Several dozen Cornell agricultural students from a variety of disciplines have banded together to start the Cornell Student Farm on two acres of the Cornell Orchards. These students will obtain hands-on experience, working alongside and passing their knowledge on to children from Ithaca's Southside Community Center.
"More and more agricultural students here are com ing from urban backgrounds, instead of family farms, and the students here need more hands-on experience," said Kalay D. Mordock, Cornell graduate student in education. "We're hoping that the Cornell students integrate their research topics with their experience at the Student Farm."
The farm is growing such staples as corn, radishes, squash, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs. Marguerite Wells, a Cornell sophomore, is the Cornell Student Farm manager. The children from the Southside Community Center will be selling the weekly harvests each Friday afternoon, through October, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the commu nity center at 305 S. Plain St.
The Cornell students represent majors ranging from animal science and anthropology to plant breeding, and their goal is to learn as much as possible about organic farming and other projects. Funding for the student farm was provided by grants from the Robert S. Smith Award of the Tompkins County Trust Co.; the Cornell Dean of Students' office; the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean of Academic Programs office; and the Dean of Research office. The staff at Cornell Orchards and Farm Services also have contributed their time, equipment and advice.
Ian Merwin, Cornell assistant professor of fruit and vegetable science, and the group's adviser, understands the importance of this formative year for the Cornell students: "This is a student-initiated, student-managed and student-led project," Merwin said. "For some, this farm will be a life-changing experience. Many are al ready talking about buying some land and working it."