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Welcome to Luna Farm

The Earth Week Eco Hub Workday

A student examines a selection of radishes at a table inside a greenhouse. Some of the vegetables are being weighed on a scale.

Examining the Radish Harvest

Despite an ominous-looking sky, a group of enthusiastic Comets came together on April 27 to close out Earth Week for The University of Texas at Dallas with a special workday at our Eco Hub. There’s always something to do or learn or test at the University’s organic and sustainable microfarm. This day was also an occasion to celebrate.

After the weekly round of weeding, it was time to harvest radishes. The crop had begun to bolt (flower), which would change the vegetables’ flavor, so all the plants were pulled up. At the greenhouse, the weights of the radishes were recorded to better understand the effects of the farming techniques which had been used to grow them. As with many of the crops harvested from the Eco Hub, these were earmarked for donation to the Comet Cupboard.

Two students plant a watermelon seedling at the base of an arched wire trellis.

Planting Watermelon Seedlings

Eggplant and pepper seedlings were transplanted not too far from the rows of tomatoes and zucchini which had been planted during a previous workday. Watermelons were placed at the bases of arched wire trellises. Attention was given to the potatoes, onions and various herbs being grown in raised planting beds —more such beds will eventually be added to the Eco Hub.

At the end of the work, students were gifted compostable flower pots and flower seeds, then everyone celebrated in true UT Dallas fashion with space-themed snacks.

Before these Comets left, they were among the first on campus to hear two exciting announcements:

  1. As part of UTD’s ongoing experiments with sustainable landscaping practices, “Rover”, an electric mower that can be controlled from a mobile phone app, will soon be cutting grass around the Eco Hub.
  2. In response to student input, the farm at the Eco Hub will now join other astronomically-named campus landmarks and be called Luna Farm.

The Office of Sustainability’s mission is to engage the UT Dallas community as a catalyst and champion for environmental stewardship and social responsibility while fostering a culture of sustainability evident in all aspects of the campus experience.

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