The Edible Campus Program launched a student farm in February 2019 that allows students to learn and practice agricultural techniques that address social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability while at the same time supplying the Associated Students Food Bank with much-needed additional healthy produce. The Associated Students Department of Public Worms provides the core maintenance and operational support for the farm.
Please see below for maps and images of the proposed student farm. Feedback and questions can be sent to Katie Maynard at kcmaynard@ucsb.edu. More information can also be found at these links:
Approval Process for Student Farm
The Edible Campus Program student farm will be the first campus farm which is designed to be able to grow food which can be distributed to students broadly. Due to this, we have been working closely with campus administration to determine the appropriate approval process and learning a lot as we have moved forward! Some of the steps we have accomplished so far include:
- Spring 2014, The Edible Campus Program with support of the Johnson Ohana Foundation kicks off our programs with the launch of the Urban Orchard Program. Planning for the farm begins!
- June 28, 2016 Preliminary Project Proposal submitted to Campus Planning Committee (CPC). CPC recommends to the Chancellor the approval of the Student Farm project on either the northern or eastern site and proceed with planning and design. [Note: It was later determined that we should pursue the Northern Site] Recommendation.
- November 20, 2016 Chancellor Approves the CPC recommendation for the Edible Campus Program Student Farm. Approval.
- February 21, 2017 First draft of the conceptual designs for the farm completed
- April 13, 2017 Final conceptual designs for the farm completed with edits from a variety of stakeholders incorporated.
- Spring 2017. Dr. Gamble’s anthropology class assessed the cultural resources of the location.
- July 12, 2017 Dr. Gamble completed the preliminary report on the student farm.
- July 19, 2017 First draft of the construction documents completed.
- December 18, 2017 Revised construction documents completed.
- February 13, 2018 UCSB Office of Campus Planning and Design submitted the Notice of Impending Development for the student farm.
- February 23, 2018 California Coastal Commission submitted a request for more information on the planned student farm.
- March 1, 2018 Minor Capital Improvements Project Application submitted to Budget and Planning.
- March 12, 2018 Lead Planner responded to first set of questions from the California Coastal Commission.
- March 22, 2018 California Coastal Commission submitted a second request for more information with a new set of questions on the planned student farm. We are currently finalizing responses to these.
Produce List for Student Farm
One of the primary goals of the Edible Campus Program Student Farm is to grow fresh produce that can be distributed to the Associated Students Food Bank and to students in need. Since we will be distributing the produce broadly it was important for us to work closely with UCSB Environmental Health & Safety and UCSB Risk Management in order to ensure that the items that we grow and the practices that we follow are such that we can meet our distribution goals. For a full list of the food we have permission to grow, please visit this produce spreadsheet.
Some of the items that we are most excited about include:
(Please note some of these have conditions, please see the product spreadsheet for more details.):
- Stone Fruits
- Persimmons
- Apples
- Melons
- Asparagus
- Broccolu
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Okra
- Root Vegetables
- Beans and Legumes
- Squash
- etc.
What's At the Farm?
The student farm boasts of many features, including many raised beds dedicated to the production of nutritious fruits and veggies, a permaculture forest, among other fantastic and expanding features. The produce grown at the farm is decided by participants of the Associated Students Food Bank as we wish to grow produce that students and faculty will enjoy. Along with providing the food bank with produce, we also want the farm to be an educational space for the community. We host many diverse communities at the farm, including the neighboring Orfalea Family Children’s center, UCSB students, and the surrounding community.
We have installed a Weather Station, in partnership with Dr Chandra Krintz’s SmartFarm, which will increase production yields and efficiency on the farm by analyzing environmental variables. We are in the process of creating an edible permaculture forest that will mimic the diversity of a real forest, with varying plants of shapes and sizes. If you would like to volunteer or take a tour of the farm, please visit the UCSB Edible Campus Program Facebook to see future events at the ECP Student Farm.
Farm Location
The farm is located just to the North of the Orfalea Family Children’s Center at West Campus and will have an adjoining fence with the Children’s Center. The farm is also in close proximity to IV Elementary School, one of IV Youth Projects locations, the West Campus Student Family Housing and associated Community Garden, Coal Oil Point Reserve, and West Campus Point (UCSB faculty housing).
The student farm is surrounded by new and expanding student and faculty housing. The surrounding UCSB dorms and apartments houses 3,606 undergraduates, 592 families, and 102 faculty and their families will live in the West Campus region (pictured to the right). This does not include the many students and faculty living at the west end of Isla Vista (the large light green box in the photo below).
The current location is surrounded on three sides by roadway and on the fourth by the Orfalea Family Children’s Center.
Conceptual Design
The current location is surrounded on three sides by roadway and on the fourth by the Orfalea Family Children’s Center. You can also now download the 50% construction documents here.