6.22.22

Around The Farm

UW Farm Opens Little Free Seed Library, 
Joining a Food Security and Sovereignty Movement

By Perry Acworth, UW Farm Manager

The UW Farm team opened a Little Free Seed Library at the growing site at the Center for Urban Horticulture on April 30th.  The farm's seed library joins over 50 seed libraries in Washington state, and hundreds more seed libraries nationwide,   Locally, you might have heard about other seed libraries opening: the ones by Hillman City who were profiled by King 5; one managed by the Beacon Hill Garden Club; or the King Country Seed Lending Library
 

What is a Seed Library?

Much like the Little Free Library and mini pantries, seed libraries are tiny places throughout the community where people can leave seeds to share and take seeds to use. The seeds that community members share can be what they purchased in excess or gathered from their own garden to provide a community-based resource for growing food, flowers, and other plants. Some seed libraries also offer gardening books, seedlings, cuttings, and seed-starting supplies all for free.
 

Why Start a Seed Library?

As Farm Manager at the UW Farm, part of my role is to facilitate learning both for students and members of the community – connecting with those in the immediate neighborhood, around the campus, and also local farmers, gardeners and growers. 

As a new resident of Seattle in 2012, attending seed swap events opened my eyes to what grows well in the PNW. I attended annually and brought seeds of varieties that I wanted to retire and looked for locally productive and disease resistant varieties. In addition to sharing seeds, fellow gardeners shared their knowledge with other event attendees. 

During the peak of COVID-19, seed swaps and in-person seed saving workshops were cancelled. At the same time, there was a boom in gardening. Experts predicted food shortages and many across the nation began growing fruits and vegetables. This led to a shortage of seeds while seed companies posted "sold out" messages on their websites and delays occurred. By creating a seed library we could help to fill a void and join an emerging network of seed keepers and share, for food sustainability – access, equity and resiliency – in the city. 

Seed libraries provided by and for local gardeners, urban farmers, seed companies, community centers and organizations also offer seed sovereignty. Individuals can have local control of seeds, which ultimately is control of food and food security. A growing community of knowledge about food ways and how to grow food in the pacific northwest is important, as not all is written, but passed via conversations and generations. Sharing virtually helps as more of us have adopted this way of connecting.  

Seeds saved locally that come from someone’s own garden also lets you know they come from a plant that has already grown in your microclimate. Versus sourcing seeds from across the nation, the varieties might be more successful. Reducing our reliance on out-sourcing and shipping long distances also helps save the environment. 

The goal of the UW Farm Seed Library is also to reduce waste. We can offer our seeds that otherwise would not get planted to someone who is ready to plant them so the seeds don't suffer poor germination rates when held too long. If we may not have enough to fill a bed, (25 for tomatoes, 325 for a single planting of Pac Choi) we can gift the seeds to someone who only wants a few. Likewise, a seed library can solve seed sourcing challenges for apartment dwellers in cities who only need small amounts for confined spaces, like a balcony, patio or windowsill.  
 

How to Get Involved

Join the movement and build a seed library! Seed libraries need not be fancy, or costly. If you want to build one, you can find tips on the internet, like this post from Garden Therapy. The UW Farm repurposed a $5 kitchen cabinet found at a salvage yard, mounted it on a 4×4 post and sunk the post in 3' of gravel. A tight-fitting door and no windows help prevent light, wind and rain from affecting seeds. Glass jars and tins hold seeds to help deter insects and rodents. Small packets of rice in the containers absorb moisture. After sanding and giving the cabinet two coats of paint, Althea Eriksen, the new Urban Farming and Food Systems intern (pictured below), decorated the outside with colorful paintings of fruits, vegetables and fungi. The library was installed in the shade of the Farm's Supershed, to keep seeds cool in the summer and dry in all types of weather.

The UW Farm Seed Library is open year-round, 24/7/365 from dawn to dusk.. We do not ship seeds and do not sell any seeds – it's all free! If you need more information about how to donate seeds or have questions, email the farm: uwfarm@uw.edu. Please share our news, so we can keep the pantry stocked. Thank you!

This Week's Recipe:

Swiss Chard With Nested Eggs

Photos and Recipe by: Quying "Tenzin" Danzeng, Nutrition Education Intern, Food Sciences and Nutrition Major

In this week’s CSA box, we have Swiss Chard as a produce item. As an international student, I have never seen Swiss chard in the past, and one interesting fact that I learned from our farm manager, Perry, is that Swiss chard has higher nutritional value than Kales and spinach. The vibrant color of the Swiss chard not only provides the essential nutrients we need in our body, it also has a natural pigmentation that could be used in different types of dishes and cuisines. I was able to accomplish this recipe because I had the proper tools. This dish called for standard kitchen equipment, for instance: chef’s knife and cutting board. One very essential tool in the making of this tool is a skillet or any other pan that could go in the oven. Because we have to put the pan in the oven, the material of the skillet in this case is cast iron, which makes it able to go into the oven. I used a food processor to shred the Swiss chard into smaller pieces, however you could also just chop it into the preferred size. 
 
Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 Swiss chard
• ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper

 
Instructions

• Step 1

Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a clean paper towel to dab the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and brush/smear them evenly on a skillet or any pan that could be put in the oven. Make sure the oil is covered both on the inside wall and the bottom of the pan/skillet.

• Step 2

 Use a food processor or blender to shred the rainbow colors Swiss chard stems into smaller pieces. You could blend each color of the Swiss chard stem separately like I did in the photo below. Or you could also blend them all together. If you do not have access to a processor or blender, you may use a knife to cut up the swiss chard.

• Step 3

After the stems of the Swiss chard have been shredded, you shred the leaves and put them all on the skillet or pan of choice.

• Step 4

Crack one egg in the middle of the skillet, and put the skillet in the oven for 10 minutes.

• Step 5

After 10 minutes, sprinkle the salt and the pepper evenly on the dish and there you have a delicious and nutritious meal. You leave the nested egg for a longer time or shorter time in the oven depending on how hard you want your egg to be cooked.
  
Ingredients and substitution:
For the choice of protein, there are plenty of options to choose from: ground beef, ground pork, shrimp, bacon strip, etc. If you are vegetarian, you could also choose from a variety of vegetables: mushroom, cherry tomato, onion, bell pepper, etc.
 

 
Nutrition Corner:
 

 
Source: USDA

Bonus Recipe:

Garlic Scape & Scallion Pancake

 
Photos and Recipe by Hsin-Yu "Maggie" Huang, UW Farm Dani Elenga Urban Farming and the Environment Intern

Ingredients:
(can make about 8 small pancakes)
Dough

• all-purpose flour 150g
• water 100g
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of sugar
• pepper

 
Filling

• scallion (chopped) 100g
• garlic scape 100g
• sesame oil 1tablespoon
• salt
• pepper
• other suggested spices (cumin, coriander, Sichuan pepper, etc)

 
Instructions:
1. Combine all the dough ingredients. Knead till smooth and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Combine all the fillings ingredients.
3. Divide both dough and filling individually into eight equal portions.
4. Roll the dough out and insert filling in the middle, then wrap the fillings in.
5. Sealed sides down first, fry the pancakes in a pan with oil with medium heat until both sides are golden brown.
6. Bon appétit!

News and Noteworthy:

Pride Floral Crowns
When: June, 25th 6:00 om – 7:00 pm
Where: Sno-Isle Food Coop
Hosted by: Sno- Isle Food Coop

In this workshop you will learn how to work with floral wire and floral tape to create a floral crown. There will be an open flower bar so that your crown will be as beautiful and unique as you. All proceeds from this course will be donated to The Trevor Project.

Find out more about the event and register here

Pride with Pollinators – West Crest Park Volunteer Restoration Party
When: Saturday, June 25th, 10:00 am – 3:00pm
Where: West Crest Park
Hosted by: The Dirt Corps

Calling all eco-volunteers of the greater Seattle area! Let’s work together to gradually transform and maintain Westcrest Park into an even greater public space for everyone to enjoy. This June we'll be having our special "Pride With Pollinators" where our restoration will have an emphasis on the lovely pollinator garden and how it supports the local flora and fauna! The beginning of this volunteer event will include a brief weed ID. Combine knowledge with action as we work to clear this beautiful space of harmful species that overtake the area. Many of you might already have this experience in your own backyard!

Find out more and register for the event here.

Agriculture and Food Systems Employment Opportunities:

• Seasonal Farm Program Assistant, Pike Place Market 
• Red Dog Farms – Field Crew
• Oxbow Farm – Multiple
• WSDA Organic Programs – Inspectors
• 21 Acres – Multiple
• Tonnemaker – Field and Farm Stand Crew
• Cascade Markets – Market Manager
• Carnation Farms – Director of Sustainable Agriculture
• Common Ground Farms – Assistant Camp Director
• Kirsop Farm – Veggie Crew
• Pacific Coast Harvest – Food Aggregator and Driver

Become an AmeriCorps Student Fellow:

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 © 2022 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