9.14.22

Around The Farm

Selecting Plants and Seeds for Your Fall (and Winter) Urban Farm or Garden  

by Perry Acworth, UW Farm Manager

With September’s arrival, so begins our thoughts of fall on the farm: swiftly flipping beds from one crop to the next to capture the last warm days and kick start our fall crops, transplanting others for over wintering, choosing garlic varieties for planting in October, and gearing up for the cover crop season.

At the UW Farm, preparations began in July with a wave of soil blocking. We started cold tolerant crops: broccoli, bok choi, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage. Recently, we sowed spinach in empty beds where we had just harvested beets for the CSA. Soon we will plant more arugula and mustards, and perhaps a second succession of Swiss Card.

Experienced farmers and gardeners began preparations for fall production mid-summer, but west of the Cascades, we have relatively warm weather all the way until mid-November. That means – it is not too late to launch your plans for extending the season and getting crops in the ground that will provide fresh vegetables for the months ahead.

A quick way to get the garden going is by getting seeds that can be started in July for transplanting in August, or by finding starts that are cold tolerant and/or hardy. These plants also do well started in late winter/early spring.

Transplants or Starts for Fall and Over-Wintering*

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Kohlrabi
• Brussels Sprouts
• Radicchio
• Onions, such as Walla Walla Sweets
• Scallions or Green Onions
• Leeks – (neutral or intermediate day) such as ‘bandit,’ ‘talon’
• Kale
• Collard Greens
• Green Onions – ‘red baron’ and ‘evergreen hardy white’ do well
• Onions – ‘ailsa craig’ and ‘walla walla’ are large onions that sweeten over the winter,

*To over-winter crops, creating a low tunnel or mulching heavily helps to protect plants if temperatures are below freezing.

Sowing seeds for varieties that can be planted directly in the soil and which germinate well in cooler temperatures (<70 degrees) is another way to fill-out your beds.

Varieties for Direct Seeding in Fall 

• Spinach
• Mustard Greens
• Salad mixes
• Arugula
• Beets
• Radishes
• Turnips
• Parsnips (these will need to overwinter to reach optimum size if sown in September)
• Garlic
• Shallots

Other fall routines at the UW Farm are seeding cover crops in beds that will be empty, and adding compost to the soil. Compost needs time to break down before nutrients are available, so fall is a good time for spreading those organic materials.

Below are links for excellent resources to continue your learning about fall farming and gardening:

Deep Harvest Farm
Swansons Nursery
The Old Farmer’s Almanac
Cover Crops for West of the Cascades

This Week’s Recipe:

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Eggplant and Fresh Tomato Puttanesca Sauce is a rich, robust vegan dinner recipe that is low in carbs, keto and gluten free. Easy and simple.

Capers shine here, so if you have never cooked with them, give them a try for this recipe. When cooked with all the ingredients they add tang and depth to the recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 lb Spaghetti Squash (in the CSA this week)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium eggplant or 4 cups. Cut into a small pieces or diced (in the CSA this week)
• 1 red onion, diced
• 4–6 cloves garlic, rough chopped
• 1 red, green or yellow bell pepper, diced (In the CSA last week)
• 14 ounces diced tomatoes, any kind
• 1 tablespoon dry Italian herbs, or oregano and thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt, any kind
• ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes, more to taste
• Splash red wine, optional
• 2 tablespoons capers, more to taste, plus a splash of the brine
• 3 tablespoons sliced olives (like green or kalamata)
• Garnish: fresh Italian parsley, grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, or a drizzle olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Cut squash in half widthwise, place open side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the oven and roast for 30- 40 minutes (depending on size) or until knife tender. Turn on their sides, allowing steam to escape, continue roasting 5-10 minutes, so they dry out a bit.
3. While the squash is roasting make the Eggplant Puttanesca sauce.
4. In a large heavy bottom skillet or dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons oil over med-high heat. Add diced onion and eggplant, and saute, stirring often for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and red bell pepper, turn heat down to medium and continue cooking until eggplant is tender, about 10-12 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add crushed tomatoes, a generous splash of wine (optional), chili flakes, salt, pepper, Italian herbs, and simmer on low heat 5-10 more minutes. Add capers and olives.
6. Taste, adjust salt spice level and add more capers or olives to taste. Sometimes I’ll add a little splash of the caper or olive brine, to bump up the flavor.
7. When spaghetti squash is tender, scoop the seeds out- then scoop out spaghetti squash strands into a bowl, and fluff and toss well with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
8.  Divide among bowls and top with the eggplant puttanesca. Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley and grated cheese (optional)  or drizzle olive oil.
9. Alternatively, you can serve this right out of the spaghetti squash shell ( making sure to season the squash, mixing with a fork before topping with the puttanesca.

Notes

A faster method for cooking Spaghetti Squash 

You want the puttanesca to be really flavorful before you add it to the mild-flavored spaghetti squash – so make sure to taste it and season it up well!

Add Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle if you would like!

Nutrition

• Calories: 428
• Sugar: 26.1 g
• Sodium: 1246.2 mg
• Fat: 22.8 g
• Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 58.5 g
• Fiber: 14.3 g
• Protein: 6.9 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

News and Noteworthy:

Afterwards, take a tour of the unique farm and learn how growing food is possible in urban settings! The UW Farm has kindly offered attendees fall seeds to take home for their own gardens.

Please Note: Some experience with yoga is recommended but not required. Please bring a yoga mat and water.

Net ID required. For more information click the link below!
https://thewholeu.uw.edu/events/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D162040174

For More information visit the link below:

Facebook

Farm Fest at Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands

When: Saturday, September 17, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands
Hosted By: RBUFW, Farm to Table, Union Cultural Center

Farm Fest at Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands, is a celebration of urban agriculture and the Southeast Seattle community. Hosted in partnership with Friends of Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands, Farm to Table, and Union Cultural Center, this event is free and open to the public.

The line up includes:
Storytelling with Auntie Lena from Look, Listen and Learn TV; Basket weaving with Diana Vinh; Cooking demos with Kiss My Grits Kitchen; Musical performance by Ben Hunter; Dance and music performance by Adefua; Bomba performance by Otoqui; Ethiopian coffee ceremony with Seattle Neighborhood Group; Smoothie bike with Nurturing Roots; Beekeeping demonstrations; Wetland bingo; and more!
Jude’s Old Town, Ma and Pops, and Siembra will be on-site serving up tasty treats and beverages.

No registration needed!

Student Day at wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House

Agriculture and Food Systems Employment Opportunities:

• Operations and Finance Manager at WA Farmland Trust
• EarthCorps – multiple jobs opportunities 
• 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