This post is part of a series of testimonies of students’ experiences with the Urban Farm. The series is meant to demonstrate the farm’s immense value to people personally and for the community as a whole. As the University of Oregon continues to develop its north campus in the area surrounding the farm, we want to recognize the farm’s qualities and attributes that can be brought into the overall vision for the future of the university.

Megan Cox is a 2019 University of Oregon alum who studies Environmental Studies. She advocates for the preservation and integration of the Urban Farm into the university’s new development plans. She articulates her thoughts in the testimony below.

“During my time at University of Oregon the Urban Farm class was undoubtedly one of my all time favorite classes. It was one of my most practical classes and I have told numerous amounts of people about it, as it is one of the coolest courses I have ever taken.  Not only did I learn a ton about growing food, I also found that the farm was a place where I could restore my mental health during the day between the stress of school and work. Being able to physically put my hands in the soil gave me peace in the middle of a busy schedule. Moreover, part of the beauty of the class is that each term the students harvest food planted by the class before them. Students are able to take home tons of fresh, healthy, organically grown produce. With the knowledge that so many students at UO are food insecure, I believe the university should not only preserve the class, but if anything EXPAND the Urban Farm!! It feeds your students and teaches one of the most important skills humans can attain. The instructor, Harper Keeler, is an absolute gem of a professor who goes above and beyond for his students and the Eugene community.”