Dr. Petrus Langenhoven is now the sole Director of the Purdue Student Farm. After much consideration, Dr. Steve Hallett decided to shift his attention to other academic activities. And no, he is not disengaging from the farm. He will still be involved in higher-level strategic initiatives at the farm. Petrus is excited about the new responsibilities and opportunities. Dr. Linda Prokopy, Department Head of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, notes that the “Purdue Student Farm exists thanks to the passion, vision, and heroic efforts of Steve Hallett and I thank him for his stalwart leadership. I am confident that the farm will continue to be an exemplar of the land grant mission under Petrus’ leadership.”
Together with Chris Adair, the farm manager, Langenhoven’s main goal is to make the Purdue Student Farm the best student farm in the country. ‘The main focus of the farm remains education. We want to facilitate more research that will educate students and inform small and medium-sized farm operators. Programs at the farm focus heavily on hands-on experiential learning. Annually, we provide several internship opportunities for undergraduate students. The internship program has been very successful, and we would like to expand enrollment. Several undergraduate classes make use of the farm to teach their students, and we hope to facilitate more teaching opportunities for them.’ A five-member Executive Committee will provide strategic input to the director.