About Edible Campus

Despite the abundance of farms in Illinois, most of the food consumed in the state is not locally produced. Edible Campus seeks to address this disconnect by transforming parts of the NIU campus into a landscape you can eat. This ambitious partnership among NIU units and outside partners is collaborative in nature, including student and community volunteer events and activities, as well as showcasing local businesses.

By providing inclusive, sustainable access to campus-grown produce, we hope to help NIU and the community build stronger connections between food, wellness and the environment. Our efforts reflect a growing interest among universities in studying and improving food systems, as well as preparing students for the field’s many career opportunities. Our work is also an important part of NIU’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.

Our Progress

The initial funding for Edible Campus came from the Small Business Association Congressional Funding Grant through Senator Dick Durbin’s office. The project’s original objectives focused on education and workforce development, neighborhood empowerment, and community health and wellness.

As of fall 2023, we’ve created three campus gardens: Anderson Market Garden, Founders Memorial Library Gardens and Stevens Hall Gardens. We plan to install more gardens across campus in the future. Our other initiatives include donating produce to the Huskie Food Pantry, implementing a meal preparation program for students and selling produce to Campus Dining Services.

Our Objectives

We work to:

• Build a living learning laboratory focused on food systems that provides educational and practical opportunities for NIU, local colleges and schools, and the community
• Create connections between health, wellness and the environment in relation to our food systems
• Deliver positive environmental impacts related to campus sustainability through our food systems work
• Reduce food security issues for our students and the NIU community