Growing (Up) at Midland
Midland students play an active role in tending our 10-acre organic farm and garden. They seed, transplant, cultivate, harvest, compost, care for the orchard, and help grow the incredible food that we eat every day.
A Landscape for Learning
Our farm is both a working landscape and a learning space. Students gain practical agricultural skills while exploring soil science, botany, food systems, agricultural history, and the social questions that shape how food is grown, shared, and valued. Midland’s farm is certified organic by CCOF and certified by the Real Organic Project, connecting daily student work to a broader commitment to sustainable agriculture.
Students contribute to the garden through daily jobs, seasonal afternoon sports, the for-credit Farm Internship, Experiential Saturdays, and community cooking experiences that connect what grows in the field to what appears on the table.
Ways to Get Involved
Students contribute to the farm through Midland’s Jobs Program. Farm crews harvest produce for the kitchen, water the greenhouse, gather eggs, feed chickens, and help with the daily care that keeps the farm thriving.
These jobs make the connection between work and meal immediate. Students might harvest greens in the morning and see them at lunch in Stillman Hall, knowing their hands helped bring that food to the table.
Students can choose Farm Sport in the fall, winter, or spring. They work in the field, greenhouse, orchard, and garden while spending active afternoons outside with friends.
Farm Sport students seed, transplant, harvest, and process food through the changing seasons. They learn the basics of growing produce while discovering how good food can taste when it comes straight from the land they know.
Students can take Farm Internship as a for-credit course in either semester. They study soil science, agricultural history, social issues in agriculture, botany, and food systems, then research an agricultural topic for a final presentation.
Internship students also do the full, satisfying work of growing food. They seed trays, transplant starts, cultivate row crops, harvest produce, prune the fruit orchard, and learn the basics of operating tractors. Students leave with practical farm skills and a richer understanding of where food comes from, locally and globally.
Taste what is in season, try new flavors, and experience the simple joy of sharing something delicious from the farm. On Half Holidays, weekends, and club nights, students often elect to spend time on the farm, snacking on fresh strawberries or vine-ripe tomatoes, picking veggies for a simple salad or fresh fruit for a sweet treat, and even firing up our outdoor stone pizza oven for a dinner with friends and faculty. These informal moments help students connect food, creativity, and community.
FAVORITES FROM OUR 10+ ACRE FARM & GARDEN