Farming Hours
We host farming hours twice a week during the spring, summer and fall growing seasons. Volunteers can visit the farm during these hours to get hands-on farming experience. Learn to seed, weed, prune, apply natural fertilizer, harvest produce, and compost! This semester, we are hosting guided farming hours Tuesdays from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m, Wednesdays from 3 p.m. – p.m. & Thursdays from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Markets
We invite more than 15 vendors to Brandeis every year for our 3-4 annual farmers markets to support businesses and encourage sustainable eating. We also sell produce from the rooftop farm. Learn more on our “Markets” page.
Events
Each semester, Farmers Club leads discussions on different topics related to food justice, sustainable agriculture, and urban farming at the Brandeis Rooftop Farm. We call these discussions, “Picnics with a Purpose,” because all attendants get to enjoy delicious, fresh veggies from the farm. Our last Picnic with a Purpose was about the use of antibiotics in the meat industry.
We also host events to engage the Brandeis community with the farm. In the fall, we hosted a “FARMal,” an event full of live music, contra dancing, pumpkin decorating, and Nutella crepes. In the spring, we hosted PlantFEST, a celebration for the beginning of the growing season.
Donations
Throughout the growing season, we donate produce to our five partner organizations in order to help increase access of fresh vegetables in low-income communities. Learn more on our “Donations” page.
Youth Outreach
We work with the Brandeis Waltham Group to bring local youth to our farm. This semester, we led a Make-Your-Own-Salad workshop with the youth at the Prospect Hill Community Center, showing that healthy food can also be tasty! We also brought middle school students to tour our farm, harvest basil, and create a delicious pesto sauce.
Produce Sales
In order ensure financial sustainability for the farm, we sell a portion of our produce. We sell the majority of this portion through our farmers markets and our Community Supported Agriculture program. We also sell herbs to our dining provider, Sodexo, so students are able to enjoy farm fresh herbs in the Sherman Dining Hall.