Student Affairs

      Ross Student Farm welcomes all for Earth Day celebratory event Apr. 20

      Vancie and Olivia are two members of the farm’s 39 paid intern cohort. Olivia (right) is a fourth-year student, majoring in plant sciences with a concentration in genetics and biotechnology. Her responsibilities include managing the community supported agriculture program and pest control. She has extensive experience with this year’s crops and has been keeping a close watch on them. Olivia said she finds working on the farm to be therapeutic. In her future career, she hopes to teach others about the joy and satisfaction of growing and harvesting your own food, especially in an urban environment.  Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

      UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Celebrate the excitement of Earth Week and the role agriculture plays in becoming better stewards of the Earth from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, at the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm.

      The event, hosted by the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm, will provide free bus services from the Creamery bus pullout to the farm and back, commencing at 12:45 p.m. The bus will make a loop every 20 minutes. 

      Led by AmeriCorps members from the Student Farm, students and partners are collaborating to organize this event.

      “Becoming better stewards of our planet starts with becoming better stewards of our land, and getting people engaged in a sustainable food system is a big step in that direction,” said Anton Fatula, a Student Farm AmeriCorps member.

      Activities will cater to all attendees, ranging from Earth-inspired crafting to wellness activities such as making your own natural tea, farm tours, creating and tasting bean smoothies with a smoothie bike, and more.

      “There's no better way to celebrate the Earth than to be outside on the Student Farm with your friends,” said Vancie Peacock, another Student Farm AmeriCorps member. “Whether you come to make your own farm-fresh tea, demo our compost system, buy native plants for your garden, make a yummy bean smoothie, or learn more about growing food sustainably, I personally think you'll have a blast.”

      Following the event, there are two immersive workshops that require preregistration. A shiitake mushroom workshop will offer participants everything they need to know about mushroom cultivation, from inoculation to harvest. All materials are included and registration can be completed online.

      A worm workshop teaching vermicomposting, an environmentally friendly way to discard fruit and vegetable scraps and save garbage space, will also be offered. Registration can be completed online here.

      For more information visit the Ross Student Farm website, or direct questions to Leslie Pillen at lrp143@psu.edu. 

      About the Sustainable Food Systems Network at Penn State  

      The Sustainable Food Systems Network includes the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm at Penn State, Student Farm Club, Food Recovery Network, the inter-college Food Systems Minor, and Course-Client Collaborations. The goal of the program is to develop students’ knowledge about sustainable agriculture practices while providing hands-on learning opportunities and positively contributing to the community.  

      Last Updated April 10, 2024

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