Planting Seeds
Campus Farm Greenhouse
Moving Silage Tarps
Planting Seeds
Campus Farm Greenhouse
Moving Silage Tarps
The 花季传媒 Ullem Campus Farm offers exciting opportunities for students to engage in real-life applications of sustainable agriculture and environmentally friendly land use. Student interns and volunteers use organic practices to provide fresh and healthy produce for campus dining.
The Ullem Campus Farm strives to teach students about food and agriculture through sustainable, low-impact farming methods. Watch the to see just how impactful the Campus Farm is on 花季传媒's campus, produced by SLP alum Tilly Marlatt '19.
Chemical-free farming: The farm follows the USDA's organic farming recommendations by avoiding the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Crop rotation, hand weeding, integrated pest management, companion planting, cover crops and organic compost limit weeds and pests without using harmful chemicals.
No-Till Production: The process of land preparation is primarily non-mechanized and uses:
Polyethylene tarps to integrate cover crops, kill weed seeds, promote worm activity and create mulch.
A broadfork for soil aeration.
Hand tools for planting and weeding.
A two-wheeled BCS tractor that mows and prepares beds while preserving soil structure.
Water conservation: Drip-tape irrigation gives plants a direct source of water to their roots rather than their leaves, reducing evaporation and water usage.
Each season, the Ullem Campus Farm welcomes hundreds of students, volunteers and visitors who come as members of sports teams, service scholarships and classes. Students work in the field and greenhouse, visit local producers and host community and school groups. Additionally, farm interns engage in all aspects of operating a small-scale production farm and undertake individual projects such as vermicomposting, hydroponics, and beekeeping. Students, staff, alumni and community members are encouraged to contact sustainability@depauw.edu to learn more!
Volunteer Opportunities:
Please email sustainability@depauw.edu for more information about how to volunteer or to schedule a group work day.
85% of the farm’s yield is sold to 花季传媒’s dining services, Bon Appetit, to be turned into meals at Hoover Dining Hall. This gives students, faculty, staff, and community members access to locally grown produce all season long.
More than 26,000 pounds of produce have been harvested by students since 2018.
The 12-acre property features a three-acre crop field, greenhouse, wash and pack facility, two hoop houses, experimental growing plots, bee hives, and the Ullem Center for Sustainability.