The rows of crops are so bright green that you can almost see them photosynthesizing.  Not too far away, nearly 100 dairy cows are relaxing or eating in their pens.  In the field, a handful of high school students are working, getting ready for the farmers market that they will run later in the day.  It sounds like a scene from a quaint farming town.  However, this farm is inside the city of Columbus on the OSU campus at the Waterman Research Center and is run primarily by OSU students.     The high school students who are preparing for their market are from Metro High School, and are overseen by Neal Bluel, who is both a high school teacher and a graduate student.  Last October, Bluel and Dr. Sheli Smith of the PAST Foundation put forth the idea of doing an agriculture-related project with the students.   At first it was just going to be a vegetable stand, but the decision was made to form a farmers market.   The farm where the students work consists of about 1 ¼ acres of land.  There are three distinctly separate plots: one organic, one transitional, and one sustainable.  Some interesting methods are used to keep out pests and increase yield.  Unprinted newspaper keeps weeds down and marigolds draw pests away from the crops.  Onions are interspersed amongst the cauliflower.  To thin out the crops, the students harvest some early and sell the baby vegetables to chefs.  Following an old Native American practice, corn, squash, and beans are grown together because the corn offers shade for the squash and provides a natural stake for the beans.  This practice makes for labor-intensive harvesting but allows for efficient use of limited land.  “This is kind of a research facility as well,” Bluel noted.  Other produce at the farm included broccoli, kohlrabi, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and nasturtiums, among many others.  There are some specialty products that are used by Dining Services for high-end occasions, such as dinners at the Blackwell Hotel or with the OSU president.     Bluel said that there will be about seven or eight vendors at the market each week.  Because of the limited number of vendors, Bluel’s goal has been variety.  One vendor has meat, another has corn, etc.  The students bring tomatoes and squash that they grow.  “We’re looking at expanding it,” Bluel said of the market.  However, he was quick to note that it is still in its startup phase, and the main goal is to have it well established for the next group of students who come along.  Bluel also praised the energy and enthusiasm of the students and all the others involved in making this market happen.  “You’ll never experience it again,” he said of the startup energy on a new project.     The student market is part of Growing America, a program created by Metro High School in conjunction with the PAST Foundation and OSU to use agriculture as a learning tool.  The program currently has 38 partners, including Local Matters, the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, OSU Dining Services, and the Franklin Park Conservatory.  Ultimately, the goal is to expand the program to other universities.  Part of the process involved in that is getting the word out.         “I have a background in marketing,” Bluel said.  OSU Dining Services is helping with that, as they have agreed to display a placard in front of food from this farm that mentions the farm.  Greater exposure for this farm and others like it increases the probability of Growing America being able to expand to other schools.  He hopes that urban agriculture programs such as this one can help bridge the gap and make people more aware of their food’s origins.  

 

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