Star Route Farms
Star Route Farms (SRF) became a part of USF in 2017. A self-sustaining organic farm, SRF is comprised of 40 acres of organically farmed land and 60 acres of mixed-woodland habitat, including riparian forest and a year-round stream, Pine Gulch Creek. The farm, land, creek, and associated out-buildings provide USF faculty, staff, and students an opportunity to escape the urban landscape and participate in innovative learning experiences through courses, research, retreats, and workshops.
Take Courses on the Farm
The nearly one hundred acres of natural habitat, agricultural lands, and freshwater streams and ponds have become integral to environmental science, biology, engineering courses, and more.
Here are just a few examples of what's offered on the farm.
Introduction to Environmental Science
Examine risks associated with growth in a developing world, the environmental impact of population growth on natural resources, mineral and resource extraction, water resource uses, and renewable and non-renewable sources for power generation.
Stream & Riparian Ecology
Examine the physical and biological components of stream ecosystems, including stream geomorphology and stream and riparian ecology. Explore issues related to assessment, management, conservation, and restoration of stream ecosystems.
Fundamental Culinary Technique
Learn fundamental methods and theories associated with the culinary arts. Develop basic, modern culinary skills through hands-on application of healthy cooking techniques.
Engineering II, Project & Design
Apply engineering design skills to a real-world problem. Learn about technical systems and work on teams to design, prototype and test solutions for technical challenges. The course involves concepts from environmental engineering, sustainable civil engineering, and electrical and computer engineering.
Techniques for Healthy Cooking
Serving Vulnerable Populations
Focus on nutrition and food while learning about food’s influence in the treatment and prevention of chronic health conditions. Learn about community outreach connections and food sources through team building, meal preparation, and serving food to designated communities.
Pollination Biology
Survey plant-pollinator interactions. Examine risks that pollinators face in an increasingly ecologically disturbed world. Learn about socioeconomic disparities in how pollinator decline affects the food supply.
Engagement Across Campus and Beyond
Do Hands on Research
With the current climate crisis, how do changes in precipitation affect organic farm soil? How does land use and soil composition impact carbon storage? Faculty are working with students, while asking these questions and more – and may apply for grants to fund projects on the farm.
Retreat to the Farm
Bring your group to gather on the land, commune, and build community. These gatherings encourage reflection on topics such as landuse history, community and belonging, climate change and sustainability, organic agriculture and food systems, culinary practices, diet and health, and much more.
See Our Impact
Star Route Farms continues to be a vibrant center of learning and inspiration for University of San Francisco students, faculty, and staff. Over the past two years, the farm has experienced significant growth in academic programing, increasing diversity in the courses and groups that take advantage of this unique natural laboratory.
Bringing the Farm to You
Order a Farm Box
Order organic produce — available for a one-time purchase, or weekly, and bi-weekly subscriptions. You can pick up your box at USF, the Ferry Building, and other Bay Area locations.
Stock up at the Food Pantry
Star Route Farms provides produce to the USF Food Pantry. The pantry is also stocked with shelf-stable groceries such as cereal, almond milk, beans, and applesauce — and is free to all USF students experiencing food insecurity.
Taste Your Way Through the Farmers Market
Try new foods. Research what's in season. Visit the Star Route Farms stand at San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market.
Prior to starting my research at USF, I only had a textbook understanding of agriculture and soil dynamics without any real world context. At Star Route Farms I was able to experience how organic farming works — feeling the soil in my hands, smelling the dug up earth, even witnessing the harsh impacts of our destabilizing climate on the day to day operations of a working farm.”
Sarah Gao ’22 Biology, MS
Read our Stories
Star Route Farms
April Randle, Faculty Director