On a patch of Oregon State University land in Corvallis, the OSU Organic Growers Club is cultivating much more than fruits, vegetables and herbs. It’s a hands-on learning ground where students get to experience what it really takes to grow organically, from planting and harvesting to running a CSA.
The club began in 2000 when three students wanted to learn about organic farming. With encouragement from James Cassidy—then a research assistant, now a Senior Instructor at OSU—they decided to just start farming. They taught themselves as they went, sold produce to friends and neighbors and reinvested their earnings into equipment.
James has been the steady force behind the farm ever since. He still volunteers his time to manage the land and mentor student farmers. In the past 25 years, more than 30,000 students have passed through the farm, including over 250 paid interns. Today, 13 interns receive monthly stipends funded through CSA memberships, farmers market sales, T-shirt sales and even the honorariums James donates from speaking engagements.
The farm has 24 CSA customers, sells produce at the Corvallis Farmers Market and donates fresh food to OSU’s Basic Needs Center along with other community groups. Students can also earn college credit through farm internships and classes James teaches in soil management, organic production and gardening. In fact, OSU’s online certification in organic farming systems grew directly out of this student farm.
Community is a big part of the club too. Every Thursday evening during the growing season, James cooks dinner for the student farmers—a tradition he’s kept up for more than 15 years. They also host quirky events like the Winter Wake-Up, the Onion Germplasm Festival and the Earth Day Hoo Haa, when onions always get planted on April 22.
This year, the OSU Organic Growers Club received an OGC Mission Fund grant, which helped pay student stipends and purchase farm materials. The support is helping the farm continue to thrive while giving students a one-of-a-kind education in sustainable agriculture.
After 25 years, the students have a strong sense of what grows well on their land, but they’re always up for experimenting. Lately they’ve been trying organic artichokes, a rarity. The biggest challenge? Gophers find them just as delicious as people do.
As James puts it, “Nature is the real thing. It never sells out, it’s always true, and young people are looking for that authenticity. People want the next new thing, but soil and nature, they’re just forever authentic, you know?”
