A Day in the Life of a Red Wiggler Hey there! I’m just your average worm living in the UW Farm’s bustling vermicompost bin. Let’s wriggle through a day in my underground life. Rise and shine, it’s morning routine time. I move through our cozy bedding in search of breakfast. I can always find my buddies lined up at the buffet.
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One of the best responses I’ve gotten after telling someone I’m a farmer is: “Are you okay?” And it is a fair question, though the answer changes based on what time of year it is. There’s the unbridled optimism of early spring, the growing suspense in April and May (what weather-related surprises will climate change bring us this year?), staring into the void in June, and then summer hits and the rest of the season is a downhill run.
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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. The largest volume of donated produce was delivered to the campus UW Food Pantry.
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Around The Farm For the third year, the UW Farm is hosting an AmeriCorps volunteer, a full-time 10-month position to help the Farm Manager with production, education and assists with all aspects of running an urban, campus farm, This is a unique opportunity for the volunteer who learns all aspects of an urban farm. In return AmeriCorps members act as mentors, lead programs and support the Farm Manager AmeriCorps is a federal program that lists positions across the nation, “connecting individuals and organizations to tackle the nation’s most pressing challenges.” AmeriCorps is a federal agency that funds organizations to make positive impact in communities.
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If I asked you, “what is the most prolific summer crop in your garden” what would you answer? My guess is zucchini. Last year, the UW Farm grew over 3,000 pounds of zucchini from only 5 beds (250 total bed feet), despite powdery mildew, smoke-filled skies and a record wet spring. That’s a lot of zucchini bread, zucchini Parmesan, and zucchini noodles.
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A licorice fragranced vegetable may seem like a strange combination, unless you have come across fennel, the whole plant, feathery frond and bulging stem. As it turns out, this aromatic perennial (or annual depending on your climate) in the carrot family has a fascinating history, playing a medicinal and even mystical role in our culture since ancient times. As a commercial farmer years ago, I explored growing fennel to appeal to high-end restaurant chefs, In the last five years at the campus farm, I have learned that it is simple to grow, has many organic uses (beneficial insects love it!) and newly discovered recipes continue to pull me into its culinary orbit.
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My name is Adam, and I’m an Americorps member serving as the Assistant Farm Manager at the University of Washington Farm. The UW Farm is a two acre student-powered farm located across three sites with varying scales, challenges, and opportunities. At our largest site at the Center for Urban Horticulture, we demonstrate productive market gardening, while at the Mercer Court dormitory complex we model how farming can fit into urban environments.
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The Beauty Japanese plum first entices bees in early spring with sweet-smelling flowers and then temps humans with luscious red fruit in mid summer.
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We are excited to recognize Dr. John Wott, Director Emeritus of UW Botanic Gardens, who has been awarded the 2019 American Horticultural Society Professional Award for his many contributions to the horticultural field throughout his career. We also extend our enthusiastic congratulations to Riz Reyes, UW graduate, former UW Botanic Gardens horticulturist, and current UW Farm volunteer, who was honored with the 2019 Emerging Horticultural Professional Award.
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UW Botanic Gardens facilities will be closed beginning at 12:30pm on Friday, February 8, and continuing through Sunday, February 10. Our facilities and programs are being impacted by anticipated inclement weather. Please check back on our Facebook and Twitter pages for updates going into next week. Washington Park Arboretum impacts: The Graham Visitors Center will be closed starting at 12:30pm Fri., Feb.
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