This talk byProf. David Silver, University of San Francisco, presents the history of the farm at North Carolina’s Black Mountain College (1933-1956). Widely regarded as the most influential art school in the history of U.S. higher education, Black Mountain College’s faculty-student roster reveals a "who's who" of late 20th century artists and ideas. At the same time, the college was heavily experimental in developing rich and collaborative living-learning environments--especially with their work program, which had students, professors, and staff working side by side to help the campus thrive and, at times, survive. Much of this work took place on the campus farm. Tracing the farm's physical existence, its personnel, its buildings and structures, and its produce, crops, and livestock, grown and raised for both college consumption and much needed income, Silver reveals the farm's vital role to BMC's work program and the college's goal to be self-sustaining and point towards some valuable lessons for today's "green campuses."

David Silver is an associate professor of media studies, environmental studies, and urban agriculture at the University of San Francisco. He teaches classes on media history, social media, and green media. He is currently on sabbatical working on a history of the farm at Black Mountain College.

Cosponsored by Belk Library & Information Commons