In 2023, University Housing Dining and Culinary Services continued its commitment to locally-grown ingredients and agricultural sustainability with the expansion of vegetable production to a one-acre campus growing area within the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. In 2025, the DCS Campus Farm grew to three total acres with the addition of a plot at West Madison Agricultural Research Station. Together, these two locations provide the freshest ingredients for our residential dining program, hands-on learning opportunities for students and staff, and a model for sustainable agriculture in Dining operations and beyond.
Produce
Dining utilizes the Campus Farm as a learning laboratory for students and staff in high-yield sustainable agriculture techniques and culinary excellence. Dining staff visit the farm throughout the growing season to plant, week, trellis, and harvest delicious produce for use in the University’s residential dining programs. Unique seeds and plant species, including vibrant, colorful varieties of herbs, greens, root crops, squash, and tomatoes, are thoughtfully integrated into Dining menus for students to enjoy.
In the 2024 growing season, 7,294 pounds of vegetables were grown at the farm.
Farm to Table
Where can you find farm produce?
Vegetables from the farm are primarily served in Rheta’s Market, Carson’s Market, and Lowell Market throughout the summer and fall semesters. Look for the DCS Campus Farm logo next to menu items to know which recipes feature farm fresh produce!
Location
All University of Wisconsin-Madison property, including the DCS Campus Farm, occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place the Ho-Chunk Nation has called Teejop since time immemorial. The DCS Campus farm recognizes that the Ho-Chunk Nation practiced what we now refer to as “sustainable agriculture” on this land long before settlers arrived, and that the Nation continues to practice traditional agricultural and land management methods today.
The 1.5 acre DCS Campus Farm plot in the Lakeshore Nature Preserve is situated adjacent to the Eagle Heights Community Gardens, one of the largest and oldest community gardens in the United States. Proximity to student organization plots and connection to the Lakeshore Nature Preserve’s mission to serve as a learning laboratory make this an ideal location for the DCS Campus Farm at UW-Madison.
Farm visitors can follow the Lakeshore Path to the garden by foot or bike, or take the bus on the 80 or 84 route to Eagle Heights. Free street parking is available along Eagle Heights Drive across the street from the gardens, and limited pay parking is available in Lot 130 near Picnic Point. The Eagle Heights Community Gardens are located at 3016 Lake Mendota Drive, just off of University Bay Drive. After entering the garden, follow the pathway all the way down the hill until you see signs for the DCS Campus Farm.
The 1.5 acre DCS Campus Farm plot located at West Madison Agricultural Research Station is new in 2025 and grows on Certified Organic land. This plot is high-yielding and contributes to important research on seed varieties, reduced-till soil maintenance, and living pathways that represent diverse approaches to sustainable agricultural for Wisconsin farms.
Partners
The DCS Campus Farm works closely with our garden neighbors at Eagle Heights Community Gardens, student organizations Wunk Sheek and The People’s Farm, and the Lakeshore Nature Preserve. Students in the GreenHouse Learning Community help start and maintain seedlings in the Leopold greenhouse each spring and work in the field throughout the fall semester. In the new growing space at West Madison, Dining works in close collaboration with the Dawson Lab on trialing seed varieties and organic agriculture techniques. The farm is always open to new partnerships to help celebrate Wisconsin agriculture and campus-grown ingredients.
Get Involved
Stop by the farm’s open volunteer days every Thursday from 4-6pm during the 2025 summer and fall season to lend a hand and learn more about the farm!
Fill out the Campus Farm Volunteering Form to take a tour of the farm, schedule a group volunteering session or sign up for our volunteer email list to get notified about weather-related changes to the schedule.
In the News
Read more about the DCS Campus Farm and University Housing Dining’s commitment to local food:
