Clark University & Sodexo
Worcester, Massachusetts | EST. 2016
Key Operators
Sodexo Student Employee
Clark University Farm Intern
Farms
One
Campus Partners
Sodexo
Clark Office of Sustainability
Area Served
Clark University Campus
Main Crops
Bambi Summer Crisp
Cherokee Summer Crisp
Moss Curled Parsley
Starbor Kale
Background
In January 2016, Clark University and Sodexo brought the Leafy Green Machine™ to campus to provide students the freshest greens possible. Since then, they have been growing hyper-local produce successfully only 100 yards from where it is served.
Sustainability is a core value at Clark, and is incorporated into every aspect of student life on campus. Clark was the first university in Massachusetts to sign on to the Real Food Challenge, a student-run organization determined on sourcing 20% of all food sold on campus from local, ecologically-sound, humanely raised or fair trade vendors by 2020.
Sodexo has its own vision of the future, with the Better Tomorrow Plan, which specifically focus on individuals, communities, and the environment. Partnering with Clark and Freight Farms allows Sodexo to foster engagement with students.
Nick Pagen, Sodexo Student Farmer at Clark University
“On harvest days I deliver the lettuce around 10:30, lunch service starts at 11, so students are getting produce that was harvested just a half an hour ago.”
Site Selection
The biggest factors for choosing a location for the farm on campus or otherwise, are the water and electrical sources. Clark also considered the farm’s visibility to make it accessible to current and incoming students, faculty, and the Worcester community. It was decided that the perfect location was a parking lot between the science center and admissions office.
Running the Farm
Clark's Freight Farm has two key operators. The primary farmer is a student Sodexo employee, and the secondary operator, a farm intern from Clark's Office of Sustainability. Both were hired before the farm arrived on campus, and the hiring process is repeated yearly to ensure a smooth transition as students graduate and move on.
Learn more about Clark University & Sodexo
Webinar
Our Freight Farms team sat down with the people bringing fresh greens to Clark University campus: Michael Newman, Heather Vaillette, and Nick Pagan. During the hour-long interview, we discussed the benefits of having a farm on campus, student engagement, the dining services integration, and more!
Webinar recap
Don't have a full hour to spare? Read our webinar re-cap to learn about how and why Clark University and Sodexo brought a Freight Farm to campus.
Clark University Q&A
During the Question and Answer portion of the webinar, we got quite a few inquiries about operations, logistics, and student reactions. Read responses from Clark, Sodexo, and Freight Farms representatives.
10 Reasons to Bring a Farm to Campus
Schools around the country are using farming to engage campus communities, create learning opportunities, start conversations about innovation and sustainability, and more. See all the ways a Greenery can transform your campus culture and identity.
Hear from Campus Partners
“Alumni love hearing about the farm and how it has become a part of our program. The greens are, well, just that…green. Picked at the peak of perfection rather than before they are ready so that it could be shipped to us. It’s an entirely different product and one look at it tells you that it’s hyper-local.”
“An important piece for Sodexo is our ‘Better Tomorrow Plan’ [which] specifically focuses on individuals, our communities, and our environment…Freight Farms has given us a great opportunity to have that engagement with students on a higher level, especially with sustainability.”
See Jack in action at the Clark & Sodexo farm!
SEE THE IMPACT
Meet Clark Student Farmer, Turned Entrepreneur, Jack Levine
After spending three years working at the Clark University student farmers, Jack was inspired to pursue a farming career. Within a year of graduating, Jack launched Town to Table with the mission to inspire others to discover the joys of farming.
Get in touch
We would love to hear from you about your farming project. Contact us for customized information tailored for your unique needs.