10.6.21

Around The Farm

Preserve Your Summer 

By Dannette Lombert, UW Farm Food Security Lead/AmeriCorps Volunteer
 

 
Summer may be over but you can still enjoy your favorite summer fruits and vegetables while being mindful of the seasons. Preserving food has been in practice across cultures for thousands of years, whether due to seasonal changes in the region or long journeys with limited food supply. 

9.29.21

Around The Farm

New Student Staff at the Farm 
In August the UW Farm saw a change in staff. UW Environmental Sciences and Resource Management student Sarah Elgin transferred to WWU and AmeriCorps Volunteer Griffin Cronk moved to Washington DC. The farm welcomes new AmeriCorps Volunteer Dannette Lombert (see profile in Weekly Dirt) and undergraduate Russell Botulinski. Next month, Kove Janeski, a first year Masters of Landscape Architecture student joins the team. 

9.22.21

Around The Farm
My Summer on the Farm
A UW Farm Intern Reflection By Delia Darrah, Food Security Intern for summer 2021 
My summer at the UW Farm has given me the privilege of bringing my environmental science degree to life for the first time. With all of my major specific classes online up until this point, I hadn’t connected my knowledge of soil, ecosystems, and (best of all) plants to any tangible experiences. 

9.15.21

Around The Farm
This summer the UW Farm received a request from UW Farm CSA member and Senior Archaeologist Amanda Taylor, ’12, of Willamette Cultural Resources to dig soil pits at the UW Farm as a training opportunity for archaeology field technicians, Tribal representatives, and Tribal staff. This free training to identify types of sediment soil and signs of archaeological sensitivity was offered to address and dismantle systemic inequities to accessing careers in archaeology. 

9.8.21

Around The Farm

According to the US EPA, agriculture contributes 10% of carbon emissions in our nation. As a campus farm, we try to operate sustainably at every turn, incorporating practices that reduce our carbon footprint.  By the way, agriculture contributes the least annual amount of carbon into the atmosphere as compared to other sectors: transportation (29%), residential and business (13%), electricity (25%), and industry ( 23%). 

9.1.21

Around The Farm
For the third year, the UW Farm is hosting an AmeriCorps volunteer, a full-time 10-month position to help the Farm Manager with production, education and assists with all aspects of running an urban, campus farm,  This is a unique opportunity for the volunteer who learns all aspects of an urban farm. In return AmeriCorps members act as mentors, lead programs and support the Farm Manager 
AmeriCorps is a federal program that lists positions across the nation, "connecting individuals and organizations to tackle the nation’s most pressing challenges." AmeriCorps is a federal agency that funds organizations to make positive impact in communities.  

8.25.21

Around The Farm
Internships at the UW Farm are offered every quarter. They are initiated by students who reach out to the farm manager with a desire to have a deeper relationship with topics such as urban farming, food systems, environmental sciences, and sustainability, Often they are asked to write a reflection paper to summarize their experience. This week Gina Simon, a UW Farm Nutrition Education Intern and Food Systems Nutrition and Health major, Nutritional Sciences Program, School for Public Health, will complete her 60 hours of field work and assignments,
Reflection of a Summer Intern
One of my responsibilities as the Nutrition Education Intern at the UW Farm was to do weekly research on the nutritional content and/or benefits of produce items grown on the farm, as well as an inclusive recipe. 

If I asked you, “what is the most prolific summer crop in your garden” what would you answer?  My guess is zucchini.
Last year, the UW Farm grew over 3,000 pounds of zucchini from only 5 beds (250 total bed feet), despite powdery mildew, smoke-filled skies and a record wet spring. That’s a lot of zucchini bread, zucchini Parmesan, and zucchini noodles. 

21 U.S. Urban Agriculture Public Garden-Community Partner Collaborations Awarded Funds

If you have ever plucked a ripe fig straight from the tree, the sap oozing from the jam-like interior and suspended at the bottom of the fruit, you know that you have to grow your own figs to fully appreciate their wonder.