“Garlic represents the passage of knowledge to the future managers,” says Blythe Van Ness, a student manager at Dilmun Hill Farm. This non-profit, student-run farm at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, exemplifies how sustainable agriculture, community, and education intersect. Each spring, new student managers are selected to oversee the farm for the following year, carrying forward knowledge and innovations while adapting to the challenges of a transitory leadership model. 

 

During the summer, Dilmun Hill operates a low-cost Community Supported Agriculture program, feeding approximately 200 people over 8 weeks with produce grown through environmentally conscious practices. These include allowing fields to rest to restore soil health, prioritizing manual labor over machinery, and encouraging the consumption of seasonal vegetables to reduce reliance on distant supply chains. 

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Throughout the summer and fall, student volunteers are invited to join work hours on the farm, learning essential farming skills under the guidance of the managers. Volunteers can also take home fresh produce such as garlic, peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes.  

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At Dilmun Hill, garlic holds a special symbolic significance. Planted in late October and insulated with hay to survive the Ithaca winters, it is harvested by the incoming cohort of managers in early summer. Garlic serves as a metaphor for the continuity of knowledge and the shared values of the farm. 

 

Dilmun Hill also supplies Anabel’s Grocery, a student-run grocery store at Cornell that provides affordable and locally grown food to the community. The farm embodies a vibrant community built on knowledge-sharing, sustainability, and care for the land. 

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For the past two months, I have documented life at Dilmun Hill through a photo essay. This project captures the farm's ethos of sustainability, the dedication of its student managers, and the seasonal rhythms that define its operations.