The College recently approved a funding proposal for the Dartmouth College Organic Farm, granting $29,675 for its first year of operation, according to Director of Outdoor Programs Earl Jette.
The College-owned organic farm, located three miles north of campus, will allow students to develop projects in such areas as plant competition, soil chemistry and nutrient cycling, according to the proposal.
Jim Hourdequin '97, who authored the proposal, said the primary focus of the farm is to provide research opportunities for undergraduate students.
"It's tremendously exciting that [the College] decided to commit to it," Hourdequin said.
It "really show[s] Dartmouth's commitment to environmental concerns and creating an awareness for many issues in agriculture which often go unnoticed," he added.
The idea for the farm stemmed from an Environmental Studies 50 report, Hourdequin said.
According to Hourdequin, one full-time student intern and three to four part-time interns will be employed by the farm, and numerous student volunteers will also help out.
Besides "introducing students to some natural history," the farm will allow students to have a myriad of research opportunities, he said.
The farm will be implemented for a three-year trial period, after which it will be subject to evaluation, according to the proposal.
The farm will provide produce to Dartmouth Dining Services, the Hanover Inn and Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, which will help support the farm's operational expense, according to Hourdequin.
Organic produce is free from synthetic chemicals, Hourdequin said, which makes the food tastier and more nutritious.
The proposal projects "the farm will be operationally self-supporting through revenues from the sale of produce and outside donations by the fourth year of operation."
The farm would be overseen by the Student Life Office and the Office of Outdoor Programs, Jette said.
The process of hiring a farm manager, the preliminary step in starting the farm, should begin next month, according to Jette.
The manager will be in charge of working with student interns to "administer day to day affairs of the farm, including bookkeeping, purchasing, and the growing and marketing of crops for sale," and will also oversee the operational and financial plans of the farm, the proposal states.
The farm manager will also be in charge of the production plan and will work with the faculty to determine what needs to be done for students in terms of academic and educational programming, Jette said.
The Organic Farm Advisory Committee composed of faculty, students and administrators will "set yearly objectives, work to integrate the farm with curriculum and guide the farm manager," according to the proposal.
Jette said preparations for growing and planting will probably take place in the winter, and students can begin the actual planting in the spring when the snow melts.
