Wildcat Farm

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who can participate?

  Priority is given to CWU students, however faculty, staff, and Ellensburg community members can also participate.

• Do I have to pay a fee?

  No! There is no fee or financial requirement associated with the Community Garden. Thanks to funding from the Student and Activities Fee and the Farm as host, we are able to provide tools, seeds, and soil amendments, so that gardeners can participate if they do not have the means.

  Gardeners can purchase their own seeds, transplants, and supplies if they wish. Any soil amendments must be approved first by the Farm Manager.

• What do the plots look like?

  We have two types of garden plots available for groups and individuals: raised bed and in-ground plots. Raised beds are 4 feet x 8 feet, raised 12 inches off the ground. In-ground plots are 4 feet by 8 feet, separated by 1 foot walkways. We also have a few large plots for large groups or families.

  We also have four Friendly Access garden beds available. These plots are wheelchair accessible and are reserved for gardeners who may be limited in their mobility.

• How long is the commitment?

  Gardeners agree to commit to the full season, April-October, with the option to come back the next year. In the event that you cannot fulfill the commitment, we ask that you to let the Farm Manager know, so that we can open the plot to others. Students who want to participate in Spring but cannot commit to the summer or fall can volunteer to help steward our food pantry plots or may be given the opportunity to participate in our Adopt-A-Plot program if enough volunteers are available.

• Can anyone harvest produce from the Community Garden?

  Most of the plots in the Community Garden are cared for by individuals growing produce to feed their families, please do not harvest from these plots. Anyone can harvest from CLEARLY MARKED communal growing areas. DO NOT harvest from areas if you are unsure they are communal. Ask a member of Farm Staff if you need assistance.

• What happens to produce if I leave early or don't harvest?

  If you leave early, we open the plot up to the community or harvest produce for the food pantries. If we notice that you have not been harvesting and that you have produce going to waste, we will check in with you to see if we can harvest any extra produce for the food banks. We understand that people have things come up, and we want to be sure that we are doing everything we can to get edible food to people.

• Can I bring food scraps to the Garden to compost?

  No. Right now, we manage our compost piles by hand. We only have the capacity to process waste generated on-farm. Please do NOT bring scraps from home.

• How does the Communal Growing Area work?

  Our Communal Growing Areas are tended to by all member of the Community Garden and exist to help provide more organic produce to those in our community. Anyone is welcome to harvest from these areas, including non-members. Please make sure you harvest only what you need and leave enough for others. Only harvest produce that is ripe and ready for picking. If you are unsure, please ask a member of Farm Staff before harvesting. While the Community Garden does all that it can to ensure food safety, please thoroughly wash any produce you take to prevent food-borne illnesses.

• What is the Community Box?

  The Community Box, located in the shelter towards the center of the Community Garden, is a place where gardeners and the Farm place excess produce for others to take seasonally. Anyone can take produce from the Community Box, including non-members. Please only take what you need and leave enough for others. While the Community Garden and Wildcat Farm do all that they can to ensure food safety, please thoroughly wash any produce you take to prevent food-borne illnesses.

• How do I sign up for a plot?

  Please complete the Garden Agreement and Acknowledgement of Risk and Hold Harmless Form linked on this page. Both forms can be completed electronically and emailed to WildcatFarm@cwu.edu, or you can drop them off in person in the International Center, room #160. We’ll contact you with a plot assignment as soon as possible.