A national ranking of college farms that provide locally produced and sustainable food sources puts Berea College in the #2 spot, besting elite schools including Yale, Dartmouth and Vassar.
During October, which is Farm to School Month, Online College Plan named the top 60 college-affiliated farms, ranking them on criteria such as farm size in acres, crop variety, and sustainability-related degree options. Berea College, was in the top ten, “Cream of the Crop” schools. The ranking helps in spreading awareness and celebrates the efforts of the student-run farms.
October is Farm to School Month, a month dedicated to The Berea College Farm is one of the oldest continuously operating and most highly diversified student educational farms in the United States. Located in the Knobs along the edge of the Bluegrass Region, the Farm borders the campus of Berea College and the City of Berea and consists of pastures, cropland, gardens, woodlots and ponds on about 500 acres. The Farm is an educational laboratory for students in the Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) program and a working model of sustainable agriculture in the region. Students who work on the Farm as part of the College’s labor program produce beef cattle, hogs, chickens, eggs, fish, honey bees, grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, and herbs, all of which are served in the College’s dining hall and sold locally to the public via the campus store and area farmers market.
The United States Congress established Farm to School Month in 2010 to demonstrate the importance of farm to school programs in the areas of improving child nutrition, of supporting local economies and educating students about the origins of the food on their plates.
For more information about the Berea College Farm visit: https://legacy.berea.edu/anr/berea-college-farm/
For a complete list and description of all the ranked schools, visit: http://www.onlinecollegeplan.com/college-farms/