Zippy zucchini. Tempting tomatoes. Succulent strawberries. Perfect peppers. Blooming basil. What person doesn't love fresh, sustainable produce to fill up a salad bowl? Now, thanks to “TerpFarm.” UMD students and the College Park community can get a taste of garden-fresh greens year-round! The two-acre sustainable farm is only 15 miles from the College Park campus, meaning that the bountiful crops harvested will be locally grown—and that much more delicious! What’s even better, however, is that our very own IAA students will be some of students responsible for tending the seeds of sustainability.
“The IAA will be integrating the farm into its coursework, specifically the Analyzing Alternative Enterprises, Crop Production Practices, and Intro to Sustainable Agriculture classes,” said Meredith Epstein, Sustainable Agriculture Lecturer at the IAA. “All three classes will have time on the farm and help plan the farm. It’ll be like a lab!”
Furthermore, this spring’s Analyzing Alternative Enterprises class will help decide what crops to grow. In addition to the tasty treats mentioned above, students are analyzing the feasibility of onions, green beans, and cilantro.
“Students are writing 10 enterprise budgets to determine which crops could be profitable for TerpFarm,” continued Epstein, who is delighted that the IAA is providing funding to have one student complete an internship on the farm every summer. That lucky farmhand will not only get paid for the internship but will also be given the opportunity to taste the fruits of his or her labor in the UMD dining halls and at the Green Tidings food truck.
“TerpFarm integrates education and outreach, focusing on production for the campus dining halls and donation back to the community,” said Allison Lilly, Sustainability and Wellness Coordinator. “Any student can sample what is grown. We will be working with chefs in the dining halls to see how our crops can be used in different dishes.”
Lilly says one of the most exciting aspects of the TerpFarm project is that it offers IAA students an opportunity for hands-on experience in production—not just education—of crops.
“It’s wonderful that students, particularly those in the Sustainable Agriculture certificate program, will be enriched by TerpFarm,” stated Lilly. “It’s a wonderful chance that IAA students have to take advantage of the fact that the faculty can help them learn what to grow and how to do it!”
Epstein is equally as happy as her colleague. After all, as a contributor to the development of the farm at her alma mater, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Epstein appreciates the myriad opportunities that the farm presents to the UMD campus to become a leader in training the next generation of farmers.
“I’m thrilled! The farm has been a long time coming, and I’m fortunate to be a part of it,” she said. “We need more farmers in this country, and we hope they will be focused on sustainable methods!”
