The Dickinson College Farm is a source of immense pride for all Dickinsonians. However, located a two-hour hike away, the farm can seem remote and inaccessible. All the while, many students remain unaware of Dickinson’s other sustainable farming initiatives which have been quietly taking hold across campus in recent years. These on-campus sustainable agriculture initiatives are not boldly advertised by the administration, to the extent that one could even allege denial. Yet, this shouldn’t stop you from getting involved. It will surprise many of you to learn just how close by these techniques are being implemented.
In the wake of renovations to Drayer Hall and other buildings on campus, those directing recent improvement projects have been criticized by the environmentally conscious for a lack of adherence to Dickinson’s policy which declares that all structures on campus be built to a minimum of the LEED silver standard certification. While the critics’ good intentions are not in doubt, it would be wrong to knock the administration for their pragmatic prioritization of alternative green efforts in and around student residential spaces. Drayer’s ventilation, plumbing, and fire protection updates have many students who reside in other buildings feeling jealous. But once made aware of the innovation taking place within their own walls, this will surely change. You read that right, the walls of many buildings including Baird-McClintock, Davidson-Wilson, the High Street Apartments, Morgan, Longsdorff, and even the Llibrary are being used for Dickinson College’s little- known, mold farming side-hustle.
You may be wondering how it is that you haven’t noticed such a widespread campus initiative taking place, but I guarantee you’ve seen the clues. Many students walk past the ADRI truck, which seems permanently stationed on Dickinson Walk, every day and think nothing of it. These green warriors are doing important work as part of the Advanced Drechslera Recovery Initiative. Their daunting task is to harvest the precious mold being ethically produced in carpets and ventilation systems across campus. These professionals are not the only ones getting involved with this exciting movement;, just this week, two students on my floor kindly opted to move to temporary housing in selfless devotion to the mold.
The concept of mold farming being conducted so close to your living space is initially alarming to most people, yet the benefits far outnumber the evidentially-proven health risks. Dickinson’s mold farming operation is not only used to subsidize tuition, keeping it down to just sixty-two thousand dollars a year, but the mold is actually used as a central ingredient in the delectable dining hall favorite, protein nuggets. If you are to take anything away from this, I hope it will be a newfound curiosity into how you too can be more like my selfless floormates. Give in to Dickinson’s slow transition away from being an elite educational institution and towards becoming Pennsylvania’s #1 producer of top-tier mold. Embrace your new life as a Mold Devil, your eyes burning Dickinson-Red with mold pride.
