The Good Earth Student Farm at Iowa State harvested over 5,500 pounds of produce in 2023. Around 3,600 pounds were donated in 2023 and 2,500 in 2024 to Students Helping Our Peers (SHOP), a student-run on-campus food pantry.
“We changed the structure of the Good Earth Farm, and we realized there is major food insecurity on campus, around 30% affecting students and we wanted to change that,” Ryan Everett, president of Good Earth Student Farm, said.
The farm functions as a workshare, where members volunteer their time to grow and harvest the crops in return for a share of the produce. The harvested goods are then distributed to the SHOP food pantry on campus and donated to the local community.
“Someone had the lightbulb idea to donate to the SHOP,” Everett said. “We knew we wanted to do more community outreach and that is how our process started.”
“I’ve often seen that the SHOP will have canned goods, but there is not so much fresh produce and that’s really important,” Mariana Castro Azpiroz, secretary to the Good Earth Student Farm, said. “I feel like we are really helping to supply for that need and I know a lot of students that are dependent upon the SHOP for food.”
“Our mission is to create a community of people who are trying to learn first-hand gardening and have some experience either in the garden, greenhouse or the farm,” Everett said.
This is the third year the Good Earth Student Farm has supplied fresh produce to the SHOP. The farm has a wide range of fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers. Certain foods, like fresh okra and sweet potatoes, can resonate with international students.
The process of growing the fresh food is through two different high tunnels, one covered and the other uncovered. The high tunnel allows the growing season to be extended. Within the high tunnel, it allows for certain plants to grow more proficient based on other plants around it. This practice is called companion planting.
This also allows the Good Earth Student Farm to maintain organic farming practices, including the use of no pesticides or chemicals that are not certified organically.
The Good Earth Student Farm has several sources of funding.
For the last several years, the farm has run an Iowa State Foundation Campaign. This includes a formal, month-long campaign to allow the Good Earth Student Farm to have a fundraiser.
The farm has raised over $3,000 in the last two years through its fundraising campaign, and has also received money through Student Government.
Throughout the 2024 season, the Good Earth Student Farm and the SHOP have faced some struggles.
“It is not a direct problem, but funding is always in the back of our minds,” Everett said. “We need to stay on top of it with fundraising, as well as transportation. A part of our model is that we offer rides to the farm.”
The SHOP has faced struggles with having volunteers donate their time, which has made it difficult for the Good Earth Student Farm to donate weekly food in a timely manner.
The SHOP is now only open three days a week–Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday–for a limited time.
“When we found out their times have shifted, it made us realize our fresh food will not be seen until Monday morning, so we have to work around that schedule to be able to give fresh produce,” Everett said.
The Good Earth Student Farm has a diverse program that allows everyone to join.
“I feel like it’s very open to everyone and a lot of fun because since we have all of these diverse backgrounds in the farm, you can have no previous knowledge and just learn by being on the farm,” Castro Azpiroz said.
The Good Earth Student Farm’s goals for the upcoming season are to maintain its current activities and further strengthen its partnership with the SHOP.
“The farm is for everyone,” Everett said. “There is an opportunity to have hands-on experience with small-scale farming. Our members are all through different departments and backgrounds. But really anyone is welcome.”
