Nurturing mind, body, community, and soil.
The Farm provides learning opportunities while sustainably producing food for Scattergood Friends School and the wider community. For more than 130 years, Scattergood students and staff have grown together through a deep connection to our unique physical landscape.
- Serve as a living laboratory for students.
- Provide organic produce and humanely raised meat and eggs for the school.
- Connect the school to the wider community.
- Builds soil health.
Living Laboratory
As a living laboratory, the Farm engages students with hands-on learning experiences throughout the year. Students participate in farm related crews which tend to the daily needs of livestock and harvest produce, they also utilize the Farm through science curriculum and high school students are invited to design independent study courses choices around sustainable agriculture issues. Recent projects have included constructing a hayloft in the barn, researching and implementing pig socialization methods, and developing rootstocks for our fruit trees.
Livestock & Organic Produce
The Scattergood Farm raises nearly all of the meat consumed at the school, as well as a large portion of the vegetables. We raise beef, lamb, pork, and turkey for meat and have a laying flock of hens for egg production. Fruit and vegetable production occurs on eight acres of USDA certified organic fields and orchards, and we have four acres of chestnut trees which should start producing nuts soon. To extend the growing and eating season, we have one large high tunnel and effective facilities for a variety of storage crops like carrots, cabbage, sweet potatoes, winter squash, beets, onions, etc.
Community Connections
The Scattergood Farm maintains membership in many regional agricultural organizations including:
- PFI (Practical Farmers of Iowa)
- Iowa Organic Association
- Savanna Institute
- North Central Region of SARE (Sustainable Ag, Research and Education)
- Iowa Farmers Union
The Scattergood Farm welcomes learners of all ages from after school and summer camp groups to regional post secondary institutions. The Farm has conducted many research projects for PFI and has presented at many regional conferences and webinars for PFI, the Great Plains Growers Conference, Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development. Through the Friends General Conference we have also been able to support the growth and development of farm and garden programs at other Friends schools across the country.
In addition to feeding the school community, the Farm also supplies free produce to those who are food insecure through partnerships with Field to Family, Table to Table, and the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic. We frequently host field days and other events for PFI, Iowa State University Extension, Farm Cycle, and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Preservation.
Building Soil Health
A strong environmental ethic is key to our work on the Scattergood Farm. We rotationally graze and grass-finish our lamb and beef, and purchase non-GMO feed for our pigs and poultry. Our vegetable production, which includes more than 100 species, is certified organic by the Iowa Department of Agriculture. Additionally, we are expanding our fruit and nut tree production to include apples, pears, and chestnuts to name a few. Prairie pockets enhance the farm landscape increasing soil health and providing habitat for important pollinators. The school composts kitchen scraps and diverts paper and cardboard waste to the Farm’s vermicomposting system, and we certify compost from our barns and winter feedlots to be applied to our fields and gardens.
Prairie
Scattergood Friends School was a pioneer in prairie restoration when it reconstructed 30 acres of prairie back in the 1960’s. In the early 2000’s, Advanced Biology students led the way for further restoration and diversification of this area. Through REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection) WHIP (Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program), and NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) grants, students were able to quantitatively investigate the affects of fire on the prairie community as well as introduce 80 native grasses and forbs. The result of this work is a stunningly diverse and thriving prairie habitat.
Today, the prairie remains an integral part of Scattergood’s campus. It is home to a vast wildlife community including countless insect species, cottontail rabbits, kestrel, ring-necked pheasants, and many more. The prairie also serves as a laboratory and studio during science and art classes. Students learn about prairie management, assisting in regular controlled burns and other maintenance efforts. It also provides a wonderful recreation space for walking, running, or cross-country skiing.
Learn more about how these incredible outdoor spaces lend themselves to learning.
