What We Do
At the Wildcat Farm, we provide opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to participate in growing food for the community. Our primary work is to grow fresh produce for CWU Dining Services, and to provide space for students and faculty to run experiments or projects centered around food and farming. Examples have included studying soil carbon respiration, offering K-12 education programs, and piloting dryland winter wheat production.
The Farm is a space for building a culture of environmental stewardship, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing, new or traditional, with our neighbors.
- Visit the Farm
Visitor Guidelines
The Farm is open to visitors to explore. Please follow these guidelines during your visit:
1. Do not pick food that you did not grow unless it is specifically marked as "U-Pick" or is offered to you by Farm staff.
2. Do not allow dogs to roam off-leash, and please pick up any waste they leave. Off-leash dogs can damage beds and crops, and waste left behind is a contaminant that endangers consumers of our produce.
3. Stay out of fields and rows, and stick to the boundaries of growing areas as you walk through.
4. The Community Garden have clearly marked "U-Pick" areas from which the community can harvest. Please note that we intend this produce to be a resource for those in need of food access assistance. If you are able to purchase food without need or can support the Farmer's Market, we encourage you to do so. Please do not pick produce from the larger Farm fields or the high tunnel greenhouses.
Want an official tour? Please email us at wildcatfarm@cwu.edu.
Find Us!
We are located at the corner of North Alder Street and East 14th Avenue. The Farm is across the street from Wendell Hill residence hall and North Village apartments.
Parking on East 14th is free alongside the Palouse to Cascades Trail, and parking along North Alder Street is free on both sides. The entrance to the Farm across the trail is restricted to university vehicles only. For accessibility questions, please contact wildcatfarm@cwu.edu.
- Campus and Community Partners
The Farm and Dining Services
The primary function of the farm is to supply Dining Services with Fresh produce grown a half-mile away from their main operations. Dining Produce goes primarily to Fresh Bar, located in Central Marketplace, focusing on food made with wholesome ingredients. We work closely with Dining services while planning our season, to make sure product is utilized to the fullest extent possible.
Dining is a primary sponsor for the Farm. Their support allows us to continue growing good food for our students and community.