Gardens and Produce

Free-to-pick Locations

Founders Memorial Library Gardens

Anyone may pick ripe fruits and vegetables from the raised beds on the west side of the library (but please do not pick flowers).

Neptune Hall Gardens

Produce is available to harvest at the Neptune Hall gardens located on the south side of North Neptune Hall. Anyone may pick ripe fruits and vegetables from these raised beds, but please do not pick the flowers.

Additional Garden Locations

The following garden locations are reserved for research and other projects around campus:

• Stevens Hall Gardens: these raised beds are used by our partners in STEAM. Their after-school program students will be working on an adopt-a-box program with their families, learning about food systems and growing food for themselves.
• Aeroponic Tower Garden: located in 71 North, this garden grows lettuces and herbs in air/mist instead of soil.
• Anderson Market Garden: the produce grown here is purchased by Campus Dining Services or used elsewhere on campus.

Hydroponic Farming Pod (Hydropod)

What looks like a standard shipping container behind Anderson Hall is actually our Hydropod, an innovative vertical gardening system. This controlled environment agriculture (CEA) farm uses electric technologies like LED lighting and a high-efficiency HVAC system to grow crops year-round.

One of several in the Chicago area supported by ComEd and nonprofit research institute EPRI, our hydropod generates data to promote sustainably grown food, supports faculty/student research and provides produce to Campus Dining and the Huskie Food Pantry.