Power of SUNY

Alfred State Center for Organic Agriculture to Open in Summer 2012

Alfred State College broke ground in July 2011 on its Center for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture (COSA). The project will house not only ASC’s conventional dairy herd, but also an organic dairy herd so students can learn both conventional and organic protocols.

The Center, which will be in use by July 2012, will include a 60-stall dairy barn, new heifer and dry cow housing (again, both conventional and organic), a new calf-raising barn, and upgrades to existing farm structures. For the project, a total of 225 acres of farmland adjacent to the campus has been converted to certified organic hay and pasture production for this project. To be certified organic, no chemical fertilizers or pesticides can be used on the fields.

Thanks to some Genesee Valley farmland in Groveland, faculty and students will also have access to some of the region’s most productive cropland for hands-on learning about sustainable production of grain crops, vegetable crops, and forage crops. Alfred State also plans to take a leadership role in the integration of alternative energy technology, not only on the farm, but throughout campus.