Eastern Mennonite University
ER-T2-1: Student Group

Earthkeepers - started by students, faculty and staff in the early 70s as a very successful recycling program, the group now is student run and focuses on education and outreach, hiking in the wonderful national parks and forests nearby and operating the chicken and composting initiatives on campus. They also annually fund 4-6 mini-grants for sustainability initiatives and pilot projects across campus. Sustainable Food Intiative (SFI) - run the five campus gardens, beehives, orchard, summer CSA and campus produce market. They also have screened movies on food and advocate for food production on campus. Peacefellowship - campus peace and justice group, sponsors events and hosts speakers on campus.

Annual Food and Farming Week fall 2012, put on by Earthkeepers, including two major speaking events, evening activities and a petting zoo of local livestock. SFI tripled the number of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares sold for this summer from 5 to 15. Next year they are hoping to go to 30 with a full-time, paid manager. SFI brought bees to campus in 2012 and is giving students who are interested the chance to learn beekeeping from a faculty member who is a long-time beekeeper with the beehives. Earthkeepers has been very involved in the last two years with the Mountain Justice movement nearby us in Appalachian coal country. They have channeled some of that organizing energy recently into Keystone Pipeline opposition (since we are relatively close to DC where many of the protests are) and also have begun talking with the administration about divesting from fossil fuel companies in our endowment.