Sustainability - The University of Texas at Dallas

Eco Hub

In fall 2021, The Office of Sustainability launched its brand-new Eco Hub, which is a hive for sustainability leadership on campus and in our community. Located at the site of the campus’s former on-site compost operation on Synergy Park Blvd., the Eco Hub is intended to serve as a space for sustainability experimentation, innovation, and living laboratory initiatives.

Luna Farm

Luna Farm is a micro-farm located on UTD’s main campus. The farm features trellises for growing vining plants such as peas and beans and above-ground containers, contributing to the farm’s tenets:

Fighting Food Insecurity

100% of the produce grown at Luna Farm is donated to the Comet Cupboard, which helps support food insecure Comets. While distribution centers and grocery stores are often able to provide shelf-stable goods to local pantries, long supply chains and storage times means that pantries often go without fresh produce. Luna Farm and other local farms can help supplement local pantries’ supplies with locally-grown food that would otherwise not be available to pantry clients.

Leadership and Education

Luna Farm operates by and for students. Dedicated student leaders, known as Eco Reps, plan and coordinate weekly workdays with the help of their supervisor. Through these workdays, students, staff, and faculty have the unique opportunity to gain hands-on gardening experience and make meaningful connections. Each workday is a unique opportunity to teach the UT Dallas community about where their food comes from and gardening skills that transcend generations.

Sustainability

The farm is guided by organic farming principles, including avoiding synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Being good stewards of the environment and preserving our planet’s resources for future generations isn’t just nice to do, but a necessity.

Luna Farm is proud to be a registered North Texas Food Bank Partner Garden, USDA [United States Department of Agriculture] People’s Garden and an American Heart Association Teaching Garden.

Volunteer Workdays

A row of hives in the Bee Apiary at the Eco Hub.

Luna Farm hosts weekly workdays that are open to all of UTD, including current students, staff, and faculty. Volunteers can be expected to perform basic gardening tasks such as weeding, watering, harvesting, planting, and laying mulch. On some workdays, there will be a formal educational component on basic gardening topics such as seasonal planting, composting, harvesting, and more.

Please wear closed-toe shoes and dress for the weather. We work in heat and cold but will cancel in the case of extreme conditions. It is strongly recommended that you bring a snack and a large, filled water bottle.

Workday dates and information are located on Engage UTD. Log in via SSO [Single Sign-On] with your UTD NetID and password to view the information and sign up for workdays.