07.31.24

Around The Farm

The Children’s Garden
By Leyna Doty, Program on the Environment: Environmental Studies, Children’s Garden Intern

After the COVID pandemic shut down the farm to visitors, the Children’s Garden sat vacant, except for a few straggly plants and once-accurate painted rock labels. This season, the Children’s Garden has been an ongoing project to bring back a welcoming space to kids who visit for day camps, field trips, and a sunny stroll from the neighboring Union Bay Natural Area.  The children’s garden sits towards the northwest corner of the farm, behind the high tunnel. With two raised U-shaped beds and an in-ground L-bed, there is plenty of space to get your hands dirty. Trellised cucumbers of multiple varieties ready to be harvested and cherry tomatoes following behind will be ready in these upcoming weeks. Edible flowers and herbs bring pops of color and a pleasant pesto aroma. A picnic table provides the perfect spot for soil-blocking demonstrations and seed-starting activities. There are even three compost bins with some maturing compost piles to complement our extensive vermicompost system. 

Bordering the recently revived Children’s Garden, reside 7 traumatized Desert King Fig Trees. These 4-year-olds were propagated from one tree, which was too big to transplant successfully. In May, these trees were loaded with figs, which grow from the leaf axils, or where the leaves attach to the branch. By mid-June, they were found by the resident deer, who like to snack on unripe figs, since they don’t have the waxy sap yet. By the time the sun rose the morning after the last ambush, only a few straggling figs prevailed. Yet hope remains! These fig trees are not only surviving but continue to regrow new branches and even produce new figs, now in the protection of a netting.

Though the raised beds have plants that the farm team has planted, it also has evidence of the kids’ day-camps that have weeded, planted, and labeled several bean, tomato, and squash species. They enjoyed the picnic table, learning about compost, feeling the squishy soil blocks, and left a beautiful bouquet of flowers and green hanging from the table’s brace. The painted-rock labels are once again accurate to the peppers, cucumbers, rosemary, and tomatoes growing there. The vibrant flowers and nearby pollinator plants are bringing back bees and ladybugs to observe. The Children’s Garden is once again bursting with life. 

It’s been a joy working in the Children’s Garden and interacting with the kids. Their enthusiasm for farming and being in nature is incredibly inspiring. My hope is that the Children’s Garden is a place where both kids and adults alike can ignite a sense of awe and wonder every time I arrive at the farm. 

Recipe of the Week:

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

By: MaryAnn Dwyer

Recipe & Image Source: The Beach House Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups zucchini, shredded
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Add the shredded zucchini with a spatula until combined. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and then sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out mostly clean. If your loaf seems to be browning too quickly, just tent with foil. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

News and Noteworthy:

UW Farm Upcoming Involvement Opportunities:

We are now hiring both paid and unpaid interns for Autumn Quarter!Check out these opportunities on our website.

Career Opportunities in Agriculture & Food Systems:

• Executive Director- Food 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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