TC3 Farm
Sustainably grown produce, hands-on learning
Our first priority is to educate our campus community about Sustainable Farming and Food Systems.
– Todd McLane, Director of the TC3 Farm
Who We Are
The TC3 Farm was founded in 2014 as part of an innovative suite of educational offerings at the College including four "Farm to Bistro" degree programs and a downtown Ithaca culinary center, Coltivare. Located adjacent to the College's Dryden campus, the farm supplies fresh produce to Coltivare as well as operating a CSA, providing produce to Campus Dining and other area restaurants, and growing seedlings for home gardeners. The farm also frequently sells produce direct to consumers at farm stands held on and off campus.
The land on which the farm is located is owned by the TC3 Foundation and features a main barn, a greenhouse, and three hoop houses. The greenhouse is heated, while the hoophouses use passive heat to extend the growing season.
Community Connections
In addition to supporting the College's academic mission, the TC3 Farm's CSA is open to the public, and the farm offers numerous volunteer opportunities and opportunities for community education. Many classes and campus groups utilize the farm to enhance learning experiences and team building exercises.
Farming Practices
No synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides are used on the TC3 Farm. Instead, the farm relies heavily on crop rotation, cover crops, plant variety selection and a connection to the land around us to combat pest and disease issues that may arise during a growing season. Students will experience cultivation of the land using sustainable farming practices on a farm which runs free of the commercial energy grid through the use of solar and geothermal technology.
Contact
Email Farm Director Todd McLane with any questions or visit the CSA page for more information about signups, crops we grow, and our growing season.