Springfield College and Harvest Table Culinary Group Partner with Babylon Micro-Farms
Springfield College and Harvest Table Culinary Group have partnered with Babylon Micro-Farms to provide the campus community with a sustainable hydroponic farming display in The Table @ Cheney Hall.
Springfield College and Harvest Table Culinary Group have partnered with Babylon Micro-Farms to provide the campus community with a sustainable hydroponic farming display in The Table @ Cheney Hall. The farm allows guests to enjoy fresh produce with high nutritional value and an extended shelf life, while remaining committed to land sustainability.
The plug-and-play micro-farm contains 15-square-feet of vertical farming area and will allow the Harvest Table culinary team to grow and harvest their own fresh produce on campus, year-round. This innovative approach to farming is not only nutritious and hyper local, it is pesticide free and sustainable, accounting for 95-percent less water and food waste than traditional farming during the growing process.
The Harvest Table culinary team has selected to grow a variety of herbs and microgreens, including sage, basil, oregano and micro-pea shoots. These greens will be utilized throughout the Harvest Table on-campus restaurants and catering events to add unique flavor and nutrients, further elevating their scratch-made cuisine. The micro-farm is remotely managed by Babylon staff to optimize the growing environment and ensure thriving and consistent crops at each harvest. Using a guided growing app, Harvest Table staff will be able to follow along with live data alerts during the growing process, which will be shared with the Springfield College community.
Babylon Micro-Farms was dreamt up by founders Alexander Olesen and Graham Smith at the University of Virginia. Inspired by their desire to bring nutritious produce to refugees experiencing food insecurity in the Middle East, the duo designed their first micro-farm. Their innovative technology and comprehensive operating system automated the hydroponic farming process, making this sustainable farming method more accessible to everyone.
Babylon has broadened their mission, to not only provide access to fresh produce for those in food-insecure areas, but also to anyone seeking more transparency and autonomy in the sourcing of their food. Babylon Micro-Farms has partnered with universities, hospitals, senior living facilities and many more institutions who share their vision for increased sustainability, biodiversity and accessibility by changing the story of how their food is made.
For more information about bringing this approach to your campus dining program, contact:
Harvest Table Culinary Group
Driven by our food-first philosophy, Harvest Table Culinary Group brings innovative, authentic and personalized food experiences to life for each unique college and university we serve.
For more information on Babylon Micro-Farms visit: https://www.babylonmicrofarms.com/
Springfield College is an independent, nonprofit, coeducational institution founded in 1885. Approximately 4,100 students, including 2,500 full-time undergraduate students, study at its main campus in Springfield, Mass., and at its regional campuses across the country. Springfield College inspires students through the guiding principles of its Humanics philosophy – educating in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to others.
