The Magical Lessons of Sweet Potatoes
Meredith B. Epstein, Senior Lecturer and Advisor, Sustainable Agriculture Epstein
Terp Farm and the Upper Marlboro Research and Education Center are always the first field trip of the year for students in INAG123 People, Planet & Profit: Digging Into
Sustainable Agriculture. This course, taught by the Institute of Applied Agriculture, includes many students earning their two-year Certificate in Applied Agriculture, but also draws students from majors far and wide. INAG123 can satisfy one of the many General Education requirements that the University has for all degree-seeking students, and it can count toward the most popular minor on campus – Sustainability Studies.
While some students in the course grew up riding tractors and harvesting crops, for many the field trip is their first time ever setting foot on a farm. Not only do they tour the facility and learn about how both agronomic and horticultural crops are grown, they get to take part in the process themselves. In 2022, students harvested sweet potatoes destined to be served in campus dining halls – and eaten by their peers.
Many crops are exciting to harvest, but when they pop out of the soil beneath a mowed field, it can feel magical. When Terp Farm Manager Guy Kilpatric unearthed the first cluster of tubers, the “oohs!,” “aahs!,” and “whoas!” from the audience sent the whole class into a giggling fit. The students excitedly jumped in to get their hands dirty. In a matter of twenty minutes, they had pulled, clipped, and packed 200 row-feet of sweet potatoes. The students were visibly proud of their harvest, and even more excited to learn that they could take a few home with them. 
Many thanks to Facility Manager Donny Murphy and Terp Farm Manager Guy Kilpatric for their time spent with the students!
