MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -
Despite extreme heat and drought conditions over the last couple of months, student farmers at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro are enjoying a fruitful harvest season.
"To watch the plants that you planted back in April start to grow and change and eventually produce fruit is great to watch," said senior Eric Limbird.
Along with plenty of good ole fashion hard work, the student farmers also had to beat the extreme weather.
"You had a prolonged period of drought and then some record temperatures followed by days of perpetual rains and working under those conditions is difficult for any farm," Limbird said.
Limbird worked alongside several other students and faculty to successfully grow vegetables at the school's farm.
"It has been a challenge for us too," said Dr. Nate Phillips, who oversees the MTSU student farm.
Phillips told Nashville's News 2 hard work and irrigation helped make the garden successful.
"We use drip tape technology. It is just cheap inexpensive plastic tape that's got an emitter every 12 inches. It gets it right to the plant so we do not have to waste water in the alley ways between the rows," he explained.
The students sell their bounty each Friday at the Student Farmers Market on campus at the Horticulture Center on Lightning Way near the Tennessee Livestock Center.
The market is open from Noon until 3 p.m. and will offer plenty of fresh vegetables including tomatoes and green beans.
Related Stories:
