Frequently Asked Questions

You may pick freely from the Founders Memorial Library Gardens, but not from Anderson Market Garden, the aeroponic towers or the Stevens Hall gardens.

Pick only what you need for your next meal and be conscious that the gardens are designed for the use of the entire NIU community.

The recipes designed for our meal prep program use produce from the gardens right here on campus.

Some staples, such as tomatoes, will likely be grown consistently. However, there will be variations in what's grown based on what seeds are donated and what you would like to see grown.

Some of the produce from Anderson Market Garden is donated to the Huskie Food Pantry.

The gardens take a much-needed break in the winter, allowing us time to plan the next season.

Produce will be grown during the spring and fall.

You can register online for the meal prep program.

You’ll get free ingredients, fresh produce from NIU’s Anderson Market Garden, access to kitchen equipment, recipes and reusable containers, as well as help with techniques, tips and troubleshooting.

You can attend as many sessions as you’d like! They’re held once a week from September 11 to November 27, 2023, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Wirtz Hall room 306.

Students, student organizations, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to volunteer as individuals or in groups. You can help with tasks such as preparing garden space, planting and harvesting.

Currently, most volunteer opportunities involve gardening tasks such as planting, weeding, watering and harvesting. As we grow the program, we hope to offer different kinds of opportunities, as well.

Yes. You can enroll in ENVS 210: Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems to learn about local food systems, gardening, project management and more. The class consists of weekly lectures and laboratory work in the Stevens Hall gardens to explore soil science, food justice, local food, public health and environmental issues.

A good way to learn about gardening is to be hands-on. Come volunteer with us to learn how to garden. You can also enroll in ENVS 210 to learn more about gardening and garden management.

You can major in environmental studies with an emphasis on sustainable food systems to learn about sustainable food and farming, while staying connected to the Edible Campus gardens.

The gardens provide space and resources to accommodate a variety of research topics. If you’re interested in connecting your research to the gardens, please email ediblecampus@niu.edu.

Our gardens can help you include valuable hands-on learning in your courses. If you’re interested in developing curricular connections between the gardens and your classes, please email ediblecampus@niu.edu.

Several colleges are involved in the gardens, including the College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the College of Education and the College of Health and Human Sciences.

The Edible Campus program is funded by donations. Initial funding for the project came from a Small Business Association Congressional Funding Grant through Senator Dick Durbin’s office. We’ve also received donations of seeds and gardening equipment. Please consider making a donation to help keep our gardens growing.

Yes. There’s no charge for produce from free-to-pick locations.