Antioch Farm
Welcome to the Antioch Farm!
The Antioch Farm is a working farm and learning laboratory located on Antioch College’s south campus. Started in 2011, the Farm includes a two-acre annual growing area with a 600-square foot hoop house, more than five acres of pasture for animal grazing, two acres of food forest, and a composting site. And it’s staffed mostly by Antioch students.
The Antioch College Farm utilizes ecological agriculture to provide an integrated context for liberal arts learning. The Farm allows students to experience, explore, and develop methods of sustainability, through its interwoven functions as an outdoor laboratory for curricular study and a living forum where student labor connects to campus dining and recycling. Our sustainable land management program—including the Farm to the entire campus—has received international recognition, ranking 2nd as a top performer in the AASHE Campus Sustainability Index.
The average meal in the United States travels 1,500 miles to reach our tables. At Antioch College, food from the Antioch Farm travels about 1,500 feet to our Kitchens!
Guiding Principles
The Antioch Farm models and practices a variety of sustainably focused growing methods rooted in seven guiding principles outlined below.
- Environmental Sustainability – Growing methods not only meet the National USDA Organic Standards but they also include ecological, biodynamic, and/or permaculture practices. Structures and facilities reflect our commitment to environmental sustainability, conserving natural resources, and minimizing campus waste.
- Healthy, Living Soil – The Farm uses campus leaves, vegetable dining scraps, and other local “waste” products to create a nutrient-rich soil that is high in organic matter and teeming with microbial life. Special attention is paid to soil conservation and soil ecology.
- Biodiversity – Taking cues from nature, the Farm grows a variety of perennial and annual plants, including crops that attract beneficial insects.
- Local Water Quality – No synthetic chemicals or fertilizers, which can leach into the local watershed, are used. Water conservation practices are employed.
- Experiential Education – The Farm is an outdoor classroom, integrated into the curriculum, providing a living laboratory for experimentation and an interactive learning space.
- Economic Sustainability – Fresh food grown on the Farm goes entirely to enhance student dining and, by employing student workers, the Farm helps to sustain the campus economy.
- Community Sustainability – The Antioch Farm cooperates with and supports local sustainability efforts. The Antioch Farm does not compete with local growers and considers impact to community with actions.
Farm Connections
The Farm is central to many aspects of campus and community life.
- The Farm is a central element of our internationally recognized farm-to-table dining program.
- Employing Antioch students since its inception, the Farm provides students employment and hand-on learning about local, sustainable agriculture.
- Faculty collaboration with the Farm provides extensive experiential learning opportunities and inspires innovative class projects like soil building experiments.
- Strong community connection to the Farm enables opportunities for volunteering, school and public tours.
Get Involved
Contact Assistant Farm Manager Jessica Licis if you would like to help on the farm. All ages and skill levels are welcome.
