4 students stand in the high tunnel — Farm interns Carley Schroeder, senior; Tanner Matko, freshman; Sara Weigle, freshman; and Alexandra Rudloph, senior, prepare to hand out seeds in the high tunnel after the dedication Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, at Penn State Beaver.

Credit: Cathy Benscoter/Penn State Beaver

a box of vegetables including pak choy, radishes, green onions and peppers — Vegetables sit in a wooden box awaiting pickup by subscibers to the Penn State Beaver campus supported agriculture program.

Credit: Cathy Benscoter/Penn State Beaver

Nick Jones speaks in front of the high tunnel — Provost Nick Jones talks about the campus farm and garden program during the dedication of the high tunnel. The 96-foot-long tunnel, funded through a Penn State seed grant out of Jones' office, will help fill campus-supported agricuture (CSA) subscriptions and the Savation Army's food bank year round.

Credit: Cathy Benscoter/Penn State Beaver

Angela Fishman speaks in front of the high tower — Associate Teaching Professor Angela Fishman talks about the campus farm and garden program during the dedication of the high tunnel. The 96-foot-long tunnel, funded through a Penn State seed grant, will help fill campus-supported agricuture (CSA) subscriptions and the Savation Army's food bank year round. In the background are Provost Nick Jones, Penn State Beaver Chief Academic Officer Carey McDougall, and Vice President of Commonwealth Campuses Madlyn Hanes.

Credit: Cathy Benscoter/Penn State Beaver

A student stands in the high tunnel — Senior Carley Schroeder stands between rows of seedlings after the dedication of the Penn State Beaver high tunnel on Oct. 11, 2018.

Credit: Cathy Benscoter/Penn State Beaver

a view of the high tunnel from outside — Rows of vegetables take root in the 96-foot-long high tunnel at Penn State Beaver.

Credit: Cathy Benscoter/Penn State Beaver

lettuce grows in the tunnel — Lettuce grows between rows irrigation tubing in the Penn State Beaver high tunnel.

Credit: Cathy Benscoter/Penn State Beaver

Growing for good

A university seed grant helped erect a 96-foot-long greenhouse on campus, and organizers hope its impact will go far beyond the food they're able to grow inside it.

By: April Johnston

At Thursday’s high tunnel ribbon-cutting ceremony, Penn State Beaver’s seven farm interns told a different version of the same story: They didn’t think they’d be interested in cultivating a campus garden, but Associate Teaching Professor Angela Fishman convinced them to give it a try.

And then they were hooked.

“I’m so impressed with the students and so impressed that no one can say no to you,” Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses Madlyn Hanes told Fishman. “I’m going to have to keep my distance or else I’ll be moving to Beaver County.”

Hanes and Provost Nick Jones were on hand to help Fishman, Beaver’s Student Farm Educator Dave Slebodnik and the seven student interns officially open the campus’ high tunnel.

The high tunnel is one of several agriculture and food-related initiatives being implemented at Beaver with the help of a Penn State seed grant. At 96-feet-long, it’s also the largest tunnel in the University system and, along with the campus garden, it will help to fill campus-supported agriculture (CSA) subscriptions and the Salvation Army’s food bank year round.

But, as Fishman and Slebodnik pointed out, the garden and high tunnel are also helping to grow something much bigger – an appreciation for our food supply and where it begins.

“We are getting people back in touch with where their food comes from,” Fishman said.

That the program is affecting so many is fitting, as it’s an initiative funded by the first round of Penn State’s strategic plan seed grants program, “Our Commitment to Impact.” To be eligible for the grants, projects must incorporate the University’s strategic plan and its thematic priorities, such as transforming education, enhancing health, and stewarding the planet’s resources.

University Park, Behrend and Beaver applied for and received the grant jointly in Fall 2017. The idea was to prove that campuses of all sizes can provide, and benefit from, interdisciplinary learning opportunities around sustainable food and agriculture systems.

The high tunnel is the first grant-funded project Jones, the driver behind the University’s strategic plan, has visited and experienced, and he noted that the project was certainly meeting its proposed goals.

“Thank you for taking this investment and being a model for the entire university,” Jones said.