12.06.23

Around The Farm

By Althea Ericksen, Senior, Environmental Studies major, Program on the Environment, College of the Environment,  and UW Farm Intern and Communications Coordinator
This is likely my last time writing to you all as the volunteer Communications Coordinator for The Weekly Dirt. I've truly loved my past two seasons working at the campus farm, exploring the hands-on aspects of farming, and getting to complete my capstone experience as well. 

11.29.23

Around The Farm

Green Square: UW Tower Urban Garden’s Year at the UW Farm
By Ella Gostisha, Environmental Studies, UW Farm Intern, and Brooke Baker, Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health, UW Farm Intern

What is Green Square?
The UW Tower Green Square project began in 2015 to demonstrate the potential of food production in underutilized urban settings. Funded by the Campus Sustainability Fund, this student-led initiative aims to explore low-space growing techniques while promoting gardening among the local community and donate fresh produce to the UW Food Pantry. 

11.22.23

Around The Farm

Making Fresh Farm Produce Last All Winter Long
By Alex Ball, Sophomore, Environmental Science and Natural Resources, UW Farm Intern
 
As the days get shorter and the end of fall quarter draws closer, my time as a student intern at the UW Farm is coming to a close. Although sad, it is satisfying to see the end stages of the growing season: cover crop being planted, the last of our inventory being sold, and plans forming for the coming year. 

11.15.23

Around The Farm

Improving Soil Health Can Reduce Erosion and Water Pollution
By Robert Bonglamphone, Junior, Informatics, UW Farm Cover Crop Intern
 
Rain, rain, and more rain! This fall has been an absolute downpour, so I hope you are keeping dry, perhaps while sipping on some hot apple cider. Throughout our beds of harvested lettuce and mustard greens, you can see the walkways overflowing with puddles lately. 

11.08.23

Around The Farm

Saving Tomato Seeds for Human and Environmental Health
By Tabitha Lederer, Senior, Environmental Studies, Farm Food Security Intern
 
As the fall season draws to a close, we have been harvesting many of the final crops at the farm. After the harvest is finished, the leftover plants get pulled out and composted to clear the beds completely and prepare them for cover cropping over the winter. 

11.01.23

Around The Farm

Cover Cropping Enriches UW Farm Soil
By Aisling Doyle Wade, UW Farm Production Manager

Fall is a magical time of year on farms such as the UW Farm – the work of summer (primarily harvest) crescendoes and then finally begins to wane. With our final storage crops making their way onto our shelves and our hardy greens slowing down for limited winter growth, our work shifts towards preparing our fields for winter. 

10.25.23

Around The Farm

Garlic Bolsters Long-term Health

By Siffre Tooth, '23-'24 AmeriCorps Food Security Lead
 
As the days become shorter and temperatures cooler, we find ourselves more often amongst misty mornings and bright gusts of autumn breezes. Our priorities may be shifting with the changing seasons as well, which is especially true around the farm. While there are still some late-season crops to harvest, we are becoming increasingly occupied with tasks that wrap up the growing season and put many parts of the farm ‘to bed’ for the upcoming winter months. 
  

10.18.23

Around The Farm

Do It Yourself Quinoa; From Flower to Fork

By Chrina Munn, UW Farm Staff, '22-'23 AmeriCorps Food Security Lead
This season the UW Farm has experimented with growing grains. You've likely read about our experience growing wheat, and last week we talked about our quinoa crop and the history of growing quinoa. This week, I would like to share the Farm's experience growing quinoa and processing the grains to be ready for consumption. 

10.11.23

Around The Farm

UW Farm Cultivates Quinoa

By Kove Janeski, Masters of Landscape Architecture, Farm Staff
The UW Farm has been experimenting with cereal cultivation this growing season: we have grown and are processing multiple wheat varieties at the Center for Urban Horticulture Farm site and are also testing out a small planting of quinoa within Mercer Court’s Chenopodiaceae plot. 

10.04.23

Around The Farm

UW Farm Sees Record Numbers of Student Volunteers
By Althea Ericksen, Senior, Environmental Studies, UW Farm Intern and Communications Coordinator
Hi all! As we enter the fall quarter I want to take an opportunity to look at the students that made up our 2023 volunteers and the many majors they come from. 
When I came to The UW Farm for the first time I was shocked by the many majors that interact with the farm and the many avenues through which students discover this farming space.