06.28.23

Around The Farm

UW Farm and UW Architecture Celebrate Ribbon Cutting of World Cultural Kitchen

By Perry Acworth, UW Farm Manager

On June 8th, at the Center for Urban Horticulture, the UW Farm and the College of Built Environments, Neighborhood Design-Build Studio course celebrated the completion of the first phase of a World Cultural Kitchen. 

It was funded in part by a 2021 grant from the American Public Garden and UW Botanic Garden Urban Agriculture Resiliency Program, a Campus Sustainability Fund grant, and neighbor, Northwest Horticulture Society  board member and donor, Emily Dexter.

Since 2018,  the UW Farm has experienced a rapid rise in academic activity and has increased production to match financial and UW sustainability and HFS purchasing goals.

The COVID pandemic also demonstrated the need for more outdoor spaces, considered safe for people to gather. Shelter from the PNW weather is hard to come by on the campus farm. The new covered structure hopes to help protect students and visitors in our increasingly unpredictable weather. 

Another goal is hosting workshops and demonstrations that share urban farming and gardening information and traditional food knowledge from many cultures, often passed down verbally. A UCOOK series will be offered in the future.

The Kitchen will also be available for the general public. Picnic tables and benches will be added for visitors to rest and relax, after visiting the nearby Union Bay Natural Area and Center for Urban Horticulture. 

The recently completed structure was completed from design to finish by students during the 10-week Spring academic quarter. The concept for the structure was a building that brings people together, outdoors, and is welcoming, open to all. The result is a pavilion-like arbor, or a donut…”but with a bite taken out of it,” said one student in the course. 

Over 100 attended the ribbon cutting on a beautiful evening, the day before half of the students graduated. The award winning Neighborhood Design-Build Studio has offered this hands-on experiences for students for over 30 years. The “builds” have left a legacy of infrastructure for community-based organizations around the city. This has had a significant positive impact because of the donation of labor and design skills and even more importantly, enduring relationships between the UW, College of Architecture department and the city's schools, civic groups, and green spaces. 

Led by faculty members, Steve Badanes, and Jake Labarre, the celebration brought many colleagues, architects and UW and Design-Build Studio alumni to the UW farm site at the Center for Urban Horticulture. In the following months, the structure will be augmented with various plantings and adjacent projects: a Heritage Orchard, Wapato pond, Culinary Garden, and hopefully an AgResiliency Tunnel – all demonstrating models of an urban farm and food education hub.

Planned for the future, but yet to receive funding are an oven, a fire pit, a central canopy, and all the tools needed for teaching culturally significant food preparations and stories. If you would like to help us finish the World Cultural Kitchen, or have resources, please visit our Donations page or send us an email. We would like to hear from you!

-Perry Acworth
UW Farm Manager
uwfarm@uw.edu 

The Veggie Key:

Pride Month: Queer Farms Around Seattle and Washington

Happy Pride Month! Support queer farms and farmers, below we've listed just some of the many wonderful queer farms in Washington. Check out the links for more information.

Sweet Hollow Farm: https://www.sweethollow.farm/

Rising Sign Farm: https://www.risingsignfarm.com/

Pink Moon Farm: https://www.pinkmoonfarm.org/

Long Way Farm: https://www.longwayfarmwa.com/

Radicle Roots Farm: https://radiclerootsfarm.com/
 

Recipe of the Week:

Kohlrabi Fritters
Photo courtesy of Eric Kleinberg

Ingredients

• 2 bulbs kohlrabi

• 1 large egg

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 cup canola oil

Steps to Make It

1. Peel the kohlrabi. Make sure all skin is off, the skin is quite tough.
2. Grate the kohlrabi into a bowl.
3. Place grated kohlrabi in paper towels or a cloth an squeeze to remove any liquid. Put kohlrabi back in bowl.
4. Crack egg into separate bowl and beat with a fork. You'll know its ready when no white strands cling to the fork when you lift it from the bowl. Combine egg and kohlrabi in bowl.
5. Add flour and salt to mixture, and stir till well combined/
6. Heat a layer of oil (about 1/4 inch deep) on medium heat until the oil shimmers when you move the pan. Test by adding a bit of batter which should sizzle immediately.
7. Add spoonfuls of batter and flatten to get small fritter shapes. Partially cover and wait until they brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes a side.
8. Transfer the fritters to a plate and serve!

Source: https://www.thespruceeats.com/kohlrabi-fritters-2215969

Nutrition Corner: Kohlrabi

News and Noteworthy:

Summer Course Offering: ENVIR 380 Wilderness in the Anthropocene 

Course format is remote and asynchronous, with the exception of a 9-day field trip July 8-16, 2023. Backpack with other students on the Olympic Coast, taught by Tim Billo.

Check out past years blog for more information 
https://sites.uw.edu/uwenvir495c2019/ or by emailing Tim Billo – timbillo@uw.edu
 

Danny Woo Community Garden 47th Annual Pig Roast Looking for Volunteers

To sign up to volunteer follow this link

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.

Career Opportunities in Agriculture & Food Systems:

• Kirsop Farm – Hiring Multiple Positions
• EarthCorps – Hiring Multiple Positions
• Red Dog Farms – Multiple Positions Available
• Tilth Alliance – Multiple Positions Available
• Seed Savers Exchange – Multiple Positions Available
• Superstar Farmer's Market Staff
• Farm Steward – Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust
• Community Agriculture Specialist – King Conservation District

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