Homefield Farm
Homefield Farm is a partnership between Dining Services and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the only certified organic operation owned by a university in Virginia. The six-acre, student-run farm is located eight miles west of the Blacksburg campus and provides about 50,000 pounds of fresh produce to dining centers and Homefield’s farm stand on campus. The farm, along with a high tunnel at Virginia Tech’s Urban Horticulture Center, raises thirty varieties of vegetables, plus culinary herbs, flowers, and decorative pumpkins and gourds.
Homefield Farm also provides a unique opportunity for collaboration between students and Dining Services’ culinary staff to provide ingredients for popular dishes and events. For example, Homefield’s ingredients can be found at Farms, a sustainable dining venue in the Owens Food Court, Turner Place’s tomato bisque soup and pizza sauce, or the hot peppers used for the annual Chili Challenge at D2 in Dietrick Hall.
Meet the Farmer
Lori Robertson, Farm Manager
Lori Robertson nurtures Homefield Farm’s culture from deep roots: her two decades of crop and soil research experience began and flourished at Virginia Tech. Her work with the university to improve soil health and manage weeds and pests with cover cropping points the next step in Homefield's organic production. This background energizes her to move Homefield toward becoming a no-till farm.
Lori enjoys Homefield’s collaborations with graduate researchers in entomology and plant pathology and with other Kentland Farm operations. She is excited to further the farm’s role as a bridge among Dining Services, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia’s vegetable growers, and the local community.
Off the farm, Lori guides river rafting trips and mountain biking camps for all ages through the Town of Blacksburg.
Annual Reports
Help support the mission of Homefield Farm by donating directly to the farm today through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
What is the Farm Stand?
The on-campus farm stand is an initiative of Homefield Farm and a collaboration between Dining Services, the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Homefield Farm staff, Dining Services employees, and student volunteers run the stand, which sells a variety of seasonal vegetables grown at the farm.
Fall 2022 Farm Stand Dates
The Farm Stand is located on the plaza outside of Turner Place at Lavery Hall from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. on the dates listed below.
- September 23rd
- October 11th
- October 25th
Want to get involved?
Volunteers: If you are interested in volunteering on the farm, sign up here!
Homefield Farm is a collaborative partnership between Student Affairs Dining Services, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences.