11.17.21

by Sophia Falls, UW Farm Student Staff/CSA Lead, majoring in Landscape Architecture, College of Built Environments
 

I have been working at the UW Farm since March of this year. 

I first found this wonderful place freshman year through visiting a pizza bake and was drawn by the community surrounding the farm. I had never gardened much as a kid. I've always been more of a tree climber or fairy house builder. Volunteering at the UW Farm was my first experience acquainting myself with planting. Here is where I also began to truly value the relationship I was building with food. 

I am now in my second year of the landscape architecture program. And since those first volunteering hours at the UW Farm as part of Service-Learning while taking ENVIR 240, I have sought out two additional farm experiences. I have spent time being a seasonal harvester and general labor help at other farms. These experiences have made me think about how we interact with land; and fueled a desire to sustainably and resourcefully work with the natural world while ensuring that it is an inclusive space.

When reflecting on the last few months, I think about: mornings listening to the birds at the Center for Urban Horticulture; climbing trees to harvest plums; the amount of dirt I would trek home with; my intense Teva sandal tan lines; and the meals I have shared with others from the produce I have brought home. 

I think about the more than slightly delirious days of stripping fava beans during the heatwave, or planting eggplants in a windstorm. 

Although my family does not come from a gardening background, and I only recently learned that a celery root is edible, my time at the UW Farm has also left me with a level of empowerment. I have not met many people that call themselves farmers of my stature. 

I feel grateful for the friendships I have made with volunteers. After nearly a year without meeting new people, I was more than enthusiastic to find some lovely new faces in my life. I feel so grateful to have been able to spend the summer on this land and have so much gratitude to my fellow staff and volunteers that I have worked with. 

The UW Farm entered my life freshman year and I feel confident that it will continue to intertwine with me through the rest of my time at UW and beyond. 

I wanted to share this particular poem with you all because I find that it reminds me to slow down. It gives me permission and encouragement to be curious about the world around me. 

Summer’s Day 

by Mary Oliver 

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean-

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

This Week's Video:

This Week's Recipe:

Autumnal Rice Bowl

Original recipe by UW Farm Education Intern, Liz Rauscher, majoring in Public Health – Global Health.

Ingredients (for 1 serving size):

For rice:

• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt

For roasted veggies:

• 1 small stalk of Brussels sprouts*
• 1 can of chickpeas
• oil
• salt
• pepper
• paprika
• garlic powder
• onion powder

Optional Toppings:

• chile oil
• soy sauce
• crispy onions
• shredded parmesan

Instructions:

1. Rinse your rice until the water runs clear. 
2. Put your rice in your rice cooker with your water, oil, and salt, and cook, or cook on the stove top according to instructions on the box/bag. 
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Drain and rinse your chickpeas. Toss them in your oil and spices. Toss the Brussels sprout stalk in oil and spices as well to coat.
5. Place your stalk and chickpeas on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping the Brussels sprout stalk and tossing the chickpeas halfway through. If you like your veggies more crispy, you can leave them in for a few extra minutes.
6. To plate, I left my Brussels sprouts on the stalk, but you can remove the round sprouts if you like. Top with a scoop of the cooked rice with the chile oil, soy sauce, and crispy onions and add chickpeas. Top the veggies with grated parmesan (optional).
7. Enjoy!

*If stalk has leaves attached, remove, chop and add to the dish or save for later in the refrigerator. Brussels sprouts can be removed or left on the stalk for roasting and/or serving.

Nutrition Corner:

Brussels Sprouts

by UW Farm Education Intern, Liz Rauscher, majoring in Public Health – Global Health.

Source: USDA

Brussels sprouts are a fantastic source of vitamin c, vitamin k, folate, carotenoids, and fiber. In particular, cartenoids can help prevent cancer as well as other eye diseases because of their role as an antioxidant.

Growth Cycle of Brussels Sprouts

Something I find fascinating about Brussels sprouts is the way that they grow and their life cycle. After seeds are planted, the sprouting, or first formation of knobby round spheres takes at least 50 days. They look like little cabbages at first, and begin at the base of the plant. While the plant is grows taller, the growth of sprouts can be promoted by pruning and taking off the lower leaves. This way the plant can optimize its resources. The sprouts will be ready to harvest in about 90 to 100 days. They can either be harvested by cutting the entire stalk a soil level or by removing the individual sprouts. Sprouts left on the plant will continue to mature.

News and Noteworthy:

Washington Organic Seed being held Summit December 6-8

The first ever Washington Organic Seed Summit will be held online this year and includes virtual roundtable conversations focused on different themes each day as informed by participants. We’ll gather December 6 through 8, 2021 on the Organic Seed Commons virtual platform. Agenda and meeting times TBD.

The Summit provides a unique opportunity for experienced Washington-based seed growers of specialty seed crops (vegetables, herbs, and flowers) to network, exchange knowledge, and develop collective actions to build sustainable, profitable, and resilient seed systems in the state.

Pre-registration using the form below is required to participate, and details for joining Organic Seed Commons along with Zoom links will be emailed to you prior to the event.

Register by December 1, 2021 or to learn more, contact Aba Kiser

Volunteer at the UW Farm! 

If you have some time to spare and would like to know more about how to grow food, come volunteer with us! 

See details and learn more about how to sign up by visiting THIS LINK:
https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/center-for-urban-horticulture/gardens/uw-farm/volunteer/

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 © 2021 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