ABOUT US
Located at Corner Cottage on Carlisle and W. Lincoln Ave on the Gettysburg College campus, farmhouse is in its fourth year as a theme-house at Gettysburg College. Ten students currently reside in the house and work tirelessly to create, educate, and support a community of socially and environmental conscious individuals.
The residents of farmhouse are involved in many diverse projects addressing sustainability and social justice. Whether it's helping Facilities to improve the college's recycling program and reduce energy and resource consumption on campus or growing a small vegetable garden and educating our peers about the importance of supporting a more just and sustainable food system, farmhouse is on the cutting edge of social and environmental activism. Furthermore, by integrating both the residential and academic experience, farmhouse stands as a key component in strengthening the college's commitment to sustainability. farmhouse serves as a focal point for sustainability-based action, education, and leadership on campus by providing experiential learning opportunities that help facilitate meaningful interactions between students, faculty, staff, and community members. Ultimately, farmhouse strives to explore what it really means to live sustainably while demonstrating creative and exciting ways to bring 'just sustainability' to the forefront of our generation. Please explore the rest of our website to learn more about the things we care about and how you can get involved. And be sure to drop by for a visit sometime-- our doors are always open! Peace Love Meow, The farmhouse Crew |
"The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will start a revolution"
-Paul Cezanne "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" -Hippocrates "People are returning to the family dining table. It's the original social network." -John McLemore |
Mission Statement
Our mission is three-fold:
1) To use food and agriculture as a catalyst to explore the connection between environmental issues and social justice issues and better understand our ability and responsibility to fuel the just sustainability movement.
2) To experiment with different methods of living a more sustainable lifestyle with the goal of making sustainable living in today's world accessible to all.
3) To create, educate, and support a community of socially and environmentally conscious individuals through experiential learning and direct engagement with the values of sustainable living.
1) To use food and agriculture as a catalyst to explore the connection between environmental issues and social justice issues and better understand our ability and responsibility to fuel the just sustainability movement.
2) To experiment with different methods of living a more sustainable lifestyle with the goal of making sustainable living in today's world accessible to all.
3) To create, educate, and support a community of socially and environmentally conscious individuals through experiential learning and direct engagement with the values of sustainable living.
History
Farmhouse is the culmination of many student initiatives on campus over the last several years, most notably by the Gettysburg Research and Action by Students for Sustainability (G.R.A.S.S.). Founded in 2007 as a subcommittee of Student Senate, G.R.A.S.S. was formed to unite and direct the growing sustainability movement on campus. As its first self-initiated goal, G.R.A.S.S. drafted a Sustainability Proposal in spring of 2007 and gained hundreds of student signatures in support. The proposal outlined long- and short-term recommendations for strategic action and sustainable development. In 2008-2009, G.R.A.S.S. worked on a detailed proposal for the creation of a academic and residence based Center for Sustainability. Concurrently, the 'Farmhouse' was proposed by another group of students for the theme house program through Residence Life. Together, the students worked to identify, outline and design significant components and initiatives of the Farmhouse, with the intention it one day becoming a fully endorsed and integrated program at Gettysburg College as part of the school's effort to fulfill their obligations under the American Colleges and Universities Presidents' Climate Commitment (PCC).
In the final Farmhouse Proposal, five areas were addressed as key components of a Residential Center for Sustainability: Infrastructure, Tracking and Assessment, Education, Community Partnerships, and Green Living. The proposal went into great detail to explain each component and provide a picture of how the Farmhouse would impact the students, the college as a whole, and the community at large.
In the final Farmhouse Proposal, five areas were addressed as key components of a Residential Center for Sustainability: Infrastructure, Tracking and Assessment, Education, Community Partnerships, and Green Living. The proposal went into great detail to explain each component and provide a picture of how the Farmhouse would impact the students, the college as a whole, and the community at large.
This multilateral, integrated, holistic approach to sustainability within the curriculum and the institution will ensure a stable future for the Farmhouse in years to come. Members of G.R.A.S.S. envisioned a progressive role for the Farmhouse as a constantly evolving resource and inspiration for students, faculty, staff, and administrators passionate about creating a more sustainable future. It is with these intentions that we set out; we can't wait to find out where it goes from here.