Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Standish, Maine | EST. 2017
Key Operators
Dining Hall Manager
Enterprise Startup & Operations Manager
Student Farmers
Farms
One
Area Served
SJCME campus and surrounding community
Main Crops
Greenstar & Rouxai lettuce
Arugula & kale
Edible flowers
Hilary Lamkin, Freight Farm Operator and Dining Hall Manager
Farming on campus
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (SJCME) is a small Catholic liberal arts college in rural Maine with about 1,000 students living on campus. In addition to wanting to serve fresh and local food year-round, SJCME wanted to bring a farm to campus to offer meaningful opportunities for student employment, create community-based and multi-disciplinary learning curriculums, and add sustainability initiatives to campus.
SJCME’s campus farm was originally owned and operated at a nearby Hannaford Supermarket. The supermarket originally planned to sell the hydroponic-produce in their stores, but ultimately decided the model was better for a school campus. They graciously donated the farm to SJCME in 2017, and have remained invested community partners ever since.
Dining Hall Integration
The Saint Joseph’s College Freight Farm is seamlessly integrated into the dining halls, mainly because both are managed by the same person! Hilary manages the school’s largest dining hall, and was one of the first from the SJCME staff to become involved. She now oversees general farm management and kitchen coordination, passing the day-to-day farm operations to her student farmers.
“The chefs love it, they absolutely love it, and they love seeing it come through the door. Sometimes we have to buy lettuce from outside and it’s never as good as what we get from the Freight Farm”
Student Employment
With many students looking for part-time work in a rural community, the school saw the farm as a great chance to create student jobs on campus. Today, four students work at the farm: Some are in related majors and want real-world experience, while others are simply interested in working with exciting technology. All the students have learned important skills and some have resolved to become hydroponic farmers after graduation.
“I love being responsible for the lettuce we eat and being involved in something sustainable and technologically-advanced. I’m amazed how much lettuce the farm can produce in such a short growing cycle”
Farming Curriculum
When the farm first arrived at SJCME, it was primarily a tool for community-based learning, which involved students working with local partners to create social good in the community. Recently, the farm has been the center for a new and exciting initiative: the Institute for Local Food System Innovation. The Institute will use the campus Freight Farm as the foundation for a program with a large hydroponic farm, commercial processing kitchen, and barn for events and agro-tourism. Learn more →
“Having a Freight Farm on campus has allowed us to give our students practical ways to apply their majors towards a project they can see on campus.”
Learn more about Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
Farm to school webinar
We interviewed the farm operators and student farmers from SJCME, and recorded the whole thing! We cover how the school integrates their hydroponic produce into the dining halls and uses the farm to build out an engaging curriculum. Hear firsthand from students about their experience in the farm and learn about the schools new Institute for Local Food System Innovation.
Don’t have time to watch the entire webinar? Get the full story from our comprehensive recap.
Saint Joseph’s College Q&A
Get to know the SJCME farm even better! Students and operators answer 14 of our questions, ranging from how they became involved with the farm, to what they think is the more pressing issue in the food system.
Get in touch
We would love to hear from you about your farming project. Contact us for customized information tailored for your unique needs.