Reflections from a semester spent studying food production across Central Massachusetts
It’s a cold, rainy, miserable day in March and fifteen Clark students are about to find out they are severely underdressed for the weather as they get busy mulching, planting pear trees, and getting dirt under their fingernails at Global Village Farms in Grafton, Massachusetts. The hard work is punctuated by moments of beauty in the rural community — people on horseback in the distance and visits by friendly farm dogs eager to be pet.
I needed an experimental learning credit for my master’s in community development and planning through Clark’s 4+1 Accelerated Degree program, and the Sustainability and Social Justice Department encourages its students to get outside the classroom and learn from community members in the Worcester area. This led me to enroll in the Farming for Multispecies Justice course with SSJ Professor Jude Fernando. The class is designed to look at farming as an act of emancipation rather than just a way to cultivate food, and explores systemic inequalities in urban landscapes highlighting practices for soil health and other positive change. Throughout the semester, we visited four farms in Central Massachusetts to see class concepts first-hand and learn farming practices.
That’s how my classmates and I ended up at Global Village Farms, a roughly 30-minute drive from campus. We joined one of Global Village’s community farm days and learned from different organizers who spoke about their work, all while we inoculated mushrooms, grafted apple trees, and sampled Sri Lankan and Filipino foods.
After that frigid visit, we had learned our lesson and donned many layers for subsequent trips. At The Agro-Eco Project, a nonprofit farm in Rutland, we learned about the farm’s practice of agroecology, an agricultural approach that aligns with the rules of nature and is informed by the principles of ecological science. Planting a variety of indigenous species, as well as pollinator and bee-friendly flowers, was crucial to the farm’s operations. Another technique, alley cropping, the practice of planting smaller agricultural plants like celery and kale in the spaces between rows of trees and shrubs, improves soil and crop health. We also learned about the importance of being no-till and pesticide-free, while focusing on growing nourishing, diverse foods.
As someone who minored in marketing as an undergraduate, I was intrigued to learn about the farms’ business models. Giulio Caperchi, the president of The Agro-Eco Project, is also the co-founder of the Seven Hills Pasta Company, which supports the farm financially while allowing it to donate all its crops to Worcester organizations like Woo Fridge and St. John’s Catholic Church.
We also visited Cotyledon Vegetable Farm in Leicester and learned how it determines pricing for its Community Supported Agriculture, which includes a sliding scale for customers. During our final class visit, we toured Many Hands Organic Farm in Barre and were greeted with a breakfast of farm-fresh scrambled eggs with sautéed greens, apple juice, and fruit jam before breaking into groups for tasks such as prepping garden beds, building a trellis for hardy kiwi, and removing tree roots. My group fed some baby chicks and planted seeds for lettuce, celery, celeriac, tulsi, basil, and hemp.
For each visit, Professor Fernando brought homemade dishes for lunch, including curry chicken, rice, chickpea stew, and, my personal favorite, eggplant. Fernando emphasized that soil is a dynamic living entity. Throughout the semester, he spoke about the importance of respecting the autonomy of nature to sustain healthy food systems for generations to come — and for more than just humans.
“We’re not free until the worms are free,” was a common refrain from Fernando as we dug into garden beds during our farm visits.
This class took me out of my element. I’m not an environmental scientist and don’t love dirt under my nails, so I knew this course would challenge me. I walked away with a better understanding of food systems, a richer appreciation of Central Massachusetts, and a true knowledge of how the food I eat gets to my plate.
Working hands-on with all of these farmers was a lesson in how to balance doing good in the world, making a difference, and being an empathetic, caring person, while needing to balance a checkbook. It’s encouraging to see that community-building is at the forefront for the four farms we visited.
Now, I put more thought into the choices I make at the grocery store, and I’ve been inspired to start a flower garden at my apartment. I’m looking forward to watching them bloom as I start my next chapter.
About the author
Maire Geoghegan ’24, CDP ’25, was a social media intern for Clark’s Office of Marketing and Communications. She received her undergraduate degree in geography and her master’s in community development and planning. Geoghegan most recently worked in event production for the Connecticut and Rhode Island chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. At Clark, Geoghegan was an Admissions Ambassador, served as president of the Student Alumni Relations Committee, and served as head of marketing for the student groups All Kinds of Growth and the Clark University Geography Association.
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