Students Student-Run Farm Grows Crops—and Community Stories You May Like Holy Cows! Brothers (and their Farm) Star on New TV Show Cornell-Based Program Cultivates Stability for NY’s Farming Families Student-Run Grocery Store Offers Fresh Food at Affordable Prices For more than two decades, Dilmun Hill has raised both produce and awareness about the value of agriculture By Melissa Newcomb On the more rural stretch of Dryden Road, not far from Cornell Orchards, is a small wooden sign for Dilmun Hill Student Farm, hand painted in cheery colors. And beyond that sign—down a short, woodsy pathway—is a vibrant, flourishing, 12-acre farm with a history and community that’s even sweeter than the berries that grow there. Run completely by students—including four managers who choose what to plant and work there full-time in the summer—the farm uses organic practices to grow around 100 crops, including tomatoes, peppers, beans, lettuce, squash, radishes, garlic, herbs, lettuce, kale, spinach, and more. Tomatoes, ripening on the vine. It also boasts a variety of less typical offerings, like edible flowers, currants, and pawpaws (a tree fruit, native to North America, that tastes like a fusion of mango, banana, and citrus). “No day is the same, and that’s what makes it fun,” says manager Elinor Behlman ’26, an environment and sustainability major in CALS. “There’s a lot of problem solving—like, how am I going to trellis these tomatoes with just a piece of string? Or moving a snapping turtle with a wheelbarrow; we did that last week.” During the summer growing season, she and her fellow managers start each day sitting at a wooden picnic table in front of the barn, planning their work as the sun comes up. “Having total control over what we grow for months is daunting, but a lot of fun to figure out,” says manager Coco Poopat ’26, a plant science major. “There’s so many possibilities.” There’s a lot of problem solving—like, how am I going to trellis these tomatoes with just a piece of string? Elinor Behlman ’26 On a typical Thursday in July, one student picks garlic and hangs it to dry out while another harvests zucchini. Then there are plants that need to be weeded and a raised bed that needs mulching. The students’ hard work yields hundreds of pounds of produce each year—as well as an abundance of new farming knowledge and the growth of a community that has endured for three decades. Garlic hung to dry. “The farm connects people,” says manager Blythe Van Ness ’26, an environment and sustainability major. “Regardless of your discipline, it’s a great learning space for self-exploration.” Part of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, the farm traces its origin to 1994, when a grad student working group was formed with the aim of improving experiential learning focused on sustainable agriculture and food systems. Among its top priorities: establishing a small-scale working farm on campus and distributing its produce through food outlets on the Hill. The farm launched two years later, originally on three acres provided by the Orchards (more land was later acquired from the Department of Animal Science). Stories You May Like Holy Cows! Brothers (and their Farm) Star on New TV Show Cornell-Based Program Cultivates Stability for NY’s Farming Families How Does Their Garden Grow? Coco Poopat ’26 hangs tomato trellising.Blythe Van Ness ’26 prepares to plant.Elinor Behlman ’26 weeds a garden bed.Izzie Beck ’27 inspects the soil. "Many students enter Dilmun Hill with very little background in farming, and it's the first place for them to get practical hands-on experience—so they're often learning as they go," says Ryan Maher, who supervises and supports them in his role as the Experiment Station's organic farm coordinator. "It’s a lot more than farming, too; it’s figuring out how to connect with and foster a community of students who are interested in small farms and local foods." Over the years, Dilmun Hill has also been used for research, class visits, and unconventional agricultural approaches, including using worms to create “vermicompost” for use on the farm. Blueberries—harvested in collaboration with Cornell Orchards—tempt the taste buds. (During summer 2024, as part of a faculty-led research project, the farm has been testing human urine as a natural fertilizer—though only in plots dedicated to scientific study.) And it’s not just humans who enjoy the farm’s bounty: in summer 2023, students planted a pollinator garden complete with flowers, trees, and shrubs that attract insects like bees and butterflies. "The farm is constantly evolving," notes Maher, adding: "I'm amazed at what the student managers can accomplish." The produce is now distributed in a variety of ways, including through a community supported agriculture (CSA) program: for just $100 (or for volunteer hours in lieu of cash), members receive a weekly share during two summer months. Students, staff, and faculty at an open house. “Growing and giving people food is the best feeling,” says manager Izzie Beck ’27, an agricultural science major. “Knowing how much work you put into growing it, people are grateful to have it and you can feel that gratitude.” In the fall, most of the produce is sold at Anabel’s Grocery—a nonprofit, student-run store in Anabel Taylor Hall—as well as through pop-up markets on the Ag Quad and elsewhere. Growing and giving people food is the best feeling Izzie Beck ’27 In addition to serving as a Dilmun Hill manager, Behlman works at Anabel’s—which gives her a unique perspective. “Getting to see the food cycle from the seed we plant to the final product that is sold in a grocery store is unique,” she says, “and something really special.” Top: Students at work at the farm. (All photos and video by Sreang Hok / Cornell University.) Published August 23, 2024 Comments Philip Cartey, Class of 1989 25 Aug, 2024 what a wonderful vision is coming to fruition with these young pioneers!! as a Vegetable Crops graduate, I can appreciate all the bending lifting pulling hoeing and shoveling that must go on during the seasons Reply Laura Judd, Class of 1989 6 Sep, 2024 This is so wonderful to hear!! It is great to see young people so passionate about farming. I studied Ag Ed there and went on to help run a family vegetable farm for years. It was hard work, but so rewarding. Laura Judd Class of 1989 Reply Mark Boehm, Class of 1982 12 Sep, 2024 I’m so happy to see this. Wish this program had been available when I was in Ithaca. Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. 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