[TheUWfarm] Farmweek newsletter November 28

Farmweek Newsletter | November 28, 2010
Upcoming Farm Events and General Information Tuesday Farm Lunch All quarter, T 12:30-1:20 in Anderson 022 Monthly Pizza Bake Next one: Dec. 10th November All Farm Meeting Dec. 1, 5 - 6 pm Botany Greenhouse _____________ New ways to get farm information! We have a new website! (and blog) Facebook Fan Page - become a fan! ___________ Send all submissions for the weekly newsletter to michelle@uwfarm.org During the academic year, the newsletter will go out weekly on Sunday evenings. ___________	Trouble viewing this email? View it in a web browser. UW Farm Updates Looking for a New Dirty Dozen at the Farm - Want to be more involved? Now is the time to think about next quarter - as many of you are likely finalizing your schedules etc. You may have been thinking "I'd like to get more involved in the farm".... If that is the case - the dirty dozen is your ticket! We are a group of 12-20 students who meet at 7:30 on Friday Mornings to plan the to do list for the UW Farm. Every dd'er comes to that meeting and then also volunteers to give an additional 2 hours of volunteer time each week at a regularly scheduled time to work on the farm. In the winter on the farm there is less work to do planting, more compost building and plenty of planning for spring. The DD crew is our main UW Farm workforce and the difference they make is visible daily at the farm! If you would like to be a DD volunteer this coming winter quarter - we'd love to have you!   It means committing 3 hours a week to the farm and also attending the DD orientation on Saturday, Jan 8th from 9AM to Noon.  If you are interested in becoming a DD'er - please e-mail me soon - wheat@uwfarm.org . Also - we are still accepting applications for winter farm interns to learn more about the internship visit our web page: Sustainable Ag Internship Enjoy the snow, eat dirt, and think about the four season farm. Fondly, Beth Wheat Farm Field Trip to Sunshine Island Farm on December 5th You are cordially invited to come along on a Farm fieldtrip to Sunshine Island Farm on Vashon Island Sunday, December 5th. We'll make a day of it, leaving the UW Farm cob oven probably around 9 am, carpooling out there, learning, working, and harvesting with a sweet family of farmers and their interns, and returning later in the day. More details to come. If this sounds good to you, please email Rachel at rachel@uwfarm.org or respond to the Facebook eventhere. UW Farm Foraging Publication Looking for Volunteers: Message from Brady Ryan The UW Farm is going to publish-both online and in print, a foraging guide/map to the campus. I am going to coordinate this effort. Ideally, I would like to have us map out every edible plant and wildy area with lots of edibles on campus, as well as uses, times of harvest etc. The exact form this project may take is up for discussion. I am looking for a small group of people to share in this project. Some experience identifying plants would be helpful but certainly not required, and anyone with some computer mapping skills that might want to help would be awesome. I figure with a concerted effort during January and February we could get much of it done, leaving room to add in other edible summer annuals as we find them. This will include both planted shrubs/trees, "weeds", mushrooms and other members of the edible landscape. This is going to be a very fun project, a great way to learn about our bountiful campus and one of great value to the UW Farm and the greater University Community.  If you want to be involved and feel like you could commit to around two hours a week winter quarter, please email me at bradyr@uw.edu. We will have a first meeting in early December to talk about what we want to do. Tuesday Farm Lunch Topic this Week: Working on a Farm, a Panel Discussion More information on our classes page. UW Farmer Blog: Blog Posts this Week Be sure to take a look at our new farmer blog! Here is an overview of new stuff this week: Seasonal [Wild] Eating post on making chutney with nightshade...the good kind. (Kathryn Davis) Worried about our chickens in the snow? Read about Wintering Chickens. Do you think meat fits into a sustainable food system? To Meat or not To Meat. (Michelle Venetucci Harvey) While you're at it, become a fan of our new Facebook Fan Page, and follow us on Twitter! UW Student Food Co-op: Dec. 4th Wine & Cheese Soiree! Join the UW Student Food Cooperative for a swanky winter solstice soiree! Guests will enjoy a sampling of washington wines paired with tasty treats from some of the area's most celebrated cheese and chocolate producers. Invite your lover, friends or colleagues to join you for a night out in Ballard to support a fantastic cause! Help fulfill our holiday wishes by joining together to raise necessary seed money for this developing student-run sustainable cafe!  Winter Solstice Soiree - Wine & Cheese Tasting!  Event Date: December 4th, 2010 - 7:00 PM  @ Enlighten Cafe & Art Gallery - 5424 Ballard Ave $30 in advance through Brown Paper Tickets or $35 at the door Proceeds from the soiree will go towards helping the UW Student Food Cooperative rebuild a food cart! About the Co-op: We are building a student food cooperative whose purpose is to achieve food sovereignty on the UW campus and address food justice issues through affordable provisions of healthy and organic prepared foods. We plan to source from the expanding UW Farm and other local farmers & artisans. Our Co-op has made exciting progress in the past several months and is now actively seeking community support! Visit our website for more information: www.uwsfc.com Want to support our project but can't make it to the soiree? Help us fundraise by donating through PayPal! You can also look for updates on the facebook event page. Want to get more involved? Check out our updated calendar page for work parties, pizza bakes, and committee meetings! Off Farm Stuff Punk Rock Flea Market, a Community Market on December 4th The Underground Events Center is putting on a Punk Rock Flea Market on December 4th from noon to 10 pm. The idea is to create a community market to sell clothes, used items, handmade crafts, and food. The Center is located at 2407 1st Ave in Belltown, and you can visit their facebook page for updates. Northwest Eco-Break with Hillel: December 18-24 Hillel is putting on the Northwest Eco-Break from December 18th-24th. Students will be traveling around the region, meeting with experts in green tech, sustainability, and environmental stewardship, and doing volunteer service with their projects. $199 covers food, lodging, transportation, and activities for six days! EVERYONE is welcome to apply! Check out the Northwest Eco Break Page for more information and/or contact Robert Beiser at robert@hilleluw.org for more information. Applications are due Nov. 19. Contemplation of Nature Presented by Ajay Rastogi Visiting Fulbright Environmental Leadership Fellow University of Washington, Wednesday, December 1 Noon – 1:30 pm in South Campus Center Room 354 In today's world, characterized by a rapid pace of life, competitive work environments, impersonal relationships and lack of time for oneself, various stress-related problems are on the rise. Join Ajay Rastogi for an opportunity to experience deeper states of tranquillity, happiness and connection to your environment and yourself.  His workshop on the Contemplation of Nature will introduce you to an approach that provides the benefits of meditative practice. This program does not require any specific dress-code; nor does it entail sitting in any particular posture. Ajay has worked for over 20 years on sustainable development issues. He is also a yoga teacher and has engaged in various meditation techniques. He holds degrees in Applied Ethics, Environmental Sciences and Agriculture. Urban Agriculture: Extending Value Beyond Food Production Panel this Tuesday There has been a movement in cities across the country to incorporate agriculture into urban life.  The urban environment has not traditionally supported this practice, but cities are now seeing vacant lots turned into community gardens and vegetables being grown on rooftops.  Join ULI Seattle for an engaging panel discussion on urban agriculture to learn about recent trends in Seattle, the advantages and limitations of urban agriculture, and how the city is supporting this endeavor through a series of recent code revisions and public outreach initiatives. Panelists: Richard Conlin, Seattle Council President Myer Harrell, Architect at Weber Thompson Andrea Petzel, Senior Planner for City of Seattle Andrea Platt Dwyer, Executive Director of Tilth Moderator: Branden Born, Professor in the Department of Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington Tuesday, November 30 7:30 - 9:00 AM Two Union Square 601 Union Street 51st Floor Conference Center $20 for current ULI members $30 for non-members Registration includes continental breakfast Hurry! Registration limited to 50 Online registration deadline: Friday, November 26 Register online at www.seattle.uli.org or by phone at 1-800-321-5011. For more information, please contact us at seattle@uli.org or 206-224-4500. Teach Out! Engaging in our Local Food Cycle with CAGJ Wednesday, December 1st, 6:30-8:30pm at the Rainier Community Center Please support our commitment to alternative transportation methods by biking, walking or taking pubic transit to this event! CAGJ's Food Justice Project invites our members and others to learn about and build connections with key players in the local food region through monthly visits to farms, community kitchens, and community gardens! The site visits will include hands-on work that is needed by or is appropriate to the sites, opportunities to debrief and reflect at the end of the site visit, and calls to action! Each visit will allow for carpool options and many will also feature a bike route guided by a CAGJ member. Through these visits, CAGJ hopes to facilitate a place for the voices of our local food producers to be heard and their knowledge and skills to be recognized and celebrated. Many low income families are at higher risk of chronic diseases related to obesity because there is a direct correlation between poverty and obesity due to our current food system.  Despite efforts to address many of the "access" issues around quality food among limited income populations, many people don't know how to cook, let alone cook "healthy" meals that focus on vegetables and whole grains.  The Family Community Kitchen addresses this gap by cooking a meal together with parents and children in a fun environment and focuses on making "healthy" food taste delicious through hands-on learning.  With support from PCC Natural Markets and local farms, we offer organic food in an affordable and meaningful way.  We work together as a come-unity to shift social norms and create a food culture that respects every aspect of life. **Please note, space is very limited, so RSVPs are required. Since we will be cooking and sharing a meal, there is also a suggested $5-10 donation to cover the cost of food. TO SIGN UP, please email Molly at mollyjade@gmail.com We will send you directions and details upon receiving your RSVP, as well as information about what to wear and bring. All activities will be appropriate for children and we can work out disability accommodations if needed. **Save the date! The January Teach Out will be on Saturday, January 22nd with Central Co-op's Madison Market and Puget Consumer Cooperative (PCC).
UW Student Farm | uwfarm@uw.edu University of Washington Campus