College rankings of all sorts abound, but we like a college ranking effort that includes farms.
College farms hold an historic place in American higher education, and are increasingly an integral and highly relevant part of the contemporary curriculum and campus culture. More students are interested in food systems, the environment, and sustainability. From small student-run organic farms that feed into school food services, to large agribusiness training centers and entrepreneurial programs, interest in farming is growing. Best College Reviews surveyed over 50 American colleges with farms to devise its list. Among the criteria considered were: farm size; integration with the campus; sustainability; the availability of coursework at the farm; student involvement with the farm; and integration with the community.
Number one? Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. California colleges and universities making the top ten are Deep Springs College, UC Santa Cruz, Butte Community College, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. UC Davis earned the 12th spot.
You can access the full list here.
The work at UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis is part of the University of California’s Global Food Initiative, which seeks to harness the institution’s resources to address one of the most compelling issues of our time: how to nutritiously and sustainably feed a growing world population. Learn more about the Global Food Initiative by clicking here.