Student Organic Farm to Extend Growing Season

This summer the Student Organic Farm Program (SOFP) will be adding a hoop house to its grounds. The hoop house will be built in "barn-raising" fashion by students and volunteers and is expected to be completed by the end of July. By utilizing passive solar heat, the hoop house, similar to a large green house, will extend the farm's production to ten months and allow the SOFP to offer more academic courses for students.

"We are excited that we will be able to extend our Organic Farming classes and community engagement activities into winter now," explained Fay Hansen, SOFP faculty advisor and associate professor of biological sciences. "One of the biggest benefits of a hoop house is its controlled environment - as long as we get sun, crops will grow even when there is a foot of snow outside."

The house was made possible by grants from the Americana Foundation, the Consumers Energy Foundation and support from the community through a 48 hour fundraiser that raised $5,000.

Last year, the farm grew over 9,000 lbs. of produce which was sold weekly at a campus farm stand by students, and additional produce was donated to service organizations in the greater Pontiac area. Students have already begun growing transplants for this year's crop and expect to open the campus farm stand in July. Visit the group's Facebook page for more information on the stand's hours.

Beginning as a student club in 2008 with less than one tenth of an acre, the farm has expanded to almost half an acre and now supports academic courses and provides nutritious produce to the community. "It amazes people that we can grow almost five tons of produce on a half acre. With our hoop house that figure will go even higher," said Hansen. It is so great that we can feed more people on campus and in the community good, healthy veggies and that more and more students are coming to the farm to help us do it."

To support SOFP and their efforts by making a donation, visit oakland.edu/giving.