What better time than winter to highlight one of the Arboretum’s conifer specimens? January is also an excellent time to take a trip out to Foster Island to walk amongst some of the many birds that make the Arboretum home. Beside the path on Foster Island – just before you cross under the 520 bridge – you will find a pair of Pinus rigida. The species name rigida refers to its stiff and sharp cone scales and needles. The tree’s common name – pitch pine – derives from the high resin content in its wood.

01.17.23

Around The Farm

2023 Impact Directs Campus Farm's Food Security Priorities for the Upcoming Growing Season
By Siffre Tooth, Farm Food Security Lead, AmeriCorps '23-24
In 2023, the UW Farm experienced highs and lows, new accolades and challenges. We struggled with crop failures of melons, corn, and onions, while successfully cultivating quinoa and wheat for the very first time!
Certified organic produce donated by the UW Farm in 2023 reached 2390.57 pounds, worth a retail value of $11,870.00.  

1)   Sequoia sempervirens  ‘Henderson Blue’                        Coast Redwood

Coast Redwood typically has forest green needles, though cultivars range from frog-belly green to silver and powder blue.
This Winter Garden specimen is pruned regularly to keep it dense and short to best show off its beautiful foliage.
Sequoia sempervirens is native to the foggy northern California coast and is currently listed as endangered due to logging and habitat loss. 

12.14.22

Around The Farm
 Farm Volunteers from Honors Interdisciplinary Course Gain New Perspective 
A new course, "Are Do-gooders Doing Good?" was offered by the Honors Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Programs was offered this past quarter.  Taught by Kathryn Pursch Cornforth (Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center), the course requires volunteering at organizations and examines, "what does it mean to help people and give back? 

We added an interesting specimen this year as a foundation tree in the newly renovated Soest Herbaceous Display Garden bed 3. Our Bronze Loquat was grown from seed that was wild collected by Dan Hinckley at higher elevation in the mountains of Taiwan. We received a sapling from Dan in 2014 and have grown it to larger size in our nursery before planting earlier this year.

Bonsai literally means “tray gardening” or defined as the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in pots. These selections are reminiscent of the bonsai art form, although they were never grown in pots nor trained. Enjoy the photos!
1)   Larix decidua                                                                            European Larch

The larches are unusual conifers in that they are deciduous and drop all their leaves each autumn. 

12.7.22

Around The Farm
By Daniel Orsborn, UW Farm General Intern, Environmental Science Major
A Reflection on My First Season Farming
Hi, I’m Daniel and I’ve been a General Farm intern at the UW Farm for the past nine months. In less than a week, my time at UW will be coming to an end. I was hoping to write something practical that I learned during my time here and publish it in the farm newsletter. 

11.30.22

Around The Farm

By Hsin-Yu "Maggie" Huang, UW Farm Dani Elenga Urban Farming and Environmental Intern, Medical Anthropology/ Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Major

Celebrate Perfectly Perfect Food: Awareness on (just a small part of) Food Waste Reduction
 
Sorting is an important part of harvesting on the farm. We spend a fair amount of effort filtering out produce with “cosmetic quirks, odd shapes or irregular sizes” and keep the “pretty” ones for the market. 

11.23.22

Around The Farm
By Perry Acworth, UW Farm Manager
UW Farm Plants 'Climate Blend' Winter Wheat
As the cover crop season progressed this fall, I sent an email to Dr, Stephen Jones at the WSU Bread Lab. I inquired about wheat seed availability and if it was too late for winter wheat. The next day, Dr. Jones responded, "not too late to plant.  

1) Acer palmatum ‘Beni otaki’                            Red Bamboo / ‘Beni otaki’ Japanese Maple

The Red Bamboo or ‘Beni otaki’ Japanese Maple is a medium-sized Japanese maple, with deep red-purple foliage from spring to summer, which becomes green with maturity.
Autumn leaves turn a rich crimson.
Acer palmatum ‘Beni otake’ grows into a lovely rounded shape and is more tolerant of sun than most other Japanese maples.