My name is Olivia Johnson and I am a senior in Environmental Studies in the College of the Environment. I am the current education intern on the University of Washington Farm. I train guides who then lead tours of the UW Farm. Getting to know the space firsthand, and learning from an expert who is there on a regular basis, is a great benefit students involved in classes focused on urban farming and related topics.

A big project I worked on last quarter was directional signage for our Mercer Court location of the UW Farm. Previously, many folks who came to volunteer with us had trouble finding our Club House. The new signage has arrows that point people in the direction of the Club House from two different starting points. At the beginning of each starting point is a “Welcome to the UW Farm” sign in many different languages. We strive to make everyone feel included, safe, and heard at the UW Farm, and signage that is accessible to as many people as possible is our goal.

Across all of our locations, we are working to create permanent, educational signage so that visitors can walk through and do self-guided tours when a UW Farm guide is not available. These signs will improve access for all, as they will be translated into multiple languages and will include Braille.