Students looking to make a difference on campus, receive complimentary produce and help the University of Idaho’s Soil Stewards Farm will be able to participate in a volunteer event this upcoming Saturday. The ‘Get Dirty!’ campaign will be taking place on Oct. 16 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., hosted by the University of Idaho Sustainability Center and taking place on-site at the Farm.
The Soil Stewards Farm is a student-run, small-scale, diversified organic farm that grows several kinds of plants for both research and commercial purposes.
The Soil Stewards Club faculty advisor Alison Detjens explained that it’s one of the only certified organic farms on the Palouse. The farm is a valuable resource for researchers wanting to do experiments in organic agriculture while also providing opportunities for UI students to learn how to farm and get more hands-on experience with a real farming situation if they are interested in pursuing a career in agriculture.
The Soil Stewards Club and Sustainability Center are asking for student volunteers to help clean up the farm after the end of the growing season. As said by Detjens, there are many large projects that need a more extensive group of people to help with, such as spreading compost and winterizing irrigation. More volunteers will help to speed up the progress for these projects in time for winter. Students can also assist in watering and weeding autumn crops, as well as harvesting produce.
According to Detjens, the success of the farm is completely dependent on UI students and their involvement and willingness to volunteer their time and effort.
“We’re doing really cool stuff right now because the students are really active and involved,” Detjens said. “The more that students are involved, the more things can happen out there.”
Interested students can volunteer by sending an RSVP through Corq, an event-tracking app that holds further details for the event. Volunteers should bring a mask, water, a raincoat and closed-toed shoes, according to the Corq event description. Register here.
Grace Giger can be reached at [email protected]