By Trista Coull & Gabrielle Bourbeau – Contributors

Since late summer, harvest has been in full swing at Bishop’s Educational Farm. The Educational Farm has hosted five agriculture classes and one environment class this fall. There, students learned about the various plots, seed saving activities and got their hands dirty harvesting summer crops and seeding cold-resistant crops for the fall. With the agricultural season coming to an end, these students, staff and Bishop’s Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Club (SAFS) have been joining in on many harvest activities. 

The Educational Farm is home to multiple research projects and plots, featuring crops such as strawberries, potatoes, carrots and Kernza, a perennial grain. Over the summer, six staff members were employed to take care of the farm, responsible for plot preparation to harvest. They ensured that research protocols were followed, allowing the farm to thrive despite the difficult weather this season.

In addition to staff members and students from classes that visited the farm this fall, volunteers were invited to aid in harvesting and weeding activities multiple times throughout the season. On Oct. 14, students and staff gathered to help collect apples, strawberries, and Kernza. They collected the apples from orchard trees planted in the 1980s, while the Kernza and strawberries were from research plots established in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Another harvest event is planned for Monday, Oct. 17.

This season, the farm produced over 2300 kg of fruit and vegetables, donating some to volunteers, the Bishop’s community fridge and the Community Cupboard, Cornerstone Foodbank, Grace Village Retirement Home and the childcare centre Le Petit Panda.   

Next spring, the farm will be hosting a six-week internship for upper-level SAFS students. The students will participate in the opening of the farm, plot preparation and seeding activities. The class from Spring 2023 planted over 350 raspberry plants, in addition to many other activities. There will also be multiple research assistant and farm assistant positions available for students looking to gain experience on the Educational Farm – keep an eye on your emails in the spring of 2024! 

As the weather begins to cool and fewer harvests remain, the SAFS club will be hosting a variety of activities throughout the winter, including maple production on campus. Make sure to follow the SAFS Club’s Instagram to see upcoming events! @safsclub.bu