ATHENS, Ohio – Modern grocery stores often obscure the long journey some food takes to get from farm to the table. Many students at Ohio University grew up not knowing the real trek their foods take, but their OHIO Student Farm has corrected their thinking and stands as a hidden treasure, promoting sustainable agriculture and hands-on learning.

According to farm manager Tony Noble, the farm provides students with valuable insights into the intricacies of farming that go beyond textbook learning.

“There are so many intricate details and wisdom you gain from hands-on farming that you just can’t learn in a book,” Noble said. “You have to do things, fail at them, and figure out how it works.”

The oldest part of the farm was created more than 40 years ago. It has since expanded to include approximately two acres in total including outdoor classrooms, learning gardens, student garden plots and a high tunnel.

The primary goal of the student farm is education. Students from a variety of programs, across multiple colleges, utilize the farm space for several functions. Classes in subjects like food studies, medicinal plants, nutrition, physiological ecology, plant biology and sustainable agriculture are involved with the farm. Internships at the farm are also available to students in the spring, summer and fall.

“Being on the main part of campus in enjoyable, but this is a totally different experience,” said Claire LeMelle, an OHIO Student Farm intern and second-year student majoring in anthropology and philosophy. “We have somewhere that is a local farm but also meant just for learning, so students cannot just go see a farm but learn anything they want to there.”

The student farm has no full-time staff and is primarily managed by Noble and associate professor emeritus and volunteer Dr. Arthur Trese. Trese took over the farm when it was much smaller and still called the learning garden.

Now, the OHIO Student Farm is operating as a small business,” Trese said. “We grow the same kind of produce most local produce farmers grow and then we sell it to local restaurants. We sell some to the university and then we sell some to the Chesterhill Produce Auction.”

The farm grows more than two dozen different kinds of plants, including but not limited to arugula, blueberries, blackberries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, eggplant, fennel, garlic, a variety of herbs, hops, kale, different types of lettuce, peppers, potatoes, radish, raspberries, spinach, squash, strawberries, tomatoes and wheat.

Many of the fruits and vegetables grown at the farm make their way to Ohio University students. Being Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified allows the OHIO Student Farm to sell produce directly to Ohio University Culinary Services during the school year. This food ends up feeding students at dining halls and markets around campus. In 2023, Culinary Services purchased more than 900 pounds of local, sustainably grown produce from the Ohio Student Farm.

“People don’t know how rewarding the work is until they do it,” said Kaya Stone, an OHIO Student Farm intern and fourth-year student studying environmental science and sustainability. “I know outside work is not for everyone, but it’s beautiful here and it’s really nice to wake up and know that you’re going to work at a place where everyone is putting in 100 percent and it inspires you to put in 100 percent.”

At this student-run farm, the participants have the opportunity to learn about planting schedules, water management, and sustainable practices that differ from conventional farming methods.

Trese developed many of these community relationships before his retirement and his continued dedication to the farm through volunteering has helped the student farm maintain these connections.

“It gradually developed with my class,” Trese said. “We had a farm that was something more than just a little garden. As it expanded, we really wanted people to come see. We did tours here, we did workshops here. I was really able to connect with a lot of the local farming community.”