Fall 2023 Campus Dining Today - 57

software will automatically dose the nutrients
and water distribution, in addition to monitoring
the overall farm environment and growth, all of
which change throughout the growth cycle.
While some schools encourage their students to
get more involved in micro-farm maintenance,
Babylon Micro-Farms has gone a step further
by recently rolling out a new internship program
that is designed to allow students to earn a
certification in micro-farming on campuses
nationwide. The number of credits will vary
depending on each school, but the skills learned
will be invaluable to students going into careers
in hydroponics or in controlled environment
agriculture (CEA).
VCU's Registered Dietician
Quinn Taylor manages their
on-campus micro-farms.
She not only harvests the
farm but also hosts events,
demonstrations, and shares
the occasional Instagram
post regarding the health
benefits of growing
nutritious hydroponic
produce on-site.
" It definitely helps with
student engagement! "
Taylor said. " I've noticed
most engagement comes
when I am tending to the
farm. Students and parents
will randomly come up and
ask me what I'm doing or what the farm is, and
it's a great opportunity for me to chat with them
about fresh, healthy options on campus. "
VCU Resident District Manager Pam Neff shared
that their micro-farms are not only a beautiful
addition to their dining hall, but also " allows
(them) to continue on a path towards greater
sustainability. "
The micro-farms bridge the gap between the
idea of sustainability and the actions VCU is
taking toward becoming more sustainable and
educating their students about it. Since they
started harvesting from their micro-farms in
2021, Babylon Micro-Farms estimates that VCU
has saved 57,350 gallons of water, avoided
7.3 pounds of nitrogen in waterways, and avoided
95 pounds of food waste by sourcing their greens
in-house with a vertical hydroponic farm instead of
through traditional farming.
UNL is one of the latest schools to have adopted
the Babylon Micro-Farms model, and they enjoy the
ability to serve locally grown produce in their Selleck
Food Court.
" We're very interested in growing our own organic
lettuces and microgreens, " said Dave Annis, UNL's
director of dining services. " By using hyper-locally
grown produce - meaning it's grown on campus
- we can serve more eco-aware products to our
students, as well as
continue to pursue
some of dining
services' sustainability
goals. "
Quinn Taylor, registered dietician at Virginia
Commonwealth University (VCU), tends to the
university's on-campus micro-farm. (Photos
courtesy of Babylon Micro-Farms)
This new feature in
UNL's dining hall adds
an engaging element
to the student's dining
experience, which
may entice them to
eat healthier. They
are ensured daily
usage and minimal
waste, aligning with
the university's quest
to become more
sustainable and local.
The staff harvests from the
micro-farm on a weekly and bi-weekly basis. Some
of the produce they are currently harvesting includes
pea-shoot microgreens, Thai basil, and lolla rosa
lettuce, which are used in various entrées in their
cafe. The microgreens they grow are used to top their
pizzas, salads, and sandwiches, which are popular
among the students. With this new mix of fresh,
delicious produce on campus, UNL is chipping away
at their overall carbon footprint. §
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's
micro-farm made the local news.
Scan here to watch:
MACRO STEPS WITH MICRO-FARMS | CAMPUS DINING TODAY
57
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdoSR_U9_to
Fall 2023 Campus Dining Today

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