06.26.24

Around The Farm

UW Farm and Teen Feed Reduce Food Waste & Support Food Security in University District 
By Cassie Diamond 
 

At first glance, feeding unhoused folks and protecting the environment may not seem like they have a whole lot to do with each other. However, Teen Feed volunteers have found a way to do both at the same time.

Teen Feed is a Seattle nonprofit with the main mission of feeding and supporting homeless youths. The organization runs a meal program every single night of the year in the U-District to provide dinner for people aged 13 to 25.
 

But this focus on homelessness doesn’t mean Teen Feed is blind to other pressing social issues. In fact, volunteers for Teen Feed often feel twice as good about the work they do because not only are they addressing the nutritional needs of homeless youths, they are working to save the planet by minimizing food waste while they’re at it.

Food waste often ends up in landfills where it decomposes to produce the greenhouse gas methane, further amplifying climate change. According to the U.N., food waste alone contributes to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Decreasing food waste has positive implications not only for the environment, but for unhoused community members as well. While the most immediate impact of Hidden Veggies’ efforts for unhoused folks is providing food, a secondary, more long-term impact is related to the team’s focus on reducing the effects of climate change.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, climate change disproportionately affects homeless and low-income individuals. This is because these groups are more vulnerable to extreme weather conditions intensified by climate change, such as heat waves or cold snaps.

Climate change can also affect the production, transportation, and storage of food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This can increase food insecurity by negatively affecting people’s ability to access food, particularly among unprotected populations such as the homeless.

Members of the UW Farm, an urban farm and educational facility located on UW’s Seattle campus that mentors students in agricultural experiences, are very familiar with these concepts.

“There’s a lot of overlap with food inequity and insecurity and wider environmental issues, because people who are most marginalized and systematically oppressed, who bear most of the consequences of [the] climate crisis, are also the…most likely to live in food deserts, where there isn’t a lot of access to fresh produce, if any at all,” Siffre Tooth, an AmeriCorps volunteer and Food Security Lead for the UW Farm, said.

“The UW Farm donates about a third of the produce it cultivates to the UW Food Pantry to support food security on campus. The farm also reduces food waste through its vermicomposting project, which repurposes food waste generated on the farm and across campus to nutrient-dense compost that can be used in growing more food for the community. In this way, Teen Feed, UW Farm, and many un-named organizations and individuals are actively working toward food access and envrionmental stewardship in our neighborhood.”- Siffre Tooth

Produce Highlight: Endive
 

Endive? What’s that? This is what most people might think when they hear about this leafy perennial plant. Endive is a bitter, crunchy leaf vegetable from the Chicory and Asteraceae family. These leafy greens come in three different varieties:

• Belgian endive: Pale yellow leaves with slightly curly edges and moderately bitter. It also comes in a red-hued variety.
• Curly endive (Frisée): Has a bushy head of curly greens with lacy leaves. There’s a more intense, slightly bitter flavor in its darker green leaves. 
• Broad Leafed endive (Escarole): Less bitter than its two variants. Its inner,  lighter-colored leaves can be used in salads.

How did Endive come to be? It has been said that it originated in Belgium when a Belgian farmer left chicory root in his cellar to dry. When he returned, months later, he discovered white leaves had sprouted resulting in the lovely endive.

Like many of its veggie counterparts with high volumes of water, endives are low in calories and high in nutrients. It’s particularly high in vitamin K, and vitamin B9 (folate).

(Image Source: Shaw Linehan)
 

Recipe of the Week:

Spaghetti with Green Garlic and Chicory (Endive)

By: Martha Rose Shulman
 

Recipe & Image Source: New York Times Cooking

Ingredients:

• 1 head chicory (Endive lettuce)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced green garlic
• 1 dried red pepper, broken in half, or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ¾ pound spaghetti 
• A generous amount of freshly ground pepper
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, as needed

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Meanwhile, remove the tough outer leaves of the chicory, and clean the remaining leaves of sand. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the chicory. Blanch one minute, then transfer to the ice water with a skimmer or slotted spoon (do not drain the water from the pot). Drain the chicory, squeeze out water and chop. Set aside.
2. Combine the olive oil, garlic and chili pepper in a large, heavy skillet. Heat over medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle. Allow the garlic to sizzle for about a minute, but do not let it color. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside. If using a whole chili pepper, remove it and discard.
3. Bring the water back to a boil, and add the spaghetti. Cook al dente following the timing directions on the package. While the pasta is cooking, return the frying pan to medium heat. When the garlic begins to sizzle again, add the chicory. Toss together, season to taste with salt and pepper, and keep warm.
4. When the spaghetti is cooked al dente, remove ½ cup of the pasta water and add it to the pan with the chicory. Stir together well. Drain the pasta, and toss with the chicory and garlic. Serve, topping each serving with a spoonful of Parmesan. Enjoy!

News and Noteworthy:

UW Farm Upcoming Involvement Opportunities

Work Study UW Farm Student Staff – Paid Position

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

Career Opportunities in Agriculture & Food Systems:

• Farm Stand Manager- The Green River Farm Stand
• Farm Program Director- Tilth Alliance
• WA Eat Local First Jobs Board 
• Farmers Markets Positions

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

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