Mustang Acres, the farm behind the Science and Math building, has come a long way since the old grape vines and run down field, a fully student-run farm overseen by Associate Professor Tina Candelo-Mize. Students in the horticulture classes grow flowers, vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
“Everything you see has been student driven, from the soil preparation, to irrigation. We have a couple of students that are experts at this now… All of the maintenance and all the drip lines you see now the students finished,” said Candelo-Mize about how hands-on the students get with the farm.
Delta College thrives on having skills learned on campus incorporated into finding a job and pushes you into the workforce, the skills students learn in the horticulture program or club can be used in many ways.
“Definitely one of the main reasons for (sic) taking this hort classes is to get me a higher chance of getting a job in horticulture,” said junior Taylor Thomas in an email interview.
Candelo-Mize makes sure her students know that just learning the skills won’t be enough and that it is tough, but people are needed in this field.
“I’m not going to say it’s easy for students and farming is not easy, breaking into your own business is not easy but it is very doable with the hard work,” said Candelo-Mize. “And the stuff they learn from Delta they can definitely take out and start their own business or another organization.”
Currently the horticultural club will be fundraising with the pumpkins they have grown this season and will start to sell them this month. Leftover pumpkins are then donated to the Child Development Center. Other vegetables or fruits that are entering their harvest phase are then sent home with students to use for their needs at home, but also sent to the Student Food Pantry.
“The students in the horticultural classes have been harvesting them and taking them home. We will have a really big harvest of tomatoes coming up, and the plan is to get it to the student pantry,” said Candelo-Mize.
Eventually Candelo-Mize and her students want to expand where the produce and plants wind up going and finding ways to get them to students in need without
“I hope to see the food in (sic) the food pantry and the community harvesting and getting to see what we have grown! Our (sic) main goal is to give back,” said Thomas.
And that is just what Candelo-Mize hopes for the crops as well as she has even more planned in the coming semesters and over the years.
“We are going to have a market stand for students, and that will be for students, pay as you can. Whatever you have that day we aren’t going to turn anybody away. We also will have a workshare program where students can come out and put in a couple hours of work, then they can take produce home at the end of the day or week,” said Candelo-Mize.