IU Campus Farm Ground Turning Ceremony

A ceremony officially broke ground at the new Indiana University Campus Farm,.

Funded by a $50,000 grant from the campus's newly created Sustainability Innovation Fund, the farm is intended to provide experiential learning opportunities for a variety of academic programs as well as provide sustainable, healthy food options to several outlets on campus, including the Indiana Memorial Union, Residential Programs and Services Dining Services and the Crimson Cupboard food pantry.

The farm is part of the historic Hinkle-Garton property owned by Bloomington Restorations Inc. and includes 10 agricultural acres, a late 1800s farmhouse and four barns. Plans call for the IU Campus Farm to grow fruits and vegetables initially, with the potential to raise animals there in the future.

Students in the School of Public Health-Bloomington's Fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture Class are developing long-range management plans for the farm. The campus farm also intends to pursue National Organic Program certification.