Hampshire Farm Provides Free Vegetables to Students
Through its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, the Hampshire College Farm has extended free vegetable shares to all students living in mods. These on-campus, apartment-like houses contain kitchens, so students are able to cook their own meals in addition to enjoying on-campus dining offerings.
Each weekly pickup includes a variety of organic items such as garlic, kale, carrots, squash, lettuce, and beets. Students also have access to the pick-your-own fields, which are full of herbs, cherry tomatoes, flowers, beans, and more.
Mods with three or fewer students receive small shares; those with four or five (the maximum for mod housing this year) are eligible for large ones. A total of 77 mods are currently taking advantage of the CSA program.
Farm Director Nancy Hanson is pleased to be providing access to fresh, healthy food right on campus, eliminating potentially risky trips to grocery stores during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students are grateful, too.
“It's amazing to have a free and reliable source of vegetables for an entire season,” says student Katherine Godsil-Freeman 17F. “It’s definitely made it easier for me to expand my cooking options. I’ve made pesto, tomato sauce, and tomato paste from the share this year. Vegetable curries and soups are great when it’s been cold out. It’s also become a communal activity with my mod mates and friends; we pick up the CSA together and pick herbs and flowers afterward.”
Student Elle Glasse 18F says, “I make salsa or pico de gallo with the pick-your-own peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro. My mod mate, Annie, makes kimchi with Napa cabbage. I loooove chard. I'll sauté it with bacon, onion, garlic, and white beans, then pour the whole thing over rice. Other recipe favorites among my mod mates are kale chips, roast veggie pans, and stir fries.”
Much of the produce served in the central Dining Commons and campus cafés also comes directly from the Hampshire College Farm. It doesn’t get more local than vegetables grown right on the premises.
Photos by Armon Walker 17F