[TheUWfarm] FARMmonth August 2010 Newsletter

FARMmonth Summer Newsletter | August 2010
Upcoming Farm Events and General Information Weekly: Tuesdays at the farm! Lunch, discussion, and farming _____________ People at the farm this month: Monday - Friday ~8:30 - 1 ___________ UW Farm website UW Farm Blog Send all submissions for summer's monthly newsletter to uwfarm@u.washington.edu During the summer, the newsletter will go out once a month. The next newsletter will go out at the beginning of September ___________ To Do List 1. Plant cover in unoccupied buckets near herb spiral 2. Find out what is being planted in fall in the barley bed (section A) 3. Mix in compost C12, water, reseed with carrots, water again, board over 4. Dilute compost tea to a 1:10 tea to water ratio 5. Use diluted tea on: -brussel sprouts -cucumber -parsnips -asparagus (generously) -Corn by burke (generously) -squash by burke -tomatoes 6. Redesign/reassemble bucket garden 7. Harvest corn salad- area D 8. Tie up parsnip in B11 (going to seed) 9. String Tomatoes higher (any that need it) 10. String cucumbers higher area A 11. Pick suckers off tomatoes (all) 12. Listen to poppy seedpods for harvest 13. Eat wild strawberries! 12. Pick flowers off chives 13. Weed everywhere- paths and beds. Don’t be afraid to take weeding initiative!	UW Farm Updates *General Note: This is the launching of our new newsletter format. We realize that there may still be glitches that need looked over, and we would appreciate any feedback being sent to uwfarm@uw.edu. And give us a break - we're farmers! Happy Summer! Green Team - Planning the 2011 growing year! Hi Farm Friends, Rachel Stubbs here - future co-leader of the UW Farm Green Team. I have the fantastic job this year of heading up a group of people who'll plan what to plant, grow, and eat in 2011! As UW's fall quarter approaches, I hope you'll consider being involved in this exciting, educational, and essential part of the Farm. Here's what the process might look like based on other years, conversations with previous Team members, and my time as a Dirty Dozen member and intern last year: We'll meet once or twice a month during Fall Quarter with the aim of making a seed order and having a planting calendar in January. During these meetings, we'll brainstorm what crops we want on the Farm during the Spring, Summer, and Fall growing seasons, research the conditions and timing these plants need, and make a plan for their locations and time frames. Then starting with early Spring crops in February, the Farm will put the plan into action. We'll follow its progress, meeting at our convenience to touch base about what we see working and what could be improved for next year's plan. Throughout the process, we'll be working with the Farm Director, interns, Dirty Dozen, and other involved folks. What's asked of Green Team Members: - Consistent attendance at monthly/bimonthly meetings - Willingness to do some outside research into the plants you love - Thoughtful contribution to the ongoing improvement of the Team - A creative and cooperative spirit in approaching the planning process Why Green Team is going to be such a worthwhile experience: - We'll learn a LOT about the essential elements of growing things - We'll be able to make the UW Farm our own in a personal way - We'll get to know other people who love the Farm and what happens there - We'll get to decide just exactly what will go on our pizzas next year! As you're enjoying the summer, please think about being part of the 2010-2011 Green Team. Email me with any questions, suggestions, or just  as a heads-up on your interest. Can't wait to see y'all in the fall! Rachel stubbr@uw.edu UW Farm Mentioned in Sightline Daily Blog Post/Urban Ag. Code Changes in Seattle The Seattle Department of Planning and Development is proposing a set of code changes that aim to encourage urban agriculture. After representing the UW Farm at a public hearing on the issue (see a streaming video of the hearing here to hear from others such as UW professor Branden Born, recent CEP graduate Lydia Caudill, and other speakers from the Seattle area), UW Farmer Michelle Venetucci Harvey got the opportunity to write a blog entry for Sightline Daily - and of course made sure the farm was mentioned. See post and learn more about hte proposed changes here. Side note: Sightline Institute is a fantastic resource for all things related to sustainable policy research in the Cascadia region. Check out their main website here, and their blog here. Does Rising consumption of dietary Omega-6 and falling intake of Omega-3 fatty acids explain Obesity trend?   Summary by UW Farmer Kristin Miller An experiment performed by Dr. Gérard Ailhaud and colleagues at Université de Nice-Sophia, Antipolis, France, found over multiple generations mice fed a “corn-based diet” high in Omega-6 (linolenic acid) became obese while mice fed regular chow remained lean. What’s more, the mice on the high-fat diet became fatter and fatter in subsequent generations. The research was designed to mimic the modern westernized human diet, with the experimental high-fat diet having more Omega-6 fatty acids. In the last 40 years our intake of Omega-6 has more than doubled, while consumption of Omega-3 has fallen by half. At the same time, the prevalence of obesity has been rising.  The main source of Omega-6 (linolenic acid) is maize or corn which is used to make sweeteners and other food additives. Corn is also fed to farm animals. Omega-3 (alpha-linoleic acid) is found in grass, linseed, rapeseed and fatty fishes like salmon, sardines and mackerel. Currently large quantities of corn are grown in US and corn-based products are found in much processed food. For example corn syrup has replaced sugar in most soft drinks and many other products, largely due to government subsidies which lower the price of corn commodities. If the results reported in mice can be extrapolated to humans, they might explain a portion of the rise of obesity and obesity-related health problems such as Diabetes Mellitus seen in recent decades. Journal Reference: Massiera et al. A Western-like fat diet is sufficient to induce a gradual enhancement in fat mass over generations. The Journal of Lipid Research, 2010; 51 (8): 2352 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.M006866 <http:// dx.doi.org/10.1194/jlr.M006866> See this post and respond on the UW Farm Blog. The Student Food Co-op Will Be Operating This Fall! This summer the task force has been busy working to make the food co-op become a reality that will feed us all with tasty, fresh, local, organic, and ethical food! Earlier this summer it was officially confirmed that we will be able to move into the South Campus Center, which gets us well on our way to actually opening. Since then the task force has grown in size, and our new members are making great contributions to the project. Currently we are working on buying and revamping a food cart so that we can be in red square, so that all students can access us and we have a presence amongst all of the HFS food providers. In addition, fundraising is a major project of ours. You can look forward to an Alley Cat Bike Race (more info here) during Dawg Days in which you can bike all around Seattle with other students, competing for a prize! Also look out for smaller fundraisers with live music and food! The task force is working hard; it is exciting stuff and the co-op going to happen. If you would like to join the ride we have meetings every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7:30. To join the listserve or find out more please contact teresa@uwsfc.com and Teresa Bailey, our outreach coordinator, will be able to get you connected! -University of Washington Student Food Co-op Summer Work People will be working at the farm from from 8:30 to about 1 most weekday mornings. Please check out the to do list in the lefthand column and stop by to help out!  Off Farm Stuff Strengthening Local Economies Everywhere Dinner Community Event and Annual CAGJ Fundraiser: Saturday, August 7, 2010 Join Community Alliance for Global Justice and over 400 local advocates, farmers, food workers, and allied organizations at our 4th annual Strengthening Local Economies, Everywhere! Dinner to raise awareness about pressing social, economic, and environmental justice issues - as well as to celebrate our own vast pool of resources locally to create lasting change! The Strengthening Local Economies, Everywhere! Dinner plays a pivotal role in CAGJ's organizing and fundraising efforts. This year, we are thrilled that Ben Burkett will join us as keynote speaker, on the topic "Globalize Hope! Globalize Struggle! Connecting US and African Farmers for Food Sovereignty".  Burkett is a 4th generation Mississippi farmer, President of the National Family Farm Coalition and active in La Via Campesina, the international movement of peasants struggling for food sovereignty. His talk will discuss the role of the Gates Foundation in African agriculture, and how farmers are organizing across borders for sustainable, democratic alternatives to the "green revolution" promoted by the foundation. Help us build community solidarity while also connecting local and global struggles for justice through this fun, engaging and inspiring event! Schedule of Events       Happy Hour 4:30-6:00 ~ Enjoy libations, live music, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, a Silent Auction, and the opportunity to acquaint yourself with featured food justice organizations and groups promoting community development, food sovereignty and Fair Trade in Africa.       Dinner 6:00-9:00 ~ Enjoy a scrumptious meal featuring dishes from Portage Bay Cafe, Kaspar's and Madres Kitchen, in addition to plates prepared by CAGJ's in-house chefs using the bounty of Northwest farmers, ranchers and fisherfolk and select Fair Trade ingredients.  The Dessert Auction featuring 40 different desserts will make your mouth water!       Dancing 9:00-11:00 ~ Celebrate the global food revolution with African music and dancing! See this post and respond on the UW Farm Blog More information on the SLEE Dinner here Buy tickets here CAGJ website here Join us for a community Farm Bill Workshop & Kick-off the formation of the Seattle Farm Bill Action Group! Sunday August 8, 4-6:30 pm, potluck following Workshop Description:  Through interactive activities participants will learn about how the Farm Bill affects them personally and create a vision for the Farm Bill we want!  Guest speakers Ben Burkett, Sue McGann and John Fawcett-Long will help participants understand the basics of the Farm Bill, its impacts on farmers, communities and consumers in WA state, and the struggles to improve the Farm Bill in 2008, including what lessons we can learn from these past efforts to be more effective in 2012. About the speakers: Ben Burkett is a 4th generation Mississippi Farmer, President of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and the National Family Farm Coalition, and involved in the international movement of farmers and farmworkers, La Via Campesina. CAGJ invited him to Seattle to give the keynote at our annual dinner on August 7, Strengthening Local Economies Everywhere.  John Fawcett-Long has been a long-time advocate organizer for a sustainable and justice food and farming system.  He was raised on a farm in southwestern Minnesota and moved to Seattle in the mid-80s.  He has served as Director of the Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group and on the Steering Committee of the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.  He is a co-founder of the Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network.  John served as a key grassroots food and farming organizer in 1999 for the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle. Sue McGann is the Coordinator of Marra Farm, historic preserved farmland in South Park.  A project of Lettuce Link – Solid Ground, Marra features a model urban community farm engaging people in sustainable agriculture and education while enhancing local food security. Sue coordinates the Giving Garden which generates tons of fresh, organic produce every year that is donated to a nearby food bank. Free! Potluck following- please bring something to share if you are able! Location: New Hope Baptist Church 116 21st Ave.  – between Fir & Yesler in the Central District of Seattle More information here. Salish Sea Trading Co-op; CSA by Sailboat Salish Sea Trading Cooperative relies on wind and tide to transport locally produced goods up and down Puget Sound by sailboat. Our goals are to conserve precious energy resources and re-introduce the idea of sail as everyday transport while building resiliency into our local foodshed. In Summer/Fall 2010 the cooperative is delivering fresh, organic vegetables from Nash’s Farm in Sequim to Aster’s Coffee Lounge in downtown Ballard twice monthly. We will also have raw organic honey for sale. Want to reserve your very own box of tasty treats like arugula, cilantro, strawberries and wheat berries? Want to volunteer as a crew member, skipper, or land-based volunteer? Visit the Salish Sea Trading Cooperative website for more information. Also, join the cooperative alongside the beautiful Soliton for a potluck BBQ, 7 PM on Tuesday, August 3 at the 24th Street NW Public Dock in Ballard, next to Stimson Marina.  Anyone interested in revitalizing sail transport around Puget Sound is welcome!  Current, wannabe, used-to-be and would be customers all invited.  This is the perfect time to meet the folks behind the adventure. Beer and some basic BBQ treats provided—RSVP appreciated so we can plan for the menu, info@salishseatrading.com.  Feel free to bring additional items to BBQ, drinks, or sides. New Garden Program in Rainier Beach Seeks Volunteers The Rainier Beach Learning Garden, one of Seattle Tilth’s newest gardens, has served over 500 students this year. Young people are learning how to grow organic food, compost and eat fresh food from the garden. The garden is ready to grow in order to better serve the community. We’d love your help! Work parties are scheduled on weekends starting July 31. If you’d like to participate, we strongly encourage you to attend one of these Volunteer Orientations to find out more about the garden and work parties: Volunteer Orientations for the Rainier Beach Learning Garden: Thurs., July 29, 6-7 p.m. and Thurs., August 12, 6-7 p.m. We will meet in the Rainier Beach Learning Garden behind the South Shore School and Rainier Beach Community Center. If you drive, park at the school. Find out more at http://seattletilth.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteerrainierbeach Rainier Beach Learning Garden Community Work Parties All work parties are from 10am-2pm at the Rainier Beach Learning Garden. Sat., July 31st, Sun., August 1st, Sat., August 7th, Sat., August 14th, Sun., August 15th, Sat., August 21st, Sun., August 22nd. We will be building new raised beds, pathways, a compost system, a rain swale and themed planting areas. Work parties at the Rainier Beach Learning Garden will be a great opportunity to get your hands dirty and learn from Seattle Tilth staff about building a community garden. Tools and training will be provided.  Find out more about the project from Tilth.
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