05.31.23

Around The Farm

Chestful of Whispers, Art Installation at Mercer Court Farm Site

By Winnie Wine, Senior, Art (Photo/Media), Art Intern

Hi all! My name is Winnie and this
quarter I'm the art intern on the farm. 
My relationship with the farm transformed after helping with Althea Rao’s (Multidisciplinary Artist, PhD student, UW DXARTS) art piece at the Mercer Court location. Her processional altar, Chestful of Whispers, was part of a larger piece through the Henry Art Gallery and artist Daniel Alexander Jones, taking place at 5 locations on the UW campus. You can learn more about the overall installation here: https://henryart.org/programs/altar-no-3-i-choose-to-remember-us-whole-community-processional

Before the processional began participants were asked by Jones: “What if being part of a whole means that we choose to see one another’s memories as sacred?” This question became very important in Althea’s piece which was centered around the narrative of the Mercer Girls. Althea explained the history behind these 12 women being transported to Seattle in order for Mr. Mercer to impregnate and continue prosperity, without their knowledge of these motives. In arriving in Seattle, these women gave birth to new lives. The relevance of this story became clear with the planting of seeds immediately after. Althea passed around information about seeds and how they got to this land, my job was to hold a chest of seeds in which participants would “retrieve a whisper” about the strength and wisdom each seed has to offer.

Turnip seeds, brought over by early settlers and edible from leaf to root, whispered “be brave and dedicate your whole self”. Collard greens, brought over through transatlantic slave trade, likely braided in the hair of African women, whispered “remember your ancestors”. And red amaranth, indigenous to the Americas, which Spanish conquistadors attempted to burn out but survived, whispered “you’ll outlive them”. After we all planted these seeds in the pollinator planting at the Mercer Court farm location. In planting we were posed to considered what future we were planting these seeds for and cultivating. 

This ceremony changed the way I see the farm and planting seeds. Yes, we plant seeds for food and sustenance, but food that will not be available until the future. If we are always looking towards our future, what will be left after us? Will the trees and the birds mourn for us? What will we leave behind, what will be our legacy? Planting has such a different meaning for me now: power, agency, and birth of a new generation. As a woman as well it made me feel closer to my body, the power that this body has to affect in this world. Giving birth is like planting a seed for a new generation. It reminds me of a quote that Eli Wheat recently shared with me, “The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings” (Masanobu Fukuoka, The One-Straw Revolution). We are taking part in shaping the future, as an individual, as a generation, as a society. 

Sharing the seeds with the crowd felt like washing produce in the wash pack and sharing those foods with the campus. Planting a seed is like giving birth. Thinking about the power of each seed, the whispers like “shapeshift when it feels right”, was like learning the uniqueness of each plant on the farm and the power each individual person can produce as well. Opening the chest and facilitating the whispers was like sharing my experience with other volunteers on the farm or a new generation of students and volunteers. And most of all, seeding and cultivating the pollinator planting feels like sharing my experience of farming broadly, writing this to encourage others to plant their own seeds for our future. 

Photo Credit: Winnie Wine

If you were unable to get a share and are looking for a CSA in the Seattle area, check out this resource for CSA's available around Seattle
 

News and Noteworthy:

UW Farm Summer and Fall Internship Opportunities

Farm Education Internship – OPEN for Summer and Fall 2023

Food Safety Internship – Open for Summer 2023

General Farm Internship, CSA Program Focus – OPEN FOR Summer and Fall 2023

Food Security Internship – OPEN FOR SUMMER and Fall 2023

Nutrition Analysis Internship

Nutrition Education Internship – OPEN FOR SUMMER 2023

More available paid and unpaid opportunities to check out on our website.

Full-term Summer Urban Farm Practicum Open for Registration!

Check the summer time schedule for more details.

SER-UW Native Plant Nursery Nursery Internship and Student Nursery Assistant Positions Available

See details about each position, more information at sites.uw.edu/seruwnursery/get-involved/ 

Nursery Internship – Summer/Fall 2023
-Up to 20 hrs a week in Summer, 10 hrs a week in Fall 
-Start Date: June 26th 2023 | End Date: December 15th 2023

Student Assistant 
-Up to 10 hrs a week 
-Start Date: June 26th 2023 | End Date: June 9th 2024

Career Opportunities in Agriculture & Food Systems:

• Kirsop Farm – Hiring Multiple Positions
• Ecolibrium – Hiring Multiple Positions
• EarthCorps – Hiring Multiple Positions
• Red Dog Farms – Multiple Positions Available
• WA Farmland Trust Development Coordinator
• Tilth Alliance – Multiple Positions Available
• Seed Savers Exchange – Multiple Positions Available

Food Access Resources

The UW Farm donates regularly to the UW Food Pantry. During peak season we also donate to nearby food banks. The links below are resources to help you or someone you know with food access.  

• UW Food Pantry: The UW Food Pantry | Any Hungry Husky (washington.edu)
• Northwest Harvest Food Donation sites: Public Drop Sites – Northwest Harvest
• University District Food Bank: Donate Food and Items – University District Food Bank (udistrictfoodbank.org)
• Food Lifeline: Volunteer – Food Lifeline

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Every year, we have the capacity to grow more food and increase our educational and research program at the UW, but not without your support. Every contribution goes to work immediately, helping us better serve students. Your support can sustain our momentum and help seed new opportunities for student internships, academic work, and future growth. Please consider making a gift to the Farm online

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