Purdue University Student Farm Grows Partnership With Bistro

• BY ANDREW COLEMAN Summer Reporter

• July 4, 2026

 Some of the Purdue Student Farm lettuce grows outside.

Andrew Coleman | Summer Reporter

Inside Marriott Hall lies salads, burgers, sandwiches and fine dining options all with one common ingredient — lettuce grown from the hands of Purdue students.

“It’s the most amazing lettuce in my entire career,” said Department Chef and Clinical Professional Instructor Dawn Sieber, who comes from a long and storied career in hotels and restaurants.

Sieber — who runs Boiler Bistro among other locations through Purdue’s school of hospitality and tourism management — buys the lettuce from the Purdue Student Farm.

Farm manager Chris Adair oversees operations, including much more than lettuce.

The student-run farm managed by the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture produces cherry and grape tomatoes, 10 varieties of sweet peppers, poblanos and banana peppers, potatoes, and a variety of other vegetables in addition to its lettuce varieties.

The student labor needed to successfully grow and harvest these plants is invaluable, Adair said. This requires him to build an environment where the students feel comfortable and want to work the farm, he said.

“It can be repetitive, it can be hot, it can be wet, it can be cold, it can be anything and everything, “ Adair said. “It's really important that you make everything not suck … that's why I try to be as flexible with the students as possible.”

Adair said he gets good results. The students learn a lot about vegetable farming and get hands-on experience, he said.

Rows of sweet peppers grow Friday at the Purdue Student Farm.

Andrew Coleman | Summer Reporter

Sophia Chiparus, a summer intern at the farm, said working there over the past year has been impactful.

“You learn a lot of different skills, you learn a lot of different things, you gain confidence in working with the land, and that is a huge takeaway for me,” said Chiparus, a senior majoring in political science and statistics.

The students don’t just grow plants outside, however.

2024 saw the installation of Freight Farm growing containers at the farm. These metal boxes allow the students to grow vegetables year-round in a controlled environment. This is where most of Sieber’s lettuce is grown.

Prior to the containers, the farm did sell to HTM but the year-round lettuce production has boosted the farm’s ability to sell to the school, Adair said.

The containers have also allowed the student farm to sell a spring Community Supported Agriculture program. Adair said CSA programs are where people in the community spend money to essentially purchase a share of the farm, in return, they receive a portion of the produce.

In the spring, supporters can purchase the Boilermaker Salad Kit and receive fresh salads from the farm either every week or every other week for 10 weeks. Supporters can also purchase the farm’s main CSA program, the Boilermaker Vegetable Season Pass.

This is a 22-week program which offers supporters a cut of all the vegetables the farm offers from June to November. The resulting proceeds is what runs the farm, as HLA does not supply money for resources such as seeds.

Though, Adair said this provides important responsibility to the students.

Lettuce grows inside a Freight Farm growing container Friday at the Purdue Student Farm

Andrew Coleman | Summer Reporter

“It's important for the farm itself and for the students that are working at the farm to have a reason and have a purpose for growing things,” he said. “It pushes you to be better with stuff and to figure out ways to squeeze things in.”

Selling to HTM is part of this too. Sieber said she plans on buying more vegetables, including peppers and onions.

While Sieber has always been about farm-to-table menus and Purdue-centered ingredients, her produce from the farm has also boosted sales.

“I can’t keep up with the salads,” Sieber said.

She has continually added the produce to more menus and events, and plans to feature it at Purdue Convocations’ illusionist dinner in November at the John Purdue Room.

“(The lettuce) is so very exciting because we're so proud of the students and featuring it everywhere,” Sieber said.