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Ullem Campus Farm

Ullem Campus Farm

Planting Seeds

A student smiles as he plants seeds into a plastic seed tray. His hands are covered in soil and his classmates fill the background.

Campus Farm Greenhouse

The farm greenhouse sits on the left side of the photo with a walnut tree on the right. A light, morning sun shines through the trees.

Moving Silage Tarps

A group of students stand around a black silage tarp in the farm field on bare soil, learning how to move the tarp.

The DePauw 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 and community partners.

Sustainable Farming Practices

The Ullem Campus Farm teaches students about food and agriculture through sustainable, low-impact farming methods. 

  • 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.

Engagement Opportunities

Each season, the Ullem Campus Farm welcomes hundreds of students, volunteers and visitors. DePauw athletic teams, classes, and service groups gain skills and build group cohesion while supporting the farm. 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.

By The Numbers

  • 85% of the farm’s yield is sold to DePauw’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 40,000 pounds of produce have been harvested by students since opening in 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.