State Farm Fields

Introduction

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State Farm Fields is a 24 acre complex that currently houses Appalachian State University Club and Intramural sports, nature trails, public restrooms, and a picnic shelter. The fields started out as a large dairy farm that served Appalachian State and the surrounding area. State Farm Fields has gone under construction many times in order to meet the growing needs of students and the community that uses it. Located just 5 minutes from downtown Boone, NC, the complex is visited by spectators and visiting teams alike.

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Backstory and Context

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Since the complex started out primarily as a dairy farm, the fields have had to go through a lot of renovations. On farms, fields are selected and tended to so that they hold water; much of the original landscape has had to go through changes to crown the fields and provide a proper method of irrigation. Being that the fields are on a flood plain, however, ensures that students will never lose this space to buildings, or other structures that would inhibit its use as a playing field and recreational space.

One of the first major renovations came in 2002 when the north side of the fields, across the South Fork of the New River, were crowned and planted. In 2015, the south side of the fields were closed for the same reason, to be crowned and planted.

The trails snake along the New River and offer visitors a chance to run, bike, and skate through woods and around the north side fields. On Saturdays, the north fields are bustling with activity by the 23 Appalachian University club sports that use the fields to compete on.

Sources

https://urec.appstate.edu/state-farm-fields

http://theappalachianonline.com/2015/08/27/state-farm-fields-benched-for-two-years/