On Saturday, Oct. 12, the UI Soil Stewards held their fifth annual Soil Stewards Fall Fest, continuing a tradition only interrupted in 2020.
Students and locals were welcome to select a pumpkin to take home and were treated to games, pumpkin painting, and complimentary beverages. The Student Sustainability Cooperative, UI Hydroponics Club, and Plant and Soil Science Club attended as well, offering button-making services and selling succulents to event-goers.
Fall Fest drew both new and old visitors. Ashley Murillo, a third-year criminology student, said, “I came in my freshman year. I’d never really been to pumpkin patches before, but when I came out my freshman year, I liked the pumpkins.”
Kylie Carderon, a first-year marketing student, said, “It’s a really cutesy event. Chill vibes, really welcoming.”
The farm, which is maintained by “five to six consistent members”, according to Camilla Ditton, former president and current Student Advisor of Soil Stewards, produced about 350 pounds of pumpkins this year. This was in stark contrast to previous years, in which the farm had produced about 800 pounds. This year, the farm was affected by challenges such as abnormal weather.
However, the farm also grew dozens of other types of plants, including but not limited to broccoli, garlic, onions, strawberries, and tomatoes. “We have a huge amount of diversity in these small plots,” said Ditton. Some of this produce, such as onions, garlic, and potatoes, were also sold at the event.
Proceeds from the event went to the maintenance of the Soil Stewards Farm. “It goes straight back to us,” said Ditton. “It [the proceeds] will buy gloves, it’ll buy hose, it’ll buy more irrigation line… some of it will also help fund the student interns that we have out here over the summer.”
While the event helps fund the farm’s maintenance, Ditton also highlighted the importance of exposure. “This isn’t a very big club, it’s not a very big farm,” she said. “To have people come out here and really get to see what we’re doing and what we’re all about and get to enjoy all the benefits of all of our hard work through the year – that’s probably the most rewarding part.”