LaFarmapalooza

By Stephen Wilson

Nothing like being outside with friends while doing service work after an uncommon year of indoor isolation.

Students from Landis Center of Community Engagement and Society of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (SEES) partnered with LaFarm to create an outdoor extravaganza that they called LaFarmapalooza.

Annie Krege ’23, Alexis Fishman ’22, and Kevin Manogue ’22 from Landis’ MOSAIC program helped organize the event and worked with Zack Fiske ’23 from SEES and Lisa Miskelly at LaFarm.

Four 90-minute shifts ran over the course of the day, and volunteers could sign up for as many shifts as they wanted. 

The work was substantial in various locations on campus. Some volunteers built compost tumblers on Anderson Courtyard while others took shuttles to LaFarm to harvest potatoes and tomatoes, plant strawberries, prep strawberry beds, clean fields, weed, and ready onions and garlic for LaFarm tomato sauce.

Volunteers got a sweet bucket hat and oodles of snacks, fruit, and water.

“It was so nice to see people and have an opportunity to take part of in-person service to our community, even if COVID limits that service to the campus community,” says Krege. “We want to introduce people who are unfamiliar with Landis, LaFarm, and clubs that are doing work across our communities.”

MOSAIC program oversees service opportunities including Holiday Helpers and Landis Expo. 

“Events like this can help present a gateway to students who want to make a commitment to other service events,” says Krege.

If those gateways offer chances to eat freshly picked watermelon and play farm tag, success is likely guaranteed.