[TheUWfarm] Exciting updates: UW's Food Future

Hi Farmers,

Lauren and I had a very encouraging meeting last week with Julia Parrish, the Director of the Program on the Environment, about the future of our beloved UW Farm and food studies at UW.

Here are some exciting upcoming developments as the Farm continues to expand in the coming year...

Farm Manager Staff Position

Housing Food Services, the College of the Environment, and the School of Public Health are joining forces to fund a part-time position to support students in the dizzying logistic work of coordinating the various UW Farm sites, including the new site at Mercer Hall opening in Autumn 2013. The goal is for this position to be funded by UW Farm produce sales as we continue to earn revenue selling to the UW Dining Halls. This person will have experience in in both farm management and working with university student leaders. Interviews will begin in the next few weeks, and if all goes well, this person will begin transitioning into their role this Spring Quarter!

Food-Themed Living-Learning Community in Mercer Hall, 2013-14

Starting this Fall, students will be able to live their dorm experience as part of a Living-Learning Community themed around Food! The community will be housed in the new Mercer Hall dorm, and their experiential activities will include working on and harvesting from the Mercer farm space and cooking together in the new dorm kitchen facilities.

Nutrition and Food Studies Minors, and New Food Courses

Starting this fall, there will be a Nutrition minor offered through the School of Public Health. In addition, a Food Studies minor is in the works, complete with many new and returning food-related courses! Brand new courses for the minor's core will most likely be offered starting this fall through the College of the Environment (C ENV), and the UW Farm's beloved "Urban Farm" and "Farm Lunch Seminar" classes, which were recently discontinued by the Biology department, will again be offered, this time through C ENV.

"Food at UW" Website

A new site is up and in the works, with the aim of compiling information on the many options and personal connections available for "Foodies" at UW: http://depts.washington.edu/coenv/food/

Check it out, and email coenv@uw.edu with info on any organizations, courses, or people you think should be included on the page to make these opportunities available to our future UW foodies!

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Thanks you all. Feel free to email me with any questions about these opportunities, and I'll be happy to point you in the direction to find out more info.

Fondly in Sun and Showers,

Rachel