Project Indoor Farm (Project IF), UW’s student-led, indoor hydroponic farm, is continuing to expand its reach in the UW community and beyond. Hydroponic farming is a method that utilizes water-based nutrient solutions instead of soil to grow crops and is central to the work at Project IF.
The undergraduate RSO began in 2016, but had to be revived in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic. At first, it mostly served as a small-scale lettuce-growing operation. Now the organization cultivates 20 different kinds of crops, from leafy greens to fruiting, flowering, and even root vegetables, according to Project IF’s co-president, Angelina Durbin.
“It’s awesome to be able to grow your own food and then be able to build a community around that food, and come together and make a meal,” Durbin said.
The club has a potluck to celebrate the end of each growing cycle, where they have made everything from pizza to stir fry to green onion pancakes. Aside from the farming process and celebratory potlucks, Project IF has been busy with sustainability and engineering projects, as well as community outreach.
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