Sarah Mock visits STOGROW. Auguste Bernick/The Olaf Messenger
On several signs in Stav Hall, some ingredients are marked as locally grown, which is provided by St. Olaf Garden Research and Organic Works (STOGROW). The group’s initiative is to teach and connect the campus community to sustainable farming practices while providing fresh produce to the dining hall.
On Sept. 26, STOGROW met with agricultural author and journalist Sarah Mock to get advice on their harvesting practices.
“She gave us a few tips about how to prevent disease,” Sabina Smith ’24 said in an email to The Olaf Messenger. “It is great to meet other farmers who care about sustainable food systems and it was great to have her at the farm.”
Mock spent the morning with STOGROW touring the farm, talking about their summer farming experience, and how climate change has impacted their Minnesota growing season.
In the summer, the group faced issues with disease on their melons, squashes, and cucumbers, to which Mock gave advice on how to prevent the disease such as starting their growing season earlier.
Mock’s visit comes at a time when the St. Olaf community is putting emphasis on sustainability and climate justice. The Institute of Freedom and Community (IFC) brought Mock as a part of their fall food dialogue series.
