UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Celebrate Earth Day with the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm at Penn State. Both campus and community are invited to celebrate and honor the earth on Apr. 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. This event is a collaboration between members of the Student Farm, AmeriCorps, and other campus and community organizations.
“Celebrating Earth Day helps bring awareness to measures we should be taking to preserve and care for Mother Earth and her resources. Earth Day on the Student Farm is a great way to be immersed in a nature-rich environment while engaging with local vendors, the community, and transformative conversations,” said Rebecca Durbin, executive director of the Student Farm Club.
There will be activities for all ages to enjoy on Apr. 25, including farm tours, food trucks, live music and fun sustainability-themed crafts.
During the event, there will be two immersive workshops that require pre-registration. The first workshop will be about shiitake mushrooms. For $31, workshop participants will have access to all materials needed to learn all about mushroom log cultivation and will be able to take their own 2-foot log home. Directly after the shiitake mushroom workshop, there will be a chance for guests to engage in vermicomposting. Participants can engage in a worm bin workshop, learning a sustainable way to discard food scraps. For $14 individuals will receive a 3-gallon system or $29 for a 10-gallon system. The registration includes all the materials needed to make a successful worm bin. Registration for this workshop can also be found by pre-registering on the Student Farm website.
"Spring is such a magical time of year out on the farm as we are getting plants in the fields and finally seeing life emerge after a cold winter. Earth Day on the farm is a perfect event for celebrating the Earth and all that it provides at the farm and beyond," said Sarah Landauer, a Student Farm AmeriCorps member.
Free transportation services will be provided on behalf of the Student Farm. Buses will shuttle from the Penn State Berkey Creamery bus pullout to the Student Farm and back, beginning at 3:45 p.m. and will run continuously through 7:15 p.m.
For more information, visit the Student Farm website or direct questions to Leslie Pillen at lrp143@psu.edu.
About the Sustainable Food Systems Network at Penn State
The Sustainable Food Systems Network includes the Dr. Keiko Miwa Ross Student Farm at Penn State, Student Farm Club, Food Recovery Network, the inter-college Food Systems Minor program, and Course-Client Collaborations. The goal of the program is to develop students’ knowledge about sustainable agriculture practices while providing hands-on learning opportunities and positively contributing to the community