One of the best responses I’ve gotten after telling someone I’m a farmer is: “Are you okay?” And it is a fair question, though the answer changes based on what time of year it is. There’s the unbridled optimism of early spring, the growing suspense in April and May (what weather-related surprises will climate change bring us this year?), staring into the void in June, and then summer hits and the rest of the season is a downhill run. By Thanksgiving, I’m ready to give it all up, try my hand at an office job and start grousing about emails instead of my aching joints. But lo and behold, when February rolls around and I’ve spent a couple months leafing through seed catalogs with my tongue hanging out, I find myself getting riled up about the coming season.
How did I, a former middle-of-the-road UW student with no interest in manual labor and a degree in something science-y, end up here? I blame our favorite farm manager Perry Acworth. With Perry’s help–as well as the star-studded UW Farm team and a rotating cast of students and volunteers–I contracted the sustainable agriculture bug. When I graduated in 2018, I had a lot of job-related words floating around in my head: natural resource conservation, irrigation technology, environmental consulting. But after a couple interviews, and applying for internship after internship, nothing really stuck. I started hanging around the UW Farm, hoping I’d discover my life’s true purpose somewhere in those twenty foot tall piles of wood chip mulch. After about ten months of helping students with their on-site projects, taking a permaculture course, and learning all sorts of things about the wonderful, complicated world of fruits and veggies, I realized that my days on the farm were marked with the sort of excitement and eagerness to learn I hadn’t experienced in years.
The More I Learned, the More Invested I Became
What really struck me was the interconnectedness of it all. Science! History! Social justice! While we weeded, seeded, and transplanted, Perry made sure to emphasize the importance of understanding why we’re growing food and where it is going. We talked often about big-picture issues with the University’s food system, and how they parallel similar problems in communities across the country. The more I learned, the more invested I became.
Eventually I decided it was time to try doing it for money, and the experience I gained at the UW Farm helped land me an apprenticeship at a cattle ranch in California. Over the course of my three seasons there, I worked with soil scientists and ornithologists, grew produce for the local school district, and built lots and lots of fence lines. The experience also deepened my understanding of the intense injustices in the food system, particularly when it comes to labor conditions for farmworkers, and food insecurity in rural communities. After returning home to Washington, I worked at a production farm growing vegetables, dyes, and caring for wool sheep, and then spent a season at a farm run by a coalition of food banks in south King County. Through these jobs, I’ve gotten to know farmers, scientists, educators, and organizers (many of whom are all four) who work tirelessly to better our food system.
My Advice for Aspiring Agriculturalists
If I can offer any advice to aspiring agriculturalists out there, it is to cherish the interactions with mentors, coworkers, and fellow farmers. For better or for worse, farming attracts all kinds of folks who come from a wide variety of beliefs and backgrounds. I have had so many fascinating, challenging, and educational conversations that continue to shape who I am on and off the farm. I never could have imagined that my life would turn out the way it has thus far, but I am grateful for the time I had at the UW Farm for acting as the catalyst for my current journey.
2024 CSA Shares Open:
Video of the Week:
Visit Small Axe Farm in Woodinville, part of the Black Farmers Collective. Learn how King County’s Farmland Preservation Program is helping BIPOC farmers overcome barriers when it comes to access to farmland and turn their vision of growing a sustainable, meaningful farming business into a reality.
2 pounds green cabbage (about 1 small cabbage), cored, chopped and leaves sliced thinly
12 ounces wide egg noodles
Instructions:
In a large Dutch oven or pan, melt 5 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned, 3 to 6 minutes.
Add the cabbage, season generously with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender but not mushy, 35 to 40 minutes. (Browning is welcome, but if you see burning, reduce the heat and add a tablespoon or two of water.)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the cabbage is done, remove from heat and keep covered. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain the noodles.
Add the noodles, reserved pasta water, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the cabbage. Stir over medium-high heat until the noodles are saucy and glossed with melted butter, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
News and Noteworthy:
Check out the upcoming virtual retreat hosted by Slow Food USA! " Our gathering on March 1-2, 2024, will feature discussions, presentations and opportunities to connect with others about soil, human and planetary health." Register online!
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:
Managing Editor: Siffre Tooth, UW Farm Food Security Lead '23-24
Around the Farm: Siffre Tooth, UW Farm Food Security Lead '23-24 Contributing Editors: Perry Acworth, Farm Manager; Siffre Tooth, UW Farm Food Security Lead '23-24 Photo Credits: Siffre Tooth. Other photos retrieved from the internet and noted in sections
Eventually I decided it was time to try doing it for money, and the experience I gained at the UW Farm helped land me an apprenticeship at a cattle ranch in California. Over the course of my three seasons there, I worked with soil scientists and ornithologists, grew produce for the local school district, and built lots and lots of fence lines. The experience also deepened my understanding of the intense injustices in the food system, particularly when it comes to labor conditions for farmworkers, and food insecurity in rural communities. After returning home to Washington, I worked at a production farm growing vegetables, dyes, and caring for wool sheep, and then spent a season at a farm run by a coalition of food banks in south King County. Through these jobs, I’ve gotten to know farmers, scientists, educators, and organizers (many of whom are all four) who work tirelessly to better our food system. 
