8.24.22

Around The Farm

Life Without A Fridge: How an Experimental Lifestyle Leads to Lessons in Food Systems

By Faith Mathison, General Farm Intern, Computer Science Major

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to store, cook, and eat food without easy access to a refrigerator? Have you yourself lived in such a situation? Living without a fridge is something I didn’t put much thought into until I had to do it myself, at which point I realized how dependent modern life is on reliable refrigeration.

I’ve been living in the dorms on the UW Seattle campus this summer to attend classes. Sue to fridge rentals being unavailable and not wanting to buy a mini fridge to use for just three months, I decided to go fridge-less this summer. I wondered, how hard could it be? Well, if you elect to always eat out it’s not so bad, only the leftovers are unfortunately wasted. Due to food allergies and restrictions though, I tend to make the most of my own food at home, so I quickly realized just how much I depended on refrigeration.

Over the course of just over two months without a fridge, I learned different ways to keep foods fresh; for example, hardy greens like kale and collards can be stored like flowers for a couple days. Just snip the ends off, put the stems in a glass of water, and change the water regularly.

I also grew to appreciate shelf stable products. I learned from Perry Acworth, the UW Farm Manager that some fruits and vegetables, though not technically considered shelf stable, can also be held at room temperature for a limited period of time:  fruits like apples and bananas and vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and squash. I gained an appreciation for how much time it takes to cook meals from fresh and dry ingredients. Luckily canned foods are a bit faster to heat, but I’ve never appreciated the convenience of leftovers in the fridge as much as I do now! I also realized how difficult it is to not waste food when you have no way to store it for later, which was a dilemma for me all summer.

Below I’ve made a list of what I have termed, "Friends" and "Enemies" of the fridge-less person that I became this summer.

Seeing how inconvenient lack of a fridge can be, it begs the question: What did people do before refrigeration? I turned to the internet for answers.

The way of storing food most similar to refrigeration in history was the use of ice, like how we use coolers filled with ice for temporary storage today. People harvested ice and snow when it was available and stored it in insulated caves or buildings to slow the melting (see image below!). This provided a long-lasting supply of ice to use for cooling food. Similarly, cool water from streams, lakes, or from sitting out in the chilly night air was also used to keep food cool. Unfortunately, none of this comes close to the power and convenience of a fridge though, so people also used food preservation techniques—which are still used today– such as canning, pickling, smoking, dehydrating, salting, fermenting, and making jams/jellies.

This Week's Recipe:

Oven Roasted Patty Pan Squash With Shallots and Herbs
From SpruceEats

• 1/2 pound pattypan summer squash, cut into 1-inch chunks

• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Pinch sea salt

Click here for the whole SpruceEats' Recipe
 

News and Noteworthy:

Nurturing Roots Herbs and Spice Workshop

When: September 15, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Where: Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center
Hosted By: Nurturing Roots x Oxbow Farm

In this 1 hour workshop, attendees will:

1. Be introduced to a variety of herbs & spices
2. Learn about growing styles, maintenance, and uses in cuisine
3. Share your experiences with herbs in cooking and/or growing
4. Produce a label for either a dry seasoning blend or vinegar to take home

Nurturing Roots is an organization focused on educating youth & community members on health and food consciousness. Promoting awareness about social justice issues that plague our communities and providing resources to support a healthier environment. Nurturing Roots is committed to healing our community members & environments for our youth and families to live and thrive, incorporating organic techniques and culture sharing.

Learn more about this event and register here.

Farmland Access Workshop Series

When: Multiple Dates throughout September
Where:  Zoom
Hosted By: WSU Skagit County Extension

Are you a farmer seeking long-term land tenure? Do you have questions about water rights or assessing a potential new property? Do you want to learn about financing options and creative land tenure models? Join Viva Farms and American Farmland Trust for a series of workshops in September exploring farmland access strategies and considerations.

We recognize that farmers face incredible barriers to accessing land, and we believe farmers should face these burdens alone. Through these workshops, we’ll convene people and organizations committed to helping farmers find and assess land, finance land, design appropriate lease and purchase models, and more.

You’ll hear from Washington Farmland Trust and Washington Water Trust, along with financial and legal specialists, and other farmers and experts who will share about their programs and experience. Workshops are free and open to the public and will be offered in English with simultaneous Spanish interpretation. Registration is requested.

Find out more and sign up for this 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
• Carnation Farms – Director of Sustainable Agriculture
• Common Ground Farms – Assistant Camp Director
• Kirsop Farm – Veggie Crew
• Pacific Coast Harvest – Food Aggregator and Driver
• Seattle Neighborhoods Farmers Market – Farmers Market Manager

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