A Letter in Loving UW Farm
By Kaija Koenigberg, Environmental Studies, College of the Environment, UW Farm Vermicompost Intern '23-24, UW Farm RSO Dirty Dozen President
I have been the UW Farm’s Vermicompost Intern since last March, and this is my final quarter as the “worm guy”. During my time in this position, I have gained so much invaluable knowledge and fostered deep connections with the farm community that I will cherish long after my time at UW has ended.
I will be forever grateful to Perry Acworth, who entrusted me with this project even though we had never met prior and has continued to be a passionate mentor to this day. Thanks to Aisling Doyle Wade, who has helped me to grow and expand my understanding as a true steward to the Earth. Thank you to Eli Wheat, who was one of the first connections I made on campus and has been a driving force in my continued passion and development as a farmer. Thanks to Chrina Munn, who, although she recently left the farm to pursue the next big stages in her life, was patient and essential to a large part of my hands-on learning in this space. Finally, thank you to Siffre Tooth; a recent addition to the farm team, but has been a continuous ray of light and expertise in the time I have been fortunate enough to known them. I fully intend to return to this space as farm staff or community volunteer in the future, but wanted to write this as a statement of utmost gratitude and appreciation.
This space is a special one. The UW Farm is magical in the way it can cultivate both crops and people, and for that I am eternally thankful. Before my time here, I saw my future in farming being at most a hobby, but after learning the incredible ways in which tending to the land can enrich one's mind and spirit, I have found where my future lies. Although farming is taxing, both physically and mentally, the ways in which it allows you to connect with those around you and the planet it/(her)self is irreplaceable.
I have never known fulfillment until I followed my calling to farm, I have never known community until I met others willing to give their time and energy to a space of good food and good people, and I have never known abundance until I saw the cyclical ebb and flow of a season of farming. Start to “finish”, the ways in which the land blooms and rests is extraordinary, and to see it exist with humanity has forever changed my perspective on environmental justice and our climate future. I have sowed relationships I will hold close to my heart for the rest of my life, I have been angry at my failures and shortcomings, I have been heartbroken, I have been overflowing with joy, and I have farmed. Thank you for all that the UW Farm and farmers have given to me, I hope this letter can express at least a fraction of how important you are to me.
Love,
Kaija (the worm guy)
Recipe of the Week:
Orecchiette with Chard, Golden Raisins, Pine Nuts, Capers, Chile, and Quick-Pickled Chard Stems
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste
1 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 bunches rainbow chard
⅓ cup golden raisins
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, small diced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup dry white vermouth (or white wine)
1 tablespoon capers, drained
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
1 pound dried orecchiette (or another pasta shape)
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
Instructions:
Start heating enough water for the pasta in a large pot over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of the salt.
In a small pot, bring the rice vinegar to a boil while you prepare the chard (see step 3); remove from heat when it begins to bubble.
Trim off the bottom of the chard stems, then separate the stems from the leaves by using your knife to cut a “V” along the thicker, celerylike stem, separating the leaf on either side from the stem. Chop one-half of the stems into very fine slices and the other half of the stems into ½-inch slices. Chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
Place the fine-cut chard stems in a Mason jar or other heatproof narrow container. Pour the hot rice vinegar over the stems. If it doesn’t quite cover the stems, add hot water until they are submerged under the liquid.
Place the raisins in a small narrow glass or jar, add the white wine vinegar and stir. Set aside, and set a timer for 15 minutes; when time is up, drain the vinegar from the raisins and reserve the vinegar for salad dressings or other uses.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. After a minute, add the onion along with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook the onion until it’s tender, about 10 minutes. Add the ½-inch sliced chard stems and the red pepper flakes, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the chard leaves, and sauté for a minute.
Add the vermouth, and deglaze the pan by scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan and incorporating them back into the onions.
Add the reserved raisins, capers and pine nuts, and turn the heat to low.
Meanwhile, bring pasta water to a boil, and cook the orecchiette until it’s al dente. Strain through a colander, saving ½ cup of the cooking liquid, then add the pasta to the sauté pan, along with the reserved cooking liquid.
Turn the heat to medium and cook for another minute or two, stirring to incorporate the sauce into the pasta. Add half of the cheese, mix and season to taste.
Drain the rice vinegar off the now-quick-pickled chard stems; serve sprinkled with these and the rest of the cheese as garnish. Enjoy!
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: Kaija Koenigberg, Environmental Studies Contributing Editors: Perry Acworth, Farm Manager; Siffre Tooth, UW Farm Food Security Lead '23-24 Photo Credits: Perry Acworth. Other photos retrieved from the internet and noted in sections
Finally, thank you to Siffre Tooth; a recent addition to the farm team, but has been a continuous ray of light and expertise in the time I have been fortunate enough to known them. I fully intend to return to this space as farm staff or community volunteer in the future, but wanted to write this as a statement of utmost gratitude and appreciation. 
Although farming is taxing, both physically and mentally, the ways in which it allows you to connect with those around you and the planet it/(her)self is irreplaceable.
I have sowed relationships I will hold close to my heart for the rest of my life, I have been angry at my failures and shortcomings, I have been heartbroken, I have been overflowing with joy, and I have farmed. Thank you for all that the UW Farm and farmers have given to me, I hope this letter can express at least a fraction of how important you are to me.
