The Metro Detroit AYLUS branch, on April 28, 2024, helped out at the Oakland University Laboratory for Outdoor Research, Agriculture, Conservation, and Sustainability (LORACS). The branch helped out in the hoop house, a large greenhouse with metal hoops to secure the roof that covers it. The LORACS is one of two research facilities in the university. The facility contains a multitude of vegetables, ranging from kale to carrots. The Branch assisted the OU faculty working there by weeding out unwanted plants, as well as collecting some of the plants which were ready to be harvested.
The LORACS is a unique location, as not only is it apart of the university’s facilities, but it is also open for volunteers as well. The crops grown in the outdoor laboratory are also put in a farm share program to help the local community. Perhaps the greatest aspect of volunteering there is the ability to experience what the life of a modern farmer is like. The work is physically tough, but in the end it is equally as rewarding.