Best College Reviews Releases Ranking of Top 20 University Farms in America

GRANDVILLE, Mich., Feb. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Best College Reviews (bestcollegereviews.org) has published a ranking of the 20 best University Farms in America. Best College Reviews is an editorially independent college review website focusing on college rankings, reviews of college features, and thought leadership on helping students find their place in the higher education landscape.
Warren Wilson College of Asheville, North Carolina leads the ranking, which is based on a number of factors, including the size of the farm, the farm's integration with the main campus, how sustainable the farm is, whether courses are taught on the farm, whether students use the farm, and whether the farm is utilized by the community. College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri and Deep Spring College in Big Pine, California were second and third, respectively.
The full ranking can be viewed here: http://www.bestcollegereviews.org/best-university-farms/
Other college and university farms ranked include (in alphabetical order):
Berea College, Berea, Kentucky
Berry College, Mount Berry, Georgia
Butte College, Oroville, California
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California
California State University at Chico, Chico, California
Central Carolina Community College, Sanford, North Carolina
Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington
Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
University of California, Davis, Davis, California
University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California
University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
According to the lead editor for the piece, Merrill Cook, besides the direct educational benefit for those studying agriculture or related fields, university farms often offer a unique glimpse into how schools value sustainability, hands-on-learning, connecting to the natural world, and integrating with the greater community. After surveying over 50 schools, those listed came out on top for the previously listed criteria, with many also providing unique opportunities for student-entrepreneurialism, independent study, and ways for the community to both help make and buy food on university farms as well.