Oct 26, 2022 / The Weekly Dirt / persis

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The Weekly Dirt 10.26.22

10.26.22

Around The Farm

It's time for cover crop!

By Althea Ericksen, UW Farm Campus Food Systems Intern/HFS Lead, Senior Environmental Studies
 

Cover crop is a broad term for many plants that cover and add to the soil.  Generally, over crops are planted in the fall, while they can be planted in the summer as well. Being that we are finally receiving much needed rain in Seattle, it's the perfect time to plant your cover crop!

There are different cover crops for different seasons and soil needs. At the UW Farm we planted a summer cover crop of buckwheat, mammoth red and white clover, and cow peas in one plot with the corn, and another fallow plot that also had an application of raw kelp, a research project being conducted by professor Eli Wheat.

Just as the rain began we started planting, but August and September planting times are more optimal. Fall or winter seed mixes can withstand cool weather. With the exception of our brassicas plot, all production areas at UW Farm sites will be vacant this winter, so we will be broadcasting nearly 200 pounds of seeds in the next few weeks. 

Based on soil reports, the farm soil is mostly deficient in nitrogen with very high levels of organic matter and phosphorus. That means that this year we are using a mix of seven different seeds most of which are legumes that can "fix" nitrogen. Cover crops also naturally sequester atmospheric carbon, play a role in the soil food web, increase water infiltration, reduce erosion reduction, and more.

UW Farm 2022 winter cover crop mix:

  • Crimson Clover
  • Hairy Vetch
  • Dutch White Clover
  • Austrian Feld Pea
  • Annual Rye Grass
  • Winter Rye Grass
  • Diana Fava Bean

Here are some recommendations that were found in a very useful Fact Sheet from Washington State University Extension Fact Sheet, "Cover Crops for Home Gardens East of the Cascades." 

Cereal grains and other grasses

These plant options are great in the Seattle area, they grow vigorously and produce lots of green matter. Weeds struggle to grow due to the fast growing nature of these crops and they help keep nitrogen in the soil for the next planting. Cereals ideally would be planted in combination with other cover crops as they can take nitrogen if allowed to go to flower or seed.
 

Recommendations: Cereal rye, Winter wheat, Oats, Barley, Annual ryegrass
 

Legumes

Legumes are another great option, they grow slower in cooler weather and fix nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil. If planted when the weather is warm they can grow much quicker, again planting a duality of these cover crops is beneficial as they bring different qualities. If your soils are low in phosphorus or potassium, or have a low pH they may struggle to grow.

 

Recommendations: Hairy vetch, Common vetch, Crimson clover, Austrian winter pea, Fava or bell bean, Red clover

 

Other broadleaf crops

Phacelia and Sorghum-Sudangrass can struggle somewhat with the cooler weather, but can still grow. While cover crops from the brassica family like mustards and oilseed radish could over winter, they are more commonly used in the summer for shorter periods. Be aware of the restrictions of letting brassicas go to seed in particular areas of Washington.

Recommendations: Phacelia, Brassica family, Sorghum-Sudangrass

 

Below is a link to a good reference for planting!

Cogger, C. G., Benedict, C., Andrews, N. N., Fransen, S. C., & McGuire, A. (2014). Cover crops for home gardens east of the

Veggie Key for This Week's CSA

This Week's Recipe

Bok Choy, Mushrooms and Tofu Stir-Fry Recipe

Photo from Recipe Land
 

Pac Choi Tofu Stir Fry

By Audrey Sun, Public Health-Global Health: Nutritional Sciences Major, UW Farm Fall Nutrition Education intern.

This week’s featured ingredient is Pac Choi, another Cruciferous vegetable and member of the Brassica genus. Pac Choy has many romanized versions of its Chinese name including Bok Choy, Pak Choi, or even Pok Choi. The crop evolved in China where it has been cultivated since the 5th century, but is now being grown globally particularly because of its ability to thrive in colder climates.

The recipe in this newsletter features a wonderfully salty, slightly sweet vegetable and tofu stir fry. This dish is a variation of common stir fry's that I grew up eating in my native Korea. My mom is a big reason why I believe that cooking can be extremely flexible and accessible.

Ingredients:
4 medium pac choi, quartered
½ medium onion, sliced
1 medium pepper, sliced
1 medium carrots, cut in a bias
2 scallions, cut into 1 inch segments
1 block tofu, cut into rectangular strips
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 inch knob of ginger, sliced
½ teaspoon sugar
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon oil
Pepper to taste

Instructions:

  • Wash and cut your veggies
  • In a bowl, mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and garlic.
  • Heat oil in a large pan and add your onions and ginger. Stir fry until softened.
  • Add in scallion whites and carrots and stir fry for two minutes.
  • Add pac choi, peppers, scallions, tofu and pour over sauce.
  • Cook until all veggies are softened.
  • Drizzle with sesame oil and serve besides hot rice.

Nutrition Corner: Pac Choi

Pac Choi is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin K. Did you know! One study found that eating Pac Choy at least once a weak was associated with a lower risk of oral, esophageal, colorectal, breast, and kidney cancers.!

One cup (70 grams) of shredded Pac Choi provides::
Calories: 9
Protein: 1 gram
Total fat: 0 grams
Total carbs: 1.5 grams
Total sugar: 1 gram
Fiber: 1 gram
Calcium: 6% of the Daily Value (DV)
Iron: 3% of the DV
Magnesium: 3% of the DV
Phosphorus: 2% of the DV
Potassium: 4% of the DV
Zinc: 1% of the DV
Manganese: 5% of the DV
Selenium: 1% of the DV
Vitamin C: 35% of the DV
Folate: 12% of the DV
Vitamin A: 17% of the DV
Vitamin K: 27% of the DV

Source: USDA

News and Noteworthy:

Tilth Conference November 10-12


The Tilth Conference is an annual event bringing together hundreds of farmers, food system professionals, researchers and educators for more than 25 lectures, workshops and panel discussions that highlight Washington’s farmers. Tickets are offered on a sliding scale.

The conference changes locations each year and this is year's conference is in Kennewick, WA

To learn more visit this link:
https://tilthalliance.org/event/tilth-conference-with-worc/?mc_cid=305de6f205&mc_eid=6022c77f67

Urban Food Systems Lecture Series
 

Join the lecture series hosted by the Nutritional Sciences Program and learn about current critical topics in urban food systems! Available in-person and recorded for viewing online.

Click the link to learn more:
https://nutr.uw.edu/news-events/seminar/



Agriculture and Food Systems Employment Opportunities:
photo of 2 pitchforks in the ground with someone's shoe behind them. This is taking place in a garden plot.

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.  

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

 

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: Althea Ericksen, UW Farm Campus Food Systems Intern/HFS Lead, Senior Environmental Studies
Recipe: Audrey Sun, UW Farm Fall Nutrition Education Intern, UW Nutrition Sciences Program
Editor: Perry Acworth, Farm Manager and Chrina Munn, AmeriCorps Volunteer 2022-23
Photo Credits: Pamela Dore, UW Photography
Other photos retrieved from the internet and noted in sections 

Copyright © 2022 The UW Farm, All rights reserved.

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