Community and Alumni Services

The University Farm engages with our community and alumni through several initiatives.

Compost

Composting at the University Farm provides a method of converting urban landscape waste into a product that is useful for both agriculture and urban uses. Adding urban landscape waste to animal manure allows waste streams from separate environments to produce useable compost. Research in waste management strategies benefits not only the school but also the community. The University Farm composts virtually all manure produced on the farm to reduce odor and environmental impact of livestock waste. Illinois State has developed partnerships with commercial enterprises to make the compost available to the public for use in lawns, gardens, and flower beds.

Buy Compost

The University Farm sells compost to the surrounding communities for $40 per ton/ $25 for smaller loads (cash and check only). Please call ahead and schedule time for pickup Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Contact Garrett Conaty at (309) 438-0289. If unavailable, please leave a message or contact Jason Lindbom at (309) 438-0288.

Farm Tours

Farm tours are currently available by appointment. Please contact Jason Lindbom at (309) 438-0288 or jmlindb@IllinoisState.edu to schedule a time.

Corporate Partners

The University Farm supports corporate educational initiatives. State Farm Insurance has used the farm to educate employees to conduct safety audits on farms. Crop protection companies such as Pioneer/DuPont and Mycogen/Dow use plots at the farm to educate employees about new products and weed identification. Several companies cooperate with the University Farm to demonstrate seed varieties and host field days for employees and customers.

Alumni

Alumni partnerships are important to the future of the farm. Continuous needs for maintaining and upgrading the farm will be a never-ending cycle. Alumni or others interested in naming opportunities should contact Dr. Fanson Kidwaro for further information.