A decade of growth and transformative experiences: Farm reaches milestone

A decade ago, the 1.7 acres of empty land behind the Saint Michael’s College observatory began a transformation into what has become a resilient farm producing hundreds of pounds of crops each growing season.

The Farm at Saint Michael’s not only gives back to its community by providing nutritious fruits and vegetables, but also provides students at St. Mike’s hands-on experience in working the land.

This year is a special milestone for the Farm and the College: its 10th growing season. But that official beginning in 2015 actually followed a longer tradition. The growing history on campus dates back to the 1980s with the first formal garden program, known as the Hunger Gardens. At that time, members of the Society of Saint Edmund, the College’s founders, collaborated with students to grow and donate produce to local food shelves.

The Saint Michael’s College organic farm as seen in a 2014 photo.

Following the Hunger Gardens initiative, a quarter acre of land became an organic garden known as the Garden Program, which was established in 2008 at the “mouth” of what is now the Natural Area. The Garden Program was started by two students, an English major and an Art major, with a vision of providing the campus community with a space to learn how to grow food. This area has now been repurposed into a food forest by the Ecological Restoration class.

The Farm nourishes minds as well as bellies

Kristyn Achilich ’05, director of the Patrick ’61 and Marcelle Leahy Institute for the Environment, as well as a senior sustainability officer and instructor, was hired by Saint Michael’s College 10 years ago with the goal of starting a farm that would engage students. Karen Talentino, the vice president of academic affairs at the time, worked to help Achilich start a program embedded in academics.

“Before coming here, looking at education, workforce development, [I] felt that higher ed and liberal arts had a huge role to play in the work of complex systems and the stuff of agriculture and environmental resilience,” Achilich said.

Each year, interested students, faculty, and staff have the opportunity to engage in growing practices at the farm while learning about soil health, food justice, and even climate consciousness.

The Farm at Saint Michael’s College, staying true to Achilich’s goal of being ingrained in academics, provides inspiration and hands-on learning for a variety of courses, including science classes and First-Year Seminars.

Harvesting as an act of service

The Farm also offers a wide variety of opportunities for involvement outside of the classroom, ranging from one-time volunteer commitments to a 13-week intensive internship during the summer. 

Christine Gall was hired in 2021 and now leads the Farm and Food intensive, a two-credit semester-long course offered in the spring and fall, introducing students to the land and best practices for taking care of it.

“I’ve routinely heard from some students that the Farm has become the cornerstone of their Saint Michael’s College identity and experience,” Gall said. “When they look back on college, they’re going to think about their ongoing work with the farm.”

Julia Murdick ’25, an Environmental Science major, said the Farm has provided an opportunity to get hands-on in her area of study. Murdick decided to work on the Farm as a summer employee following her sophomore year after working on a farm in her hometown for several years.

Students from the LEAP program this summer on the St. Mike’s campus enjoy the benefit of being together in a supportive and attractive environment with things to do when they’re not at their training jobs off-campus. Directly above, they enjoy working at the Saint Michael’s College Farm. (Photo courtesy of LEAP program)

“I found the atmosphere and community to be extremely motivating and valuable to my education, and I found a lot of fulfillment working and learning on the farm,” Murdick said.

Since that first summer, Murdick’s role within the Farm has only grown. Following her summer employment, she decided to take the Farm and Food intensive class with Gall as well as become the Farm and Food maintenance and operations coordinator, working with THRIVE and running the in-person farm stand.

The THRIVE food pantry at Saint Michael’s opened in 2022 on the second floor of Alliot Student Center. The pantry provides the campus community with access to free hygiene products, canned food, and fresh produce from the farm. Since its opening, the food pantry has distributed over 700 pounds of resources to the community at Saint Michael’s.

Along with making produce donations to THRIVE, the Farm collaborates with Sodexo, the food provider for St. Mike’s, to supply as much produce as possible to the Green Mountain Dining Hall. The Farm also provides a gathering space for community members, including faculty and staff, during the summer months through its Salad Days program. Those who attend get to enjoy a meal made with freshly picked produce, learn a little bit about the Farm, and enjoy conversation and sunshine.

Participation at the Farm declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has bounced back and continues to grow several years later.

A man waters a tree at the Farm at Saint Michael’s College.

Cultivating future growth

Achilich and Gall both say they are excited for what is next for Saint Michael’s Farm. 

The potential is boundless. For example, one-third of the Farm’s land currently remains set aside for orchard production. Its fruit trees were planted 10 years ago.

“The trees were set to mature at 7 or 8 years old,” Achilich said. “So the potential that’s up in the orchard now, it’s always been there, and it’s new for the first time. That whole third of the farm has really come alive.”

The Farm continues to evolve as it reaches its 10th anniversary this year. For Murdick, who graduates in May, the Farm was a defining experience of St. Mike’s.

“The Farm truly transformed my college experience,” Murdick said. “The space gave me a place to retreat and disconnect from traditional academic life, while also giving me a place to expand and grow my knowledge [on] topics that I am passionate about.”