05.17.23

Around The Farm

Learning How to Graft Tomatoes

By Sean Flory, Senior, Biology, Environmental Science, General Farm Intern

Hello everyone, my name is Sean, this quarter I’m a general intern at the UW Farm. In past quarters, I have been an intern on the farm and grown my plant skills. I am a senior biology student and member of the university’s farm club, The Dirty Dozen. 

1)  Darmera peltata                                                                            Umbrella Plant

Darmera peltata, commonly known as “Umbrella Plant”, is native to the West Coast of the United States, ranging from northern California to southern Oregon.
Umbrella Plant’s natural habitat is shady-to-partly shady stream banks and woodlands although it can be cultivated in full sun with proper watering.
In spring, Darmera sends up a cluster of small pink or white flowers on a single stalk before the umbrella-shaped leaves emerge. 

05.10.23

Around The Farm

UW Farm Food Security Intern Learns about the Farm’s Collaboration with The UW Food Pantry
By Taylor Clementz, Junior, Environmental Studies & Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Major, UW Farm Food Security Intern

My name is Taylor Clementz, and I am wrapping up my third year at the University of Washington. I am double majoring in Environmental Studies in the College of the Environment and Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health in the School of Public Health. 

05.03.23

Around The Farm

By Olivia Johnson, Senior, Environmental Studies Major, Program on the Environment, UW Farm Education Intern
Creating User-Friendly Signage for Visitors at The UW Farm
Hi! My name is Olivia Johnson and I am a senior in Environmental Studies in the College of the Environment. I am the current education intern on the University Washington Farm. I train guides who then lead tours of the farm. 

04.26.23

Around The Farm

By Althea Ericksen, Senior, Environmental Studies Major, UW Farm Intern, Community
Communications Coordinator

Spring Planting Mix – A Musical Playlist for Gardening
Hi all! I haven't written for the newsletter in quite a while. I'm excited to be back! Last season, I was the UW Farm's Urban Farming and Food Systems Intern focusing on sales to UW Dining and planning the McMahon Rooftop Culinary Garden. 

04.19.23

Around The Farm

By Audrey Sun, UW Farm Dani Elenga Organics Intern
 
Beginner's Guide to Sourdough 

Long time, no read! For those of you who don't know, my name is Audrey Sun and I am the former Fall Quarter Nutrition Education Intern and current Dani Elenga Organic Re-certification Intern. You might remember seeing some of the recipes I did for a pickling guide, charred cabbage, or even a festive winter squash stuffing. 

As Spring arrives, we here in the Pacific Northwest are gifted the opportunity to observe a wide variety of plant species we may not have noticed before. This month, we are focusing in on a beautiful, rare, San Francisco Bay-area endemic shrub. Dirca occidentalis can be found in the Washington Park Arboretum, but wait… what is it doing here?

Each year Rare Care recognizes volunteers for their outstanding contributions.
Mickie Chamness trained back in 2005 and has completed 17 monitoring assignments and contributed over 140 volunteer hours. We really appreciate Mickie’s contributions to the botany surveys at Two Steppe and Marcellus Shrub Steppe NAPs, and her monitoring reports each year are excellent. We are so lucky to have her on the monitoring team for so long! 

Sometimes your professional career takes you in a straight line, other times it involves a few twists and turns. For Jesse Miller, it involves looping back around a couple times, at least geographically. His new position as the Botanist for the Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP) is the second time he has landed in Olympia – the first was as an undergraduate at Evergreen State College. 

Washington polemonium (Polemonium pectinatum) is a distinctive perennial Washington endemic. As the Latin name implies, its leaves are pectinate, a term that describes its feathery, pinnately compound leaves that have 11-17 narrow leaflets. These unique leaves make this species stand out amongst other members of the genus in Washington. In mid-May to early June, its branched inflorescence blooms with light blue to lavender flowers that sometimes have faint maroon veins.