Farm Resources

The Willow Lake Student Farm has six 10,000 sqft. blocks dedicated to annual vegetable production and research, with additional blocks for perennial berry, asparagus, and mushroom production, and for temporary nursery space for future projects. The new Food Forest/Orchard research blocks, funded by the Kansas Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant program in 2020 and installed the same year by students in HORT 520 - Fruit Production, comprises approximately 1.6 acres with four replicated conventional (low density) apple, intercropped apple/currant/buffalo berry, and highly diverse food forest plots. WLSF boasts first-of-its-kind, replicated hügelkultur research and demonstration plots with four hügel beds measuring 96 ft. in length, 8 ft. wide, and 3 1/2 ft tall. The farm also features two fixed high tunnels, with one dedicated to aquaponics production (being repaired in 2023 from extreme wind damage).

The farm has two WiFi-accessible, outdoor teaching spaces: a small, primitive amphitheater that seats 30 - 40 and picnic bench seating for 18 - 20.

Equipment on the farm is typical of a farm of its scale and includes traditional tractors with a variety of farm-appropriate implements, a stand-on skid steer (graciously provided by Kubota USA), a BCS walk-behind tractor, riding and push mowers, various small-scale tillers/cultivators, and various powered and hand tools common to small- to mid-scale farms.