The College Farm and the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) have a truly working partnership.  The purpose of the College Farm is to serve as a model of sustainable agriculture, broadly defined as ecologically sound (resourceful and holistic), socially acceptable (safe, fair, and just), economically viable (financially solvent and potentially profitable), and humane (ethical and caring).  It provides opportunities for students to learn how to plan, supervise, and assume responsibility for agricultural enterprises, including resources and people.

Students are expected to demonstrate and develop stewardship, leadership, cooperation, teamwork, and safe and ethical work habits to advance the whole-farm system.  They learn about and gain experience in planning, supervising, and evaluating agricultural enterprises and applying technical knowledge to address management challenges.

Education is the overarching priority of the College Farm. This begins with students being involved in hands-on laboratories in the majority of the ANR courses. Laboratories cover many topics including: livestock selection, animal behavior, anatomy, facilities design, water quality testing, yield estimation, integrated pest management, equipment calibration, GPS/GIS mapping, and soil quality evaluation.

The College Farm also provides employment for most of the ANR majors during any given year.  Students employed on the College Farm are expected to participate in all enterprises during their first year. This means that they work with field crops, horticultural crops, beef cattle, swine, sheep and goats, equipment maintenance, and the feed mill.  Later most students find one of these enterprises particularly exciting and spend an increasing amount of time in that area and eventually have the opportunity to become enterprise managers, making management decisions and coordinating activities and student workers. Department faculty and staff serve as advisors to provide support and ensure that the departmental educational objectives are met, as well as provide oversight of financial transactions.

The College Farm currently manages 100 acres of row crops, 200 acres of hay and silage, and 180 acres of pasture land.  Corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa, native grasses, and turnips are part of the crop rotation. Livestock enterprises, a major component of the College Farm, currently include approximately 85 cows and their calves through stocker phase, 60 ewes and their lambs, 25 nannies and their kids, and 30 sows and their pigs through slaughter.

The Gardens and Greenhouse is the horticultural component of the College Farm.  Vegetables, fruits, herbs, mushrooms, and garden plants are produced using ecologically-based methods.  The area has been under certified organic management since 1998 and now specializes in greens production for sale in the local area through direct on-campus delivery, farmers markets, seasonal on-farm sales, and local grocery stores and restaurants.  Compost is made from food residuals collected daily from the College’s Food Service and used as the primary soil amendment and the bulk of the greenhouse potting medium.  There is also a small apiary located in the gardens for honey production, pollination, and teaching.

The College Forest, although not managed by the ANR Department or the College Farm, is an incredible resource that provides students with opportunities to work for the College Forester on approximately 8,000 acres of forest.  Work activities include timber stand improvement, invasive plant control, and trail maintenance.  Students with an interest in natural resource management can gain practical field experience to complement their courses.