LaFarm is half student-run and half dedicated to community gardening. Students and community members at LaFarm produce a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, averaging more than 2,000 pounds harvested annually!

College: Lafayette College

Location: Easton, Pennsylvania

Size: 1 acre (approximately 43560 square feet)

Sales and Distribution: The produce is sold to Bon Appetit Management Company at Lafayette College and at a student-run market. Remaining produce is taken by community gardeners and student workers, or  donated to Vegetables in the Community, a student project which works to provide free produce to people in the Easton community.

Management structure: Lafayette has employed a farm manager who works together with a faculty board to provide direction to the farm. Students, led by the farm manager, do the day-to-day farming and give input to the faculty board. The college’s Plant Operations department handles maintenance responsibilities, such as mowing around the border of the farm and moving the compost.

Financial model: All of the initial funding to start LaFarm came from grants. Today, the farm gets some funding directly from the school, generates revenue through sales, applies for grants, and receives direct donations from some alumni. A small portion of the funding comes from community gardeners to reserve their individual plots.

Unique features: Through a combination of rainwater collection and a well using a solar-powered pump system, LaFarm’s water supply is completely off the grid. In addition, with the exception of gas for lawn mowing and one walk-behind tiller, the organic farm is not reliant on fossil fuels.

Learn more: Please go to http://garden.lafayette.edu/contact/ and fill out the contact form.

Visit the blog here: sites.lafayette.edu/lafarmblog