Berea College Gardens and Greenhouse

Website: www.berea.edu/gardensgreenhouse/

USDA Certified Organic

This grower has a photo album.

The Berea College Gardens and Greenhouse team includes Micah Johnson, Miranda Hileman, Sarah Kuhn, Camille Hyberger, Meike Schleiff, and Karen Josephsen under the direction of Andrew Oles, Assistant Farm Manager and Dr. Sean Clark, Associate Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chairperson.

This applied work-study enterprise provides experience for students in certified organic vegetables, herbs, and some fruit production, house plants, and new experimental grain crops. We compost both pre- and post-consumer waste from the College Dining Services which provides organic compost for all the crops grown at the greenhouses. We market all of our products locally at Boone Tavern, College Dining services, Happy Meadows the local health food store, and at the Berea Farmers Market. We have both retail and direct marketing options which give students a variety of experiences in promoting and selling products. Our recent focus has been on year-round lettuce, greens, and herb production. We have been able to use hoophouses and hardy varieties to keep some production going all through the winter.

Students have leadership and decision-making power in the day-to-day and long-term functions of the farm. We have weekly meetings to discuss current problems or suggest changes, planning, marketing, and ideas for improving our operation in the future. We have a strong community working together to make a more sustainable enterprise all around.

Horticultural crops—vegetables, fresh greens, culinary and medicinal herbs, berries, and fruit—are delicious and nutritious portions of a healthy diet and we collaborate with all the other parts of the farm who contribute fresh meats and animal products. All together we are working to offer a wide range of local foods for the campus and community. We also practice care of the soil on our fields. This collaborative effort with the rest of the farm helps to keep the land healthy and productive in the long term. We do not use chemicals in our production and we work to reduce waste which a joint effort in which everyone needs to participate in order for it to be successful.

-Meike Schleiff, Student Gardens and Greenhouse Core Team