The Student Sustainable Farm at Rutgers is located at Rutgers' Horticultural Research Station #3 on Ryders Lane in New Brunswick, on the G. H. Cook campus of Rutgers University.

The farm, which has five acres of land under cultivation, runs on the Community Supported Agriculture model: up to 150 participating households purchase a "share" in the farm at the start of the season. In return they receive a weekly portion of each week's harvest of organically grown produce. Over the course of the season, the farm grows over a dozen different types of herbs and 30 kinds of vegetables, including many heirloom varieties not commonly seen in markets.

The farm offers paid summer internships for students at Rutgers University / School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, providing them with hands-on experience in the production and management of a small organic farm.

History

The farm originated as the Cook Student Organic Farm (CSOF) in 1993. The initial goals of the farm were to

give students the opportunity to grow vegetables organically
give students the experience of managing an operating farm
help students address the issues of hunger within the local community
be financially self-sustaining, and
provide hands on leadership training for Rutgers undergraduates.

Farm production began during the 1994 growing season. The initial land under cultivation was 1.25 acres, and 24 shareholders participated at a cost of $150 each.

In the early years, grants and money from Rutgers University helped to meet many of the initial start-up costs. After the farm became established and was able to sell more shares and generate more income, it became a self-sustaining enterprise.

The farm was successful and quickly expanded. During the 1999 growing season the cultivated land was expanded to 3 acres, and 125 shareholders participated at a cost of $250 per share. After 2008, the acreage was expanded to 5 acres, with 150 shareholders participating.

In 2010 the farm's name was changed to "The Student Sustainable Farm at Rutgers". This was done in part because of Cook College's change in name to the "Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences", and also because the farm has not gone through the cost and paperwork process to be officially "certified organic."

In recent years, berry bushes have been planted, and interns grew flowers which they sold to raise additional funds.

Why CSA?

When the farm was starting up, a number of issues were considered regarding how the vegetables would be marketed:

Enough income needed to be made from the sale of the produce to finance the farm and pay the interns.
Money had to be raised early in the season when most of the bills for materials needed to be paid.
As part of a research institution like Rutgers University, part of the farm's purpose was to support the community, not compete with it. If the farm sold produce to retailers or wholesalers, or from a roadside stand or farmers' market, it would directly compete with local merchants.
Most importantly, the purpose of the farm is to allow students the chance to learn about organic and sustainable farming practices. The marketing concept for this farm had to be flexible enough so the students could focus on production.

Community Supported Agriculture differs from farmers' markets in that a limited group of people purchase shares. In return for becoming a shareholder of the farm, these shareholders receive produce throughout the season. A number of local farmers were asked to evaluate this approach, and they agreed that competition with them would be negligible.

Because shares are sold and all marketing is completed before the start of the season, CSA allows a farm to have cash flow when it is needed most. Consequently, loans are avoided, accounting is simplified, and farm managers know immediately if costs will be met for the season. If profits fall short, plans can be made to raise extra money before there is a crisis situation.

CSA is also greatly forgiving of natural disasters. Crops are paid for before they are planted, which spreads the financial burden of crop failure among the shareholders during the growing season. More fundamentally, CSA is a concept that supports sustainable organic farming practices. By fostering a direct link with the community, a responsibility to produce food is established. Because shareholders come to expect and rely on the food they receive, the land must be cared for. In this way CSA provides not only a way for organic farms to remain viable in the short-term, but organic practices help CSAs to be sustainable in the long-term. Also, because food is distributed locally, with minimal transportation and processing, energy and limited resources are conserved.

After considering these potential benefits, CSA was chosen as the model of operations for the farm. Not only would it provide income without pressure on students to sell continually through the season, it would also give them the chance to learn organic farming techniques, and foster beneficial links with the Rutgers and New Brunswick communities.

Farm Operation

A faculty member serves as the advisor. He is responsible for the management of farm finances, including collection of shareholder fees, hiring of interns, purchase of materials and financial reporting. He coordinates efforts between Rutgers University, the interns, and the shareholders, and trains the interns in the use and maintenance of the farming equipment. In addition, he meets weekly with the interns to discuss the work needed to keep the farm running smoothly.

Under the direction of the farm advisor, the interns manage all aspects of the farm. These student farmers cultivate and maintain the fields, bring in the weekly harvest, determine how much of each vegetable will be in that week's share, and post a description of the share in the pickup shed. They are present when shareholders come to pick up their produce, replenishing the various vegetables as the bins run low, and are available to answer any questions the shareholders have about the vegetables and how to prepare them. The interns also publish a weekly newsletter, The Cover Crop, containing notes about the farm, articles about vegetables, recipes, and other information.

Shares

The farm's shares are sold in April of each year, first being offered to shareholders from the previous year, and then to a waiting list. Income from sales of the shares pays the interns' salaries and the cost of seeds and other supplies.

Share prices take into account:

the total amount of money that is needed for supplies, equipment and labor,
the amount of food that can be produced, and
the total number of shareholders that will invest

One share supplies the vegetable needs of about 2 people. On average, this is about 10-15 lbs. of produce per week, although this is highly variable -- in the early weeks when lettuce and spinach are in season, the share weighs less than later in the season when tomatoes, potatoes, and watermelon are available. The market value of each week's organically grown vegetables typically exceeds the cost of the shareholder's investment.

Unlike some CSA's, where the share is prepared by the farmer, the shareholders assemble their week's share from the produce set out by the interns.

About Organic Farming

All the produce at the Student Sustainable Farm is organically farmed.

Organic farming is more than just foregoing chemical pesticides, herbicides, and other petroleum-based products such as most commercial fertilizers; it requires an understanding of natural ecosystems that includes pest-plant relationships and soil ecology. Organic farming attempts to mimic natural systems more closely to produce healthy crops in a practical and sustainable way, by using techniques such as crop rotation, cover cropping, and inter-planting. 1

Connections to Community

The relationships that CSA fosters is more than an economic one. Social links are often formed through CSAs that can have important consequences. Growers get to communicate with shareholders on a weekly basis, sharing what is going on with the farm and finding out what they think of the produce. People are reconnected to the source of their food, and how it is grown. Since food is distributed at the farm, shareholders always have the chance to see the farm operation, the land, and even help with production if they choose. Shareholders also come to understand what can be produced seasonally in the local climate. Often they receive unusual vegetables that can't be found in supermarkets. A CSA can also have an impact on the diets of its members. Not only are they provided with a diversity and quantity of vegetables, but these are extremely fresh, most often having been picked the same day that they are taken home.

The purpose of the Student Sustainable Farm is to supply produce to its shareholders and also to other members of the community. A portion of the harvest is distributed each week to the New Brunswick soup kitchen, Elijah's Promise. Occasionally surplus produce is also sent to food banks and other charitable organizations.

External Websites

The Student Sustainable Farm at Rutgers official website

The Student Sustainable Farm at Rutgers Facebook group