join Elaine for a hands-on demonstration of basic planning and cooking techniques to shift toward a plant-based diet that is affordable, relatively quick and delicious.