Washington
State University Organic Farm
Pullman, Washington
jaeckel@wsu.edu
http://css.wsu.edu/organicfarm/
The 3 acre Organic Farm is
located inside the 50 acre WSU Tukey Horticultural Orchard and is 1.5
miles from the main Pullman campus. The Organic Farm operates through the
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences while the orchard is run by the
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. The Organic Farm
was first certified organic in 2004 and remains certified by the
Washington State Department of Agriculture.
The Organic Farm is committed to
education, research, and extension. As a teaching farm the primary goal is
to pass on the skills necessary to grow organic fruits and vegetables in
an intensive small-scale environment. The farm is available to the WSU
scientific community to conduct organic research projects. In addition,
the farm strives to provide fresh produce to local food banks and
non-profits.
Ground was broken at the farm in the fall
of 2003 under the direction of Dr. John Reganold, WSU soil scientist and
professor, and Kathi Colen-Peck, WSU graduate student. Initial farm
funding came as grants from Small Planet Foods and the Kellogg Foundation.
These funds were used to acquire the first farm structures, basic hand
tools, irrigation supplies, seeds, and support the payroll for the first
season. The first field course was offered at the farm in 2004. In the
fall of 2004, Brad Jaeckel, became farm manager and instructor. Brad owns
and operates his own small farm in Moscow, ID.
The initial grant funding ended in 2004
and in 2005 the farm began an 85-member CSA (Community Supported
Agriculture) to generate funds for farm expenses. A harvest shed was built
that year and more perennial crops were planted. Following the success of
the 2005 season, the CSA increased to 100 members in 2006. The remainder
of operational funding currently comes from the Department of Crop and
Soil Sciences, WSU Small Farms Team, and WSU Center for Sustaining
Agriculture and Natural Resources.
In 2006, WSU approved the first organic
agriculture major in the nation as part of its new Food Systems degree
program. The farm's summer field course, Soils 480 – Practicum in Organic
Agriculture, became a requirement for the new major.
Farm structures include a small tool
shed, a 24'x24' harvest shed/shade structure, two 20'x48' hoophouses, a
vermiculture bin, a large area for composting, and an educational soil
pit. As well as growing 30+ annual crops the farm is also home to a
culinary herb garden, medicinal herb garden, asparagus, Italian plums,
rhubarb, and raspberries. Irrigation water is supplied by WSU and an
efficient drip system is utilized for almost all crops. Currently the farm
enjoys a 25 week harvest season extending from mid-May to the end of
October with approximately 120 frost free days. The farm
manager/instructor and assistant manager are the only paid employees with
the remainder of labor coming from students and volunteers. By working
with the Palouse Food Project and the WSU Community Service Learning
Center the farm addresses local food security issues and provides a
location for volunteer participation.
