Trailside Organic Farm: 2024 Season Wrap Up

Trailside Organic Farm has wrapped up their third growing season! Here is a breakdown of our 2024 season and years’ past.

• 28,564 number of seedlings planted at the farm beginning with lettuce in the tunnels in February. This is 50% more than last year and almost 80% more than our
  first season
• 2,107 total plants, including vegetables, herbs, flowers that were grown at the Trailside Organic Farm for the Blooms & More Festival with the help of resident
  volunteers. Unsold plants were distributed to community gardeners at the Chestnut Street Community Center and provided to gardeners at Cornwall Manor
  (residents and employees).
• 1,920 square feet of covered growing space (tunnels) being used to grow cool weather crops this winter, with an additional 1,800 square feet being used for outdoor winter production.
• 31 number of Farm Markets held this year starting on May 17 with asparagus, carrots, chard, collards, kale and lettuce.
• 2,615 pounds of veggies sold at the Farm Markets. This is almost 50% more than last season! Our best-selling items were flower bouquets, lettuce, cantaloupe and cherry tomatoes.
• 45 number of deliveries to dining services (as of the writing of this article).
• 5,184 pounds of produce distributed to dining services. This is about the same as last year and almost twice as much as our first season in 2022. Our best seller to dining services was lettuce, followed by slicing tomatoes,
  summer squash and cucumbers.
• 5,405 pounds donated to the Chestnut Street Community Center. This is 160% more than last year. 40% of our donations were imperfect, but still tasty, produce that either had too much damage, was too small or was left over from the previous week. Our most donated items this year were slicing tomatoes, summer squash, chard and lettuce.
• 1,711 pounds of summer squash, including zucchini and yellow squash, distributed this season. This was our most productive crop (by weight), followed by slicing tomatoes with 1,583 lbs distributed and cantaloupe
  with 1,079 lbs distributed.
• 578 – number of bouquets created. 55% were sold at the farm markets and 39% were used for events or as decor around campus.
• 17 – number of residents who volunteered their time to help us sow seeds, harvest and process produce, run the Farm Markets and assist with events like tours and student field trips.
• 225 (and counting!) – number of total volunteer hours. This is more than
  twice as many as last year! A big thank you to all our volunteers.
• +/-135 – number of students who visited the farm on field trips this season. We had students from Lebanon Middle School visit us in the spring and students from Cornwall Elementary come out this fall. The students toured the farm, learned about pollinators, potted a plant to take home or made a farm related craft.
• 22 – number of residents who attended our most popular workshop where they created organic planters of culinary herbs and pollinator flowers.
• 3 – number of bouquet making workshops we held for residents at locations around the campus. We hope to continue widening our scope of engagement,
  especially for Health Center and Corson Hall residents.