122 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM words by JOHANNA HARLOW Planting seeds of learning and cultivating community on Stanford soil The Farm’s Farm Tucked away on the outskirts of Stanford University, neat rows of crops stretch out across six peaceful acres. Unlike commercial operations, every row at the school’s O’Donohue Family Educational Farm reveals a shift in vegetation, producing a pleasing profusion of colors and textures. There are crinkly kale leaves and glossy chard flushed with ruby red stalks. Bursts of bright orange marigolds and blue borage. Feathery carrot tops and pops of bright red peppers. Farm director Patrick Archie points out a section of non-harvestable cover crops: a flurry of wild clover, legumes and oats, which enrich the soil and “reset” the rows. “Once they start to flower, we come in and mow them down,” he explains. “Then we till them into the soil and they compost.” Farming isn’t about instant gratification. A healthy operation requires careful preparation and patience with the process. And in the case of the O’Donohue Family Educational Farm, this applies to both nurturing the ground and cultivating the community growing up around it. Since its inception in 2014, the farm has gone from an underutilized plot of weeds to a thriving, verdant hub. Over 15,000 pounds of organic fruits, vegetables and herbs feed students at Stanford’s dining halls and go to the Teaching Kitchen @ Stanford each year. The farm’s sunflowers, snapdragons and 27 other kinds of blooms bring color to campus events. It hosts countless workshops and cross-disciplinary events and also functions as a living classroom. Twice a week, volunteers find a little earthy R&R while tending the grounds. “Come walk around and see,” Patrick invites. So off we go.
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