Within the Shippensburg University community, there is a place that often goes unnoticed by the general student body. It is a place filled with love and life. A place where anyone can go to feel connected with nature, get their hands dirty or pet a goat. 

This place is the campus farm, where over 1,000 pounds of produce is grown every year by student volunteers. 

The campus farm is primarily maintained by the Green League, a club dedicated to educating the SU community on sustainable agricultural and environmental practices. 

The club gets together every Friday afternoon to work on the campus farm. Members plant various types of vegetables and flowers, feed the animals, maintain the orchards and more. 

The club’s leadership offers farm work hours where students and community members can join in on maintaining the farm. 

The Green League offers several different programs for the campus community. The programs include bonfire nights, hikes and bringing its goats to the quad for students to pet. 

The Green League also works with kindergarten and middle school students, teaching them about sustainable agriculture and the environment. The club also organizes Earth Day celebrations for the university. 

Along with its educational events, the Green League gives back to the Shippensburg community. Members donate a large amount of their produce, which is not treated with any chemicals, to the Shippensburg Produce and Outreach. 

“There’s something in Green League basically for everybody,” said SU professor and Green League adviser Sean Cornell. “It’s a lot about community, obviously, and giving students a fun outlet of shared experiences.” 

Some students involved with Green League are participating in a mycoremediation project, where they grow oyster mushrooms that are being used to absorb and break down petroleum in the creek at Burd Run after an oil spill that occurred last May. 

The students involved in the project are Emma Sokolowski, Haiden Martz, Esther Brown, Astrid Huber, Charlie Templeton and Jarod Albrecht. 

Albrecht, the future “farm head,” as Green League calls its leadership, handled growing the mushrooms for the project, which was presented at Minds at Work. 

Green League was originally three separate clubs: Students for Environmental Action and Sustainability, Farm Club and the Geography Earth Science Organization. Another club, formally known as Adventure Club, was also folded into Green League. 

These clubs were merged because of the large overlap between members. 

Currently, the Green League has about 140 members. Every major is welcome to join, and they encourage everyone in the SU community to get involved. 

“Everybody here will love and appreciate the help,” Green League member Lillian Wise said. 

For more information about Green League and how to get involved, visit its Instagram @ shippensburggreenleague. 

Share