College Farm (1967-present)

The College Farm, located in South Middleton Township between Mount Holly Springs and Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, was given to Dickinson College in nearby Carlisle in 1967. The farm, which was valued at $110,000, was the gift of Ivo V. Otto, class of 1904, and his wife Clara.

The 180-acre property was to be used by the College for educational purposes, and one idea at the time was the possibility of future development of a “model urban community,” which would be used by faculty and students to explore the benefits and drawbacks that are inherent with the establishment of such a community.

Since approximately 2006, this property has served as a working farm and educational resource that provides produce to the college’s dining hall, a local food bank, and members of the farm’s co-op. The farm is also home to a flock of sheep and a flock of laying hens and includes state-of-the-art sustainable operations, such as solar-electric and solar-hot-water systems. It is run by staff members, student workers, and interns.