Sustainability Program Site

The Sustainability Program is located at 1894 State Highway 68 in Canton five miles away from St. Lawrence University campus on land owned by Cornell Cooperative Extension.  St. Lawrence University has entered into a long-term lease and partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension which includes the use of its traditional farm house for student residence, a small office building/classroom space, and a Quonset hut as well as approximately 33.5 acres for gardens, orchards, livestock, season extension structures and future additional residence space.  St. Lawrence University’s partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension also allows students to benefit from the CCE farm just down the road from the Sustainability Site, CCE’s high tunnel season extension structure (which volunteer SLU students helped to construct), CCE’s livestock herds and the knowledge and expertise of the CCE staff and educators.

Converting the buildings and grounds into energy efficient, non-fossil fuel- reliant structures and gardens capable of feeding the residents, will be on-going projects planned and carried out by and with SLU students and community members as part of the experience of the Sustainability Program and residence at the site. We currently have the following structures and resources available:

• Residential farmhouse with kitchen, large dining room table and living room, multiple bedrooms and 3 bathrooms with 2 showers.
• 1 ½ acres established garden, managed using organic practices
• Young orchard
• Maple sugar bush
• Timber frame greenhouse
• Classroom with space for ~15-20 students (with table, chairs, whiteboard, projector and bathroom)
• Chickens (in student built- chicken coops)
• Solar panels
• 20 acres pasture (tillable)
• Pond (and amphibians galore) 
• Surrounding woods 
• Wildlife
• Delicious food grown on site