Produce

The Kenyon Farm has about two acres dedicated to growing vegetables. This space is divided into four outdoor plots that are rotated annually, and two high tunnels for starting seeds and growing summer and winter crops. 

During the summer, we grow a wide variety of crops including peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, watermelon, spaghetti squash, potatoes, garlic, onions, okra, pumpkins and more. In 2024, we experimented with growing ginger, a crop not traditionally grown in Ohio. With the use of our high tunnel and shade cloth to mimic its preferred growing conditions, the ginger production was a success!

During the winter months, we grow lettuces, spinach, kale, celery, beets, carrots and greens in our high tunnels. 

To provide more opportunities for student engagement through the winter, the farm — with student help from the permaculture class — recently built the infrastructure to grow indoor shiitake mushrooms. We will see our first full "crop" of shiitakes in the winter of the 2024-25 academic year.

mushrooms on a log

Mycology

Mycological skills can be applied to create and maintain healthy soil in addition to growing nutritious mushrooms. The Kenyon Fam has a clean room and all the necessary equipment and infrastructure for year-round cultivation of gourmet mushrooms like shiitake and lions mane. Students also use the facility to experiment with fungi for soil decontamination, soil creation and boosting plant growth using mycorrhizal mycelium. 

Livestock

The Kenyon Farm currently has about 250 laying hens that are pasture-raised (they range free all day in designated pasture areas). Their solar-powered mobile coop is regularly rotated from pasture to pasture. The hens produce eggs that are sold to local markets, including Kenyon's dining hall during the academic year. As we incorporate regenerative practices into our farm, the manure from the chickens is an important input to create healthy soil.

Farming Philosophy

We use regenerative and sustainable farming practices. While the farm is not certified organic, we follow organic farming practices and only use pesticides and naturally derived fertilizers that are approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI).

  • Compost: We make our own compost on-site and supplement the produce beds and high tunnels with this compost.  
  • Manure: We move the chicken coop regularly so that all pasture areas will benefit from the nutrient-rich manure. During the winter, we sometimes place the chicken coop in one of the four produce beds to add nitrogen.
  • Cover crops: The outdoor produce plots are all seeded in clover for the winter. This prevents soil erosion and helps to fix nitrogen into the soil to make it available for crops that will be planted in the spring.  The clover is then incorporated into the soil in the spring as a green manure.
  • Landscape fabric: During the growing season, we cover our produce beds with landscape fabric. While it doesn't look pretty, it suppresses weeds while still allowing water to penetrate the ground. Weeds tend to harbor pests that could spread disease (powdery mildew, blights, and wilts) or simply eat the plants. With fewer weeds and less insect pressure on the plots, we use little if any herbicide, fungicide or pesticide. Our 2023 and 2024 pumpkin patches were grown without any of these inputs. The landscape fabric also substantially reduces the need for regular weeding, which is labor intensive. This means that our small staff can more effectively use their time.  
  • Crop rotation: We rotate crops every year. The 4-year cycle improves nutrient levels and organic matter, reduces insect pests and diseases, and increases yields.
  • No till: In 2023 we converted our high tunnels to permanent beds that are no till. We use only a broadfork to break up soil compaction as needed and a stirrup hoe to loosen the top two inches of soil to prepare the beds for planting. The practice of no till improves nutrient cycling, increases microbial activity in the soil and improves the soil structure. 

Community Support

The Kenyon Farm produces a surplus of vegetables, eggs and shiitake mushrooms. We support our local community by donating fresh produce to one of our local food pantries. Since 2023, we've donated thousands of pounds of produce to within the Knox County community.

In 2024, we provided the following items to the Center of Hope in Bladensburg, Ohio, a free market that provide fresh and health food to income-eligible households:

  • 166 dozen eggs
  • 213 lbs. of stewing hens
  • 2,244 lbs. of produce

We also provide free produce to the Kenyon community, and anyone who stops to visit our small on-site market. In 2024, we gave away 2,797 lbs. of produce.