06.14.23

Around The Farm

The UW Farm Grows Relationship with Campus Dining

By Olivia Schwartz, Senior, Environmental Science, Campus Food Systems Intern

Hi, my name is Olivia Schwartz and I am the UW Farm Campus Food Systems Intern this quarter! As a student studying Environmental Science in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences (SEFS).

I first found out UW had a farm when I saw their produce on the shelves at UW Dining's, District Market during my freshman year.

I was interested in learning more about the campus farm, so I did some research and discovered a UW Registered Student Organization (RSO), the Dirty Dozen Club. This club helped me get more involved with the farm and learn about urban farming. I love how the produce is distributed via dining outlets and cafeterias to the students on campus, helping UW have a smaller carbon footprint.

During my internship last quarter, I worked with campus chefs to help increase the volume and efficiency of produce delivered. 

The farm manager, farm production manager, and I met chefs on campus that run cafeterias with salad bars, considered a good fit for seasonal produce grown in relatively small quantities on the farm. We discussed vegetables that can be incorporated on a weekly basis, outlets that will be open this summer and how to create a plan for increasing the amounts purchased while reducing waste.

One thing that I have learned through my internship is how much thought and planning goes into creating this partnership with UW HFS and UW Dining halls. Each week the farm sends out a Fresh Sheet every Monday to all the chefs on campus, listing inventory and pricing.The Fresh Sheet allows chefs to select products and quantities as needed. The UW Farm team then checks the sheet each Thursday morning (the deadline is every Wednesday) and harvests accordingly. Almost all produce is washed, packed and delivered to outlets only five days after it was harvested. Freshness along with being organic and salmon safe certified, is one of the important goals of the UW Farm.

There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to create a more local and sustainable food system through the partnership between UW Dining hall's and the campus farm. I have loved interning at the farm this quarter and getting to learn more about the farm-to-school-to table process in an urban environment!

The Veggie Key:

Recipe of the Week:

Pea Shoot Pesto
Photo courtesy of Remy Park

This week our CSA shareholder received pea shoots, a common early season crop. 

Ingredients

• Heaping ½ cup roasted nuts: pistachios, walnuts, cashews or pine nuts 
• A few big handfuls of pea tendrils (or any mild soft leafy green)
• Zest & juice of 1 small lemon
• 1 small garlic clove
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil (a few tablespoons to ¼ cup)
• Optional: grated parmesan cheese (1/4 – ½ cup)

Instructions

1. In a food processor, pulse together everything except for the olive oil. Drizzle the oil in slowly while the blade is running. Add as much or little olive oil as you want. Less oil will make a chunkier pesto, more olive oil will make it more smooth.
2. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Nutrition of pea shoots (from: WebMD)

A serving of 100 grams of pea shoots contains:

4 grams of protein
3 grams of fiber
280 micrograms of vitamin K
79 milligrams of vitamin C
340 micrograms of vitamin A

Adapted from Love & lemons "https://www.loveandlemons.com/pea-tendril-pistachio-pesto/"

News and Noteworthy:

UW Farm Summer and Fall Internship Opportunities

Farm Education Internship – OPEN for Summer and Fall 2023

Food Safety Internship – Open for Summer 2023

General Farm Internship, CSA Program Focus – OPEN FOR Summer and Fall 2023

Food Security Internship – OPEN FOR SUMMER and Fall 2023

Nutrition Analysis Internship

Nutrition Education Internship – OPEN FOR SUMMER 2023

More available paid and unpaid opportunities to check out on our website.

Full-term Summer Urban Farm Practicum Open for Registration!

Check the summer time schedule for more details.

SER-UW Native Plant Nursery Nursery Internship and Student Nursery Assistant Positions Available

See details about each position, more information at sites.uw.edu/seruwnursery/get-involved/ 

Nursery Internship – Summer/Fall 2023
-Up to 20 hrs a week in Summer, 10 hrs a week in Fall 
-Start Date: June 26th 2023 | End Date: December 15th 2023

Student Assistant 
-Up to 10 hrs a week 
-Start Date: June 26th 2023 | End Date: June 9th 2024

Career Opportunities in Agriculture & Food Systems:

• Kirsop Farm – Hiring Multiple Positions
• EarthCorps – Hiring Multiple Positions
• Red Dog Farms – Multiple Positions Available
• WA Farmland Trust Development Coordinator
• Tilth Alliance – Multiple Positions Available
• Seed Savers Exchange – Multiple Positions Available
• Kitsap Conservation District Harvest VISTA Summer Associate – Americorps Position
• Superstar Farmer's Market Staff
• Farm Steward – Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust

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 © 2023 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