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Foot-Stompin' Fun


The Dickinson College Organic Farm was an autumnal paradise during Friday's Harvest Festival, an annual event that includes a seasonal feast, live music and a bonfire under a moonlit sky.

It began with a meal of fresh, local produce, dairy products, grass-fed beef and freshly pressed apple cider. “The apples are pressed into cider during the festival so students can take part in the full experience,” said Farm Director Jenn Halpin.

Students also danced in the barn to live music, told stories around a campfire and wove garlands out of honeysuckle and chili peppers that had been harvested at the farm. [Story continues below.] 


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  • Students begin to arrive at the 2011 Harvest Festival. The event kicks off autumn with a celebration of seasonal tastes, sights and smells.
    Long Road
  • Students prepare burgers made of local, grass-fed beef.
    Student Chefs
  • Bella, the Dickinson College Organic Farm's agreeable mascot, gets some much-appreciated attention.
    Bella Love
  • Sheep cast a curious gaze at student photographer Kate Farrar '12.
    Passing Through
  • Those burgers are made of organic, local, grass-fed beef. The feast also included local ice cream and cheeses, College Farm produce and freshly pressed cider made from organic, Adams County apples.
    Grass-Fed Burgers
  • What milestone follows a child's first steps? Her first Dickinson hat, of course!
    All Welcome
  • The gathering, seen from afar.
    Reflection
  • Students raise the barn roof with help from a live band, Contra Rebels.
    Contra Dance
  • Students danced to a combination of old-time, contra-dance and square-dance music.
    Swingin'
  • Students capped the evening by roasting marshmallows at a bonfire.
    Bonfire
  • The yurts serve as housing for summer interns.
    Yurts in the Sunset
  • A sliver of the moon is visible above the barn.
    Sliver
Students begin to arrive at the 2011 Harvest Festival. The event kicks off autumn with a celebration of seasonal tastes, sights and smells.Prev ImageNext Image

The event was organized by Students Interested in Sustainable Agriculture (SISA) to raise awareness about the resources that the farm has to offer, said SISA treasurer Scott Hoffman ’12.

“Our hope is that this informal contact would [encourage] more students to start thinking about where their food comes from and to appreciate how valuable the farm is,” Hoffman explained. “The combination of delicious, local food, live music and great people makes for a really great time.”

By MaryAlice Bitts
Photos by Kate Farrar ’12