The uw farm was started in 2004 by Keith Possee, Dr. Alan Trimble, Dr. Jennifer Ruesink and several students with the goal of educating the UW community about the global impacts of our food choices. The farm provides a model for reducing those impacts. The farm has been incorporated into the curriculum of introductory ecology classes and serves as a tool to connect the U.W. community with where and how food is grown. The farm at U.W. is now a registered student organization (urban farmers, UW chapter) with over 150 members. If you would like to learn more about the farm please join our list serve, show up for a work party and/or learn how to volunteer by reading below.
 | Farm Orientation: The farm orientation is a great way to learn about all of the projects at the farm. Orientations are scheduled quarterly and by demand. If you are interested in attending an orientation please send an e-mail to: uwfarm@u.washington.edu. During an orientation you will learn about the layout of the farm and the particulars of planting, tool cleaning, and harvesting. You will also meet active uw farmers and have the opportunity to ask questions about how you can become more involved.
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| Cob Oven: During the spring of 2007 a cob oven was constructed at the farm. Cob is a mixture of clay, sand and straw; it is a sustainable construction material used worldwide. The oven can cook food for an entire afternoon fueled by only a few armfuls of wood because of its ability to absorb heat from the fire. Pizzas are baked first when the oven is hottest, followed by breads, casseroles, potatoes, squash... almost anything! Attending an event at the cob oven is a great way to get to know the folks involved at the u.w. farm.
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Permaculture Garden: Keith Possee has been working on a permaculture garden at the u.w. farm. Permaculture gardening focuses on establishing a community of mostly perennial food-bearing plants using design principles that echo natural communities so that the garden largely maintains itself. In ecological terms, permaculture is the establishment of an alternative stable state of continuous agricultural production. |
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Demonstration Garden: There are several beds located around the greenhouses, these combined are the demonstration urban farm. As the organization grows we will hopefully encounter more land to cultivate, but for now you can find a wide diversity of organically grown vegetables in our garden beds. If you are interested in what is growing right now check out the farm map! The garden needs constant maintenance – check the list in the greenhouse to see what needs to be done today. |
| Future projects: We
have several future projects in mind - building a better composting system,
increasing the campus awareness of sustainable local foods, incorporating
the farm into educational programs at u.w., and continuing to work at
reducing our collective ecological footprint through urban agriculture.
If you would like to learn more about the u.w. farm please join our
mailing list:
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