By Sally Schafer, UW Farm Informatics Intern, Informatics Major and Environmental Studies Minor
Hi all! My name is Sally, and I’ve had the pleasure of being one of the UW Farm Informatics Interns this past quarter. From the first time I volunteered, I knew I loved the farm. Working there in spring, summer, fall, and now winter, has given me so much. I have seen the importance of practicing sustainability, learned a great deal about our food systems, and felt welcome in a joyful and passionate community.
Through my internship this quarter, I’ve been able to combine my love for the farm with my studies in Informatics, where I’m learning how to design and use digital technologies to effectively organize and communicate information to help communities.
I’ve helped add to the UW Farm website, particularly in the Virtual Learning Library section of our website. There, you can now find up to date resources from incredible student projects, and a large catalog of student written recipes, all developed for farm produce! You can learn about the farm and student projects, or discover a new favorite dish! A big part of applying my Informatics studies involves looking at how information can be made interactive, accessible, and engaging.
For me, puzzles, including crossword puzzles, have always been a joy, so I decided to create this crossword to share some basics about the UW Farm and sustainable urban agriculture. I had so much fun making this puzzle, and I hope you all enjoy it as well! You can play the puzzle using the image below or online at this link: https://puzzel.org/crossword/play?p=-NP1V4PpmQcMSPiq7oRA
News and Noteworthy:
March is National Nutrition Month
Just in from The WHOLEU….
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, the UW community is invited to celebrate National Nutrition Month together with a variety of virtual opportunities. Participate in a challenge, connect with colleagues, try new recipes, and win prizes! Check out all of the opportunities in the link below.
Join The Whole U in our 31 Days of Fruits and Vegetables Challenge this March. Over 900 UW faculty and staff have already committed to more fruits and vegetables. Together we’ll honor this food group and work to bring more color and variety onto our plates by consuming the daily recommended value of fruits and vegetables each day.
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.
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: Sally Schafer, UW Farm Informatics Intern, Informatics Major and Environmental Studies Minor Editors: Perry Acworth, Farm Manager and Chrina Munn, AmeriCorps Volunteer 2022-23 Photo Credits: Perry Acworth. Other photos retrieved from the internet and noted in sections
this past quarter. From the first time I volunteered, I knew I loved the farm. Working there in spring, summer, fall, and now winter, has given me so much. I have seen the importance of practicing sustainability, learned a great deal about our food systems, and felt welcome in a joyful and passionate community.
You can learn about the farm and student projects, or discover a new favorite dish! A big part of applying my Informatics studies involves looking at how information can be made interactive, accessible, and engaging.
