9.21.22

Around The Farm

UW Farm Staff Field Trip: Exploring Local Urban Farms
by the UW Farm Team

Farm Team at the Nurturing Roots Entrance
Left to Right: Perry Acworth, Kelien from Nurturing Roots, Daniel Orborne, Eve Wang, Julia Macray, Hsin-Yu "Maggie" Huang, Althea Ericksen, Dannette Lombert

Left – Signage from the Nurturing Roots Farm stating "Community Farm Education" and pointing towards their two farm sites

Right: Nurturing Roots Farm staff member, Keilan, showing off the smoothie bike while also making us a strawberry banana smoothie

Julia and Perry helping to consolidate the compost piling at Nurturing Roots in preparation for the season coming to an end

Farm Team touring the Nurturing Roots second site. 

1)  Castanea crenata                                                                      Japanese Chestnut

Though it is one of the smaller species of chestnut, C. crenata is still a valued food tree in its native Japan. Ordinarily, the nuts are also smaller than those of the European varieties.
This specimen is located on the east side of our old field nursery along the gravel path.

2)  Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. nana                                  Dwarf Plum Yew

Native to the forest understories of East Asia, this small evergreen shrub is known to thrive in semi-shaded places rather than in full sunshine. 

9.14.22

Around The Farm
Selecting Plants and Seeds for Your Fall (and Winter) Urban Farm or Garden  
by Perry Acworth, UW Farm Manager
With September’s arrival, so begins our thoughts of fall on the farm: swiftly flipping beds from one crop to the next to capture the last warm days and kick start our fall crops, transplanting others for over wintering, choosing garlic varieties for planting in October, and gearing up for the cover crop season. 

With September’s arrival, so begins our thoughts of fall on the farm: swiftly flipping beds from one crop to the next to capture the last warm days and kick start our fall crops, transplanting others for over wintering, choosing garlic varieties for planting in October, and gearing up for the cover crop season.

Chrina Munn started September 1, 2022 as the farm’s new AmeriCorps Volunteer. She takes over from Dannette Lombert, who completed their 10-month contract in July.

9.7.22

Around The Farm
Introducing UW Farm’s New Food Security Lead

Chrina Munn started September 1, 2022 as the farm’s new AmeriCorps Volunteer. She takes over from Dannette Lombert, who completed their 10-month contract in July. The focus of the position is food security with an emphasis on growing and distributing the farm’s produce, seeds, and plant starts to local food banks and pantries, and households and building relationships with other food access, equity and educational farms and gardens. 

The UW Farm has had a long relationship with food banks near campus. Before the UW Food Pantry was established, students donated farm produce to the nearby UDistrict Food Bank.

8.31.22

Around The Farm
UW Farm's Growing Relationship with the UW Food Pantry

The UW Farm has had a long relationship with food banks near campus. Before the UW Food Pantry was established, students donated farm produce to the nearby UDistrict Food Bank.  
Students also organized pop-up food distribution events on campus that featured farm produce.
During 2020, a formal partnership with the new campus food pantry was established with the signing of the first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) .The MOU  spells out the farm's and the pantry's commitment to rescuing vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruit that are not snapped up, or do not meet the standards or quantities needed for the CSA, UW Dining, and Athletics. 

8.24.22

Around The Farm

Life Without A Fridge: How an Experimental Lifestyle Leads to Lessons in Food Systems
By Faith Mathison, General Farm Intern, Computer Science Major

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to store, cook, and eat food without easy access to a refrigerator? Have you yourself lived in such a situation? Living without a fridge is something I didn’t put much thought into until I had to do it myself, at which point I realized how dependent modern life is on reliable refrigeration. 

A beehive removal & relocation at Yesler Swamp