Vermicompost Facility Brings Hope for Sustainability on the Campus Farm
by Julia Macray, UW Farm Vermicompost Intern/Mary Gates Scholar, UW Earth and Space Science Major
July 22nd marked the three month anniversary of our new commercial-scale vermicomposting system at the UW Farm site at the Center for Urban Horticulture. A CSF grant project over five years in the making is now coming to fruition, and the hopeful message of climate resilience that our on-site compost facility embodies could not be coming at a better time.
As concrete climate policy makes slow progress at the national and international levels, as wildfire season approaches, as we see the increasing decay of the ice sheets on our poles, as we learn daily of heat waves, droughts, and political turmoil spurred by the changing climate, it is easy to lose hope and feel powerless. I spend a lot of time in my classes learning about the end of the world as we know it – and I understand the demoralizing sentiment of feeling like a tiny cog in a great machine rolling towards the edge of a cliff. However, I also know that a machine is a sum of its parts, and as members of a society we do have a great deal of power to change the direction of our wider communities. Small, effective changes like the new vermicompost facility are a perfect example of actionable, achievable movements towards climate resilience.
The vermicompost facility on the farm is designed to handle all food waste from the farm sites, in addition to some (non-toxic, non-seedy) weeds, and any appropriate food waste from events at the Center for Urban Horticulture. Currently, we are feeding the worms all waste from the wash-pack at the CUH site (totaling as of this writing at about 350 pounds), in addition to waste from pizza bakes and other events. Our large population of red wiggler worms chomp down on the food waste, breaking it down, processing it, and inoculating it with beneficial bacteria from their guts. Waste products from the worms, known as castings, will be harvested to fertilize all three farm sites, as well as gardens around campus. At peak capacity (given sufficient input) the facility will be able to produce about 100 pounds of compost a week!
But how does this help the planet? By removing our farm sites from the industrial compost loop, we reduce emissions from trucking compost to and from Cedar Grove's organic certified processing facility in Everett, WA, and we also reduce our reliance on outside fertilizers. Vermicompost recycles nutrients directly back to our soils, promoting growth of beneficial bacteria and fungal networks. Additionally, we will help redirect food waste that may have ended up in landfills, producing methane and other greenhouse gasses.
Helping lead the new vermicompost program on the farm has been one way I have been able to soothe some of the stresses and anxieties I feel about the future of our world, by knowing that I am helping make a small, but impactful, change and setting an example for others. I hope that everyone can find a project that elicits these same “your actions DO matter” feelings, whether it’s growing more food in your garden, making jam from local berries, volunteering for habitat restoration groups (or the UW Farm!), or even getting your hands on some worms and making your own backyard vermicompost!
This Week's Recipe:
By Quying Danzeng, Nutritional Science and Food System Major, UW Farm Summer Nutrition Education Intern
Simple Sautéed Golden Frills Mustard Green with Bell Pepper
Ingredients
1 clove garlic minced
1 red bell pepper minced
1 bunch golden frills mustard green
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt and crushed red chili flakes
Steps to Make It
Turn on medium heat and add the oil in a large pan. Add minced garlic to the hot oil. Saute until garlic is softened and fragrant and has infused the oil.
Add the chopped mustard greens. Season the greens with salt and black pepper.
Add the chopped red bell pepper and crushed red chili flakes, and saute while tossing to wilt.
Raise heat to a simmer, then lower and cook for about 5 minutes more.
Remove from the heat. Ready to serve!
Nutritional Corner:
One cup (56 grams) of chopped raw mustard greens provides:
Calories: 15
Protein: 2 grams
Fat: less than 1 gram
Carbs: 3 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Sugar: 1 gram
Vitamin A: 9% of the Daily Value
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): 6% of the Daily Value
Vitamin C: 44% of the Daily Value
Vitamin E: 8% of the Daily Value
Vitamin K: 120% of the Daily Value
Copper: 10% of the Daily Value
Additionally, mustard greens contain 4–5% of the Daily Value for calcium, iron, potassium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), magnesium, and thiamine (vitamin B1), as well as small amounts of zinc, selenium, phosphorus, niacin (vitamin B3), and folate.
Compared with raw mustard greens, one cup (140 grams) of cooked mustard greens has much higher levels of vitamin A (96% of the Daily Value), vitamin K (690% of the Daily Value), and copper (22.7% of the Daily Value).
source: USDA
News and Noteworthy:
Do-It-Yourself Soil Health Workshop
When: Saturday, August 6th , 10:00 am
Where: CitySoil Farm, South Treatment Plant,1300 SW Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057
Hosted By: CitySoil Farm x WTD Education and Outreach
Join Dr. Sally Brown, a University of Washington soil scientist, and avid practical gardener to learn about easy ways to improve the health of your garden’s soil. This workshop will take place at CitySoil Farm in Renton, one of the only farms at a wastewater treatment plant! You will learn how to evaluate the health of your soil, cheap and easy ways to improve it and get to take home a small bag of compost.
iUrban Teen: Farming and Outdoor Activities at Small Axe Farm
When: August 1st – 3rd 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: Plants Northwest Inc, 14273 Redmond – Woodinville Road Northeast, Redmond, WA 98052
Hosted by: iUrban Teen
iUrban Teen and the Black Farmers Collective, introduce farming and outdoor activities to students at the Small Axe Farm. Small Ace Farm teaches new BIPOC farmers by providing access to land, infrastructure, business development, and training resources, and it located in the Sammamish Valley, alongside the Sammamish River.
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.
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
The Weekly Dirt is produced once a week by the University of Washington Farm, a program of the UW Botanic Gardens, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment. It is published nearly year-round for educational purposes and the majority of the content is written or contributed by students and farm staff.
This issue's contributors:
Around the Farm: By Julia Macray, Mary Gates Scholar, Earth and Space Science Major Editor: Dannette Lombert, UW Farm Assistant to the Farm Manager, Perry Acworth, UW Farm Manager; Jessica Farmer, Adult Education Supervisor and Community Education Lead, UWBG Photo Credits and Other Content: Dannette Lombert Other photos retrieved from the internet and noted in sections
July 22nd marked the three month anniversary of our new commercial-scale 
But how does this help the planet? By removing our farm sites from the industrial compost loop, we reduce emissions from trucking compost to and from Cedar Grove's organic certified processing facility in Everett, WA, and we also reduce our reliance on outside fertilizers. Vermicompost recycles nutrients directly back to our soils, promoting growth of beneficial bacteria and fungal networks. Additionally, we will help redirect food waste that may have ended up in landfills, producing methane and other greenhouse gasses.
