Support Fairhaven’s Outback Farm

Learning · Community · Food Justice 

The Outback Farm is WWU’s 5-acre farm started in 1972 by students. We feature permaculture practices and have community gardens, chickens, orchards, a teaching apiary, vernal pools and a delineated wetland. The Outback Farm has adapted to University-wide demand for hands-on learning opportunities about food production, food security and justice and sustainable living. Future funding for the Outback's farm manager position is uncertain, so by giving to Fairhaven College, you will allow us to keep growing food, teaching classes and connecting students to nature.

The Outback Farm is a living laboratory where Western’s pillars of sustainability come to life. Through hands-on training in agroecology, food systems and regenerative land management, students gain practical skills that fuel economic vitality across Whatcom and Skagit Counties. Many local farms trace their roots to the Outback. Students consistently describe it as therapeutic, inspiring and essential to their persistence at Western. The Outback protects biodiversity, supports pollinators like the endangered Western Bumblebee, builds healthy soils and sequesters carbon through thoughtful stewardship.

Please consider making a gift today to invest in hands-on education, environmental stewardship and a more just and sustainable future for Western students.

Departments and Special Projects

Click to read more about or give back to any of the departments or special projects listed below!