10.02.24

Around The Farm

Homemade Salsa: Connecting Mexican Heritage with the UW Farm Experience
  
by Sasha Crawford, UW Farm Work Study Student Staff, Masters of Landscape Architecture, College of Built Environments, UW ’26

My name is Sasha Crawford, and I joined the UW Farm the summer quarter, as a full-time work-study student.
As classes begin this fall, and my availability to work at the farm wanes, I reflect on an amazing summer of learning and growth in my first few months at the farm. 

Sienna Wessel is the first-ever second botanist at the Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP), bringing with her experience working for multiple land management agencies across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. Hailing from the Midwest, Sienna’s botanical journey began in the tallgrass prairie, where she developed a deep desire to protect plant biodiversity within the tiny remaining refugia of this once vast ecosystem. 

The weekend of July 12th – 14th found 15 Rare Care volunteers and assorted partners on Table Mountain in the Cle Elum Ranger District for the annual Monitoring Weekend. We conducted 21 surveys and successfully located the target plant on 16 of them, with all of the teams participating in at least one success and one new discovery. Thank you to all of our fabulous volunteers! 

It is nearing the end of my summer internship with Rare Care, stationed at Mount Rainier National Park, and I am excited to share what we found! The internship opportunity sprung from a collaboration between Rare Care and the National Park Service to confirm and improve the accuracy of rare plant records within Mount Rainier National Park’s boundaries. For the Park Service, this work will provide vital spatial information about rare plants to inform management decisions. 

09.25.24

Around The Farm

The Farm as a Classroom
 
by Dylan Hancock, UW Farm Work-Study Student Staff, majoring in Education, MEd Candidate UW, ’25
 

My name is Dylan Hancock and I am a Masters in Education Candidate at the University of Washington. In early July 2024, I also began as a work study student at the UW Farm. My responsibilities exist on and off the farm. 

09.18.24

Around The Farm

Why Rye?
 
UW Farm Grows Cereal Grains Modeling Biodiversity
 
by Aisling Doyle-Wade, UW Farm Production Manager, CEP Alumni ’21
 

Today marks the last pick-up for our Summer and Peak season CSA shareholders.
Our Full season shareholders have another two months of veggie boxes to look forward. While the next eight weeks of boxes will be choked full of fall favorites such as onions, potatoes and winter squash, today, we wanted to send off our Summer and Peak shareholders with a special fall treat – UW Farm Grown 100% whole wheat rye flour! 

09.11.24

Around The Farm

Introducing Erica, the new UW Farm Americorps Volunteer

 
by Erica Fong, 2024-25 Americorps Education and Outreach Lead at the UW Farm 
 
My name is Erica Fong and I’m so excited to be joining the UW Farm as the new Americorps Education and Outreach Lead for the 2024-25 school year!
Primarily, my role will be supporting urban farming and food systems education activities. 

09.04.24

Around The Farm

Tomato Growing at the 47th Parallel

By Perry Acworth, UW Farm Manager
Off the vine, juicy, ripe tomatoes are my favorite crop to grow and savor. Hands down. As a child, however, I was not a fan. To my younger self, they tasted mealy, lacked flavor and were tough-skinned. It wasn’t until 1990, fresh out of college, that I grew my first tomatoes in the backyard of an old rented farmhouse in Vermont – the bright red ‘sweet million’ cherry tomato. 

08.28.24

Around The Farm

Hive Hiccups: Swarming Explained

By Mara Tarino, UW Farm Beekeeping Intern, Majoring in Environmental Science & Terrestrial Resource Management, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment
As a new beekeeper at the UW Farm, I’ve discovered that maintaining a happy and healthy hive involves a lot more than I initially thought. I used to believe that beekeeping was straightforward, with bees managing themselves and providing us with the delicious honey we love. 

08.21.24

Around The Farm

Farm ‘Fits
By Zereen Gesmudo, UW Farm Nutrition Education Intern, Majoring in Art:3D4M in the College of Arts and Science & Nutrition Minor in the School of Public Health
Of all of the exciting new things that I learned at the farm, from how to properly harvest peas to pruning tomatoes, the one thing that always stuck out to me is ensuring I have functional and weather-appropriate clothing for farm work.