2009 Farm Program Page
The Dunn Farm Program
Don't let Matt Struckmeyer catch you saying "Dunn Organic Garden"--it's now the Dunn Farm Program, thank you very much. The new title reflects Matt's broad ambition and enthusiasm for making sustainable eating and living a key component of the Dunn School experience. "The word 'gardening' implies something small scale, more like a hobby. But 'Farm' is a word that shows we're serious, ready to make a major impact on how people eat and live at Dunn."
The centerpiece of the effort is undoubtedly the "pigposting program"--borrowing pigs from a local farmer to consume all of the school's leftover food and converting their waste into the compost that sustains the crops. Last year we processed approximately 9 tons of foodscraps and kitchen waste that would have otherwise gone to the landfill. Instead we raised 10 pigs to market weights. That's a major lessening of the "footprint" Dunn leaves on the earth, and quite a boon to farmer Randy Jones' bottom line out at the Pork Palace.
Just as much, raising fresh fruits and vegetables on Dunn's lush campus requires no transportation costs and shows the students how good eating locally can be. For their morning job, several advisee groups meet behind the science building to harvest organic salad greens and tomatoes, while later in the day those students participating in Farm as their sport will care for the pigs and plant more crops. In all, about 35 students participate in running the farm.
"The kids are really enthusiastic about the program," says Struckmeyer. Hopefully a few of them will see a career in the sustainability movement. Many of the best colleges now have campus farms run by students, and they're offering new majors to reflect this growing movement. A student who cuts his or her teeth at Dunn and acquires the scientific and technical skills will really enhance their chances with top colleges.
