By Renee Napoliello
Originally published in Dog Street Journal's October/November 2018 issue.
Neat rows of leafy greens stretch off into the distance. Chickens mill the backyard of a large white farmhouse, itself situated behind rows of tomatoes, sunflowers, and various vegetables. It sounds like an idyllic pastoral scene from deep in the farmlands of Virginia, but in reality this location is only minutes from The College of William and Mary. What’s even more surprising is this farm, KelRae Farm, has a special relationship with our college, to the point where any student has the opportunity to visit and lend a hand.
The food that arrives on your plate in the nearby dining hall has a complicated history. Often, said food is grown in different states or altogether different countries, then shipped and processed before arriving at William and Mary. Obviously, this has various negative environmental consequences, such as the carbon footprint of shipping, on top of the unsustainable practices of most traditional, industrialized farms.
A few years ago, however, the company that runs food services on campus, Sodexo, in partnership with dining services and students on campus, implemented an initiative to mitigate some of these consequences. Here’s where KelRae steps in: by providing their food to Sodexo, and thus the campus, KelRae helps William and Mary reduce their environmental impact, support a local business, and provide fresher, better-tasting food to the students (including watermelon, broccoli, and kale).
The laborers and owners of KelRae don’t do all the work for the College. Sodexo rents the plot of land and, while the workers there are paid for certain (more time-consuming) services, it is actually the students who plant, weed, and tend to the crops. Specifically, the sustainability interns from campus Dining Services are tasked with this function, but the trips to the farm are open to volunteers, meaning any student could hop in a car and pitch in. The work can involve planting seedlings, pulling up weeds, or harvesting crops to be shipped back to the school.
While the environmental benefits of going local are apparent, there are certain practices that KelRae takes above and beyond the moniker of “locally grown” that add to their value and to the sustainability initiatives of Sodexo and the College. The owners of KelRae implement practices to conserve water and enrich soil, both significant goals compared to the unsustainable methods of traditional agribusiness.
One example is drip tape-- long lengths of tubing that deposit water directly into the soil--which, unlike traditional sprinkling methods, prevents water waste from evaporation. Other examples include crop rotation and cover cropping--respectively, the cycling of various crops on one patch of land to diversify the uptake of nutrient types and the growth of crops that actually put nutrients back into the soil. In all these ways, KelRae Farm has proven itself to work to mitigate the negative impacts of its agricultural practices.
During one such trip to the farm, the writers of the Dog Street Journal had the opportunity to meet a sustainability intern involved, Melissa Hudson, who was eager to share her experiences and knowledge of the program. Looking right in her element as she kneeled in the dusty earth to pull at weeds with practiced ease, she eagerly extolled the numerous benefits of the program. In addition to those listed above, other KelRae contributions run on a more fundamental level, speaking to personal growth and connections with the community.
It’s no secret that food systems as they run now are drastically different from even decades ago. Whereas America used to be an agrarian nation, few people today have any real-life experience with producing food or even informal knowledge of the system. While there is “more discussion on getting back to real food,” as Hudson puts it, most people are still “really detached from the food system.”
Few people of our generation have ever grown food, and much less are aware of the pesticides in it, the farming practices used to grow it, or even how it is transported. This level of ignorance is dangerous because it opens up the possibility for improper practices not only on the part of the consumer, but the producer as well. Simply stepping on a farm to engage visually and literally with the process, however, grants some form of understanding of food production, and perhaps it will create greater appreciation for the money, time, and effort that goes into every bite you take.
Beyond the contributions to societal awareness, participating in growing your food can have profound personal effects. Again, in the words of Hudson, “it is a personal thing,” the food we eat. We rely on it for not only survival, but also enjoyment, culture, and connections. Just think of the role it plays in holiday celebrations like Christmas or Thanksgiving. It is the basic structure upon which humans rely for tradition and relationships. Thus, it is a unique type of empowerment to play an active role in producing that not only for yourself, but for others in the community.
As college students, William and Mary volunteers especially benefit from a visit to KelRae. Witnessing tangible effects of their labor or simply stepping outside in the fresh air is crucial to a demographic that often sits inside all day studying in preparation for future careers. Students need that break from the repetitive doldrums of college life, and KelRae Farm is such a haven. Coming from extensive personal experience with the project, Melissa Hudson puts this in her own words. “It feels very productive in a way that schoolwork doesn’t,” she says.“It feels so much more real than something like finishing a paper.”
Getting down in the soil and being outside for a few hours provide a much needed break for the overstressed college student and, as Hudson personally reports, can improve productivity levels, mood, and morale once arriving back on campus.
Considering everything a student can gain from just one trip, it should come as no surprise that it is an experience that I, Melissa Hudson, and most others who have participated would highly recommend. Thankfully, during most of the fall and spring, any student has the option to join in. Simply visit the sustainability interns page on the Dining Services website, find the link through Student Happenings, or email wmgreendining@gmail.com to sign up for dates and times.
According to those who have participated, everyone should take advantage of this rare opportunity to join in this program. While you probably aren’t studying farming for a career, you will still benefit from this invaluable experience. And isn’t college all about trying new things?