02.08.23

Around The Farm

By Vivian [Wen-Huei] Chen, senior, majoring in Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health and  Political Science, UW Farm Environmental Justice Intern
 

My name is Vivian Chen, I was born and raised in Taiwan and came to Seattle for college. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and baking bread which I find as my ideal of slowing down to appreciate life’s small joys. Living apart from home, I note both near and far re-create dishes to my table are inspired from the comings of seasonal ingredients week by week.

I discovered the UW farm when I began to volunteer at food pantry during my sophomore year. I got the chance to see types of campus-grown harvest bringing from the food drives such as leafy greens, stalk Brussels sprouts, and acorn squash. As a food systems student, participating in UW farm taught me about the sense of place. It is an amazing hands-on experience –  “getting your hands dirty,” being involved in the growing process, and engaging in natural systems that we depend on in a much deeper way. Noticeably, that is the shortest food mile for me to access organic, fresh produce!

This quarter, I am volunteering as an Environmental Justice Intern this winter quarter at UW farm. My project including to work on having an ADA walkway between the main path and growing site to improve equitable access to the farm. Currently, Perry, the UW Farm Manager, and I are planning to have an open house and information session by the end of this quarter – aiming to bolster engagement with diverse students in order to further achieve environmental justice, food security, and sustainability on-campus.

I am learning that there is a strong tie between agriculture and cities whereas nearly 80% of all the food produced in the world is consumed in urban areas. Seattle is known for the tech hub of the Pacific Northwest at the same time we have accounts for the significant site of food consumption. One focus area from FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) green cities initiatives including the action to enhance closer green and healthy environmental connection in urban area through producing local food, connecting producers and local markets, and creating green jobs.

However, there are some problems associated with the expansion of urban agriculture. A major barrier for a community garden or farm project is to find a place to start with, for example, the rooftop garden at McMahon Hall. Another challenge is having enough start-up funding and supplies to begin the farm. Sometimes, the latter can be solved with the support from mutual aid: people give direct support in the form of labor or volunteering, help find vital supplies, or providing technical assistance in food production.

Cultivating agriculture in urban area is hard, but it is revolutionary when urban farms are more than just an edible landscape, but also return a socio-economic benefit by putting the control of food chain back into the hands of local communities.

At last, I wanted to end up with a near-spring poem:

“Verdant green and focused growth

The spring becomes us Seedlings emerge right on time”

By Sam B. Deboskey

Celebrating Black History Month: 

George Washington Carver – agriculturalist, teacher, innovator

News and Noteworthy:

Speaking engagement THIS FRIDAY February 10th

Fairer Farms through Fair Trade USA

Speaker: Paul Rice, founder and CEO of Fair Trade USA

On Zoom and in Kane 130 at 12:30 p.m.

This Friday, Paul Rice, founder and CEO of Fair Trade USA will present at our Certifying Sustainability in the Food Systems seminar.

This session is presented on Zoom as well as in Kane Hall 130. Any UW student, faculty, or staff member is welcome to attend. ⁠

Click link in bio for connection link and info⁠

or go to https://bit.ly/3QO4Xea

Farm and Sea Trade Conference

Date: Monday, February 27, 2023

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Doors open at 8:30 a.m.)

Location: Block 41 | 115 Bell Street Seattle, WA 98121

Tickets and Information on the events is HERE
 

• Lunch by That Brown Girl Cooks! Catering 
  Enjoy a gourmet lunch featuring locally sourced ingredients from Puget Sound Food Hub and wild caught salmon from Duna Fisheries. Lunch created by critically acclaimed local chef Kristi Brown and her talented team.

• Trade Networking
  Meet, mingle and make lasting business connections to enrich your network.

• Panels & Presentations
  Hear from industry leaders about local advances and new projects in processing, wholesale, land access, labor, and more.

• Happy Hour Tasting Event
  Come taste the bounty of the PNW with local cheese, snacks, bread, desserts, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, flavorful condiments, and seafood.
   

  Registration deadline: February 15

  Partners: Seattle Good Business Network is hosting this event in partnership with Tilth Alliance and with funding in part from King Conservation District.

Agriculture and Food Systems Employment Opportunities:

• UW Farm Production Manager – University of Washington, Seattle campus
• Echinacea Project Paid Summer Internships – fieldwork in Minnesota prairies.
• Farmers Market Food Access Coordinator – Washington State Farmers Market Association
• Farmers Market Staff – Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Market Association
• Multiple Positions at Tilth Alliance
• EarthCorps – multiple job opportunities 
• Red Dog Farms – Multiple positions available
• Rogue Farm Corps – Multiple positions available
• U-District Food Bank – Development Coordinator 

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

Help The Farm Grow!

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

Copyright © 2023 The UW Farm, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
The UW Farm
3501 NE 41st St, 
Seattle, WA 98105

On campus mailbox
Box 354115

NEW email address:
uwfarm@uw.edu