University of Washington Student Farm

University of Washington

Student FarmFarmer Handbook

2020 - present

UW Student Farm Handbook 2020

Primary Author & Creator

Aisling Doyle Wade

Contributing Authors & Creators

Nina Arelin, Anna Beebe, Nathan Bombardier, Emily Campbell-Dangerfield, Lelia Kopcic,

Nam-Huy Leduc, Sierra Red Bow, Linghuan Xue

Advising & Editing

Perry Acworth, Adam Houston, Eli Wheat

Acknowledgments

Perry Acworth

Ken Boudreau

Duke Clinch

Franklin Furlong

Maya Garber-Yonts

Adam Houston

Claire Kasinadhuni

Reily Savenetti

Alice Van der Haak

Eli Wheat

Makaila Wood

Mary Gates Endowment*

Jackson Munroe Public Service Fellowship

Members of the Dirty Dozen Farm club

All the students, staff, faculty and

community members who have participated

in & supported the farm

This project would not have been possible

without the contribution of student farmers,

farm managers, faculty, staff and community

members who have given countless hours

to the farm throughout its existence.

I would like to especially acknowledge all

the incredible farmers who I had the

pleasure to work with and learn from

throughout my time at the University of

Washington. Without these people, I would

not have had the knowledge nor the passion

to complete this project, nor would I be the

person who I am today. I am forever grateful

for the time I spent on the UW Farm and the

people whom I spent it with. I would like to

particularly thank Perry Acworth (farm

manager 2019 - __) & Adam Houston

(assistant farm manager 2019-2020) for

spending hours advising me on this project

first in the office at Douglas conservatory

and later over phone and zoom amid the

Covid -19 pandemic.

Special thanks is also due to Dr. Eli Wheat

who allowed me to work with him on this

2


project as an independent study and without

whom the UW Student Farm would not

exist.

*This project was initially conceived of and

launched as a Mary Gates Leadership

Scholarship project for which funding was

provided by the Mary Gates endowment. I

would like to thank everyone at the

endowment for their support of this work.

Initial Completion

June 2021

Last Edited

6/3/2021 - A. Doyle-Wade

7/2/2021 - P. Acworth

Suggestions for future additions

● Tour guide section

● Link to all recently made UW Farm videos in the video appendix section

How to use this handbook

This handbook is intended to increase student learning and leadership on the UW Student

Farm. Armed with the handbook as a guide, student farmers will be able to take on farm tasks

and gain farming and community building skills at a faster rate. Additionally, this handbook is

intended to standardize processes to help the farm become more efficient and consistent from

season to season.

At least one version of this handbook should always be maintained as an editable Google

Document, so that students can add to it and edit it as the farm grows, gains new technology &

leadership and generally changes over time. Please update the “Last Edited” date above

after each edit.

This document has a searchable table of contents; if you hover over an item in the table of

contents, a link will appear automatically directing you to that section. In order to maintain this

3


function, sections that are added should be titled with “headers” from the toolbar. This

text is “normal text”. To add a header simply highlight the title to your new section and select the

correct type of header from the “styles” drop down menu in the toolbar. Once you have added a

new header, simply refresh the table of contents and the new header will appear in the correct

order with its corresponding page number automatically generated.

● Header types specific to this document:

○ Heading 1 (Arial font, size 20, italicized)■ Introduces overarching sections, for example “Introduction”, “Standard

Operating Procedures” & “Student Leadership & Community”

○ Heading 2 (Arial font, size 13, bold)■ Introduces sub-sections, for example, “Starting Crops” & “Cultivation &

Crop Maintenance”

○ Heading 3 (Arial font, size 11, bold & underlined)

■ Introduced individual procedure or topic, for example “Soil blocking

procedure” & “planting reference key”

○ Header 4 (Arial font, size 12, gray color)

■ Introduces sub-topic or procedure, for example “Pre-emergent Weed

Management & Flame Weeding” & “Management of Perennial Weeds”

under the topic of “Weeding Methods”

Happy farming to all!!

4


To be of use

BY MARGE PIERCY

The people I love the best

jump into work head first

without dallying in the shallows

and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.

They seem to become natives of that element,

the black sleek heads of seals

bouncing like half-submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,

who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,

who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,

who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge

in the task, who go into the fields to harvest

and work in a row and pass the bags along,

who are not parlor generals and field deserters

but move in a common rhythm

when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.

Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.

But the thing worth doing well done

has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.

Greek amphoras for wine or oil,

Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums

but you know they were made to be used.

The pitcher cries for water to carry

and a person for work that is real.

5


6


Table of ContentsIntroduction 9

History of the UW Farm and UW Farm RSO 10UW Farm Timeline 12In-Depth Farm Site Descriptions & Maps 18

Standard Operating Procedures 23Starting Crops 24

Soil Blocking Procedure 24Starting Seedlings With Soil Blocks 25Soil Blocking Reference Key 28Planting Reference Key 30Transplanting Procedure, by Hand 34Transplanting Procedure, with Paperpot Transplanter 36Direct Seeding Procedure, by Hand 41Direct Seeding Procedure, with Seeder 43

Earthway Seeder Parts & Basics: 44Earthway Direct Seeding Directions: 45Jang Seeder Parts & Basics: 47Jang Direct Seeding Directions 54

Row Cover 55Fertilizer & Soil Amendments 59

Cultivation & Crop Maintenance 76Tools ID & Usage 76Tool Cleaning, maintenance & storage 92Bed Preparation Procedure 96UW Farm Irrigation System 97Weeding Methods 101

Pre-emergent Weed Management & Flame Weeding 101Management of Perennial Weeds 111Weeding with Large Hand Tools 113Precision Weeding 114

Trellising Methods 116Overhead/Top-down 117Weave 119V-shape Twine Trellis 121

7


Cage 122Hortonova/Plastic Mesh 122

Tomato Pruning 123Perennials 128

UW Farm Perennials Maps 128Perennial Care 130

Harvesting, Washing & Packing Produce 131Tote & Harvest tool Sanitation 132Harvest Reference Key 135Wash Pack Preparation 145Produce Washing Reference Key 150Packing CSA 159

Student Leadership & Community 164On Farm Leadership 165

In-field instruction of Volunteers & Students 166UW Farm Community 170

Indigenous Relations & Partnerships 170UW Farm & UW Food Pantry Partnership 174Dirty Dozen Farm Club 176Pizza Bake Guide 178Student Involvement & Leadership Flow Chart 185

Addendums 186Video Resource Appendix 186Additional Resources Appendix 187

8


Introduction

9


History of the UW Farm and UW Farm RSO

While the UW Farm today covers nearly 2 acres, has a full time staff manager and

produces tons of food each season, the origins of the farm are a bit more humble. Back in the

early 2000s, a few biology faculty including Doug Ewing, Alan Trimble and Jenifer Ruesink were

getting tired of graduating biology students who had no physical connection with plants and who

“could not recognize a carrot growing in the ground” (Arelin 2011, p. 8). Meanwhile, Keith

Possee, long time biology staff member and steward of the campus medicinal herb garden, was

similarly ruminating on what it meant to have an urban campus full of students who lacked any

meaningful connection to their food system. Keith had actually been part of an attempt to start a

campus farm in 2000 which had fizzled out when students couldn’t find a space.

Enter: Beth Wheat (now Eli Wheat) an exuberant phD student working in Ruesnink’s lab.

Beth had grown up in a farming community in up-state New York and while they were studying

plant biology at the university, they had never been able to shake off an insatiable appetite for

growing food and building community around that growth. This team (Beth, Keith, Jen, Doug &

Alan) got together and decided to go for another attempt at starting a campus farm. At first they

asked around campus for permission from various building managers and UW administrators,

but when that came to no avail, Doug (who was the manager of the botany greenhouse)

suggested that they simply tear up the lawn by the greenhouse without worrying too much about

formal permission. And thus, the farm was born.

In the early years, the farm was 100% student run and operated. Students decided what

would be planted in the spring (with a little help from Keith who would often start plants

alongside the ones he managed for the herb garden), they held work parties, created a

cooperative and consensus based governance structure, divided responsibilities into

committees, made bold and independent decisions to tear up new patches of the lawn and

generally, students made decisions about anything that needed or wanted to be done.

Given this space, student leadership flourished and a beautifully vibrant community of

student farmers was born. Each season, one dedicated student would be the farm manager, an

unpaid yet extremely demanding position that only the most passionate student farmers would

rise to accept. Food was grown for the purpose of learning how to grow it and harvests were

shared on pizzas, available to any students who needed food and in some cases donated to

local food banks. At pizza bakes centered around the student-built cob oven, tens if not

10


hundreds of students from all disciplines across campus would gather to share food and discuss

the food system. The farm was a happening and revolutionary place…

Eventually a critical mass of involvement was reached - the community was growing

beyond what the ¼ acre at the botany greenhouse could handle. Additionally, there was word

that the botany greenhouse was destined to be torn down - the farm had to move on to bigger

and more permanent land tenure. Eventually the CUH & Mercer sites were identified as good

places for the farm to move. With the growth of acreage and the transition to formality within the

University came the need for various “institutionalizing” changes including the hiring of a staff

manager. Courses from the Environmental Studies, Nutritional Sciences and other departments

began integrating the farm into course content and using the farm sites as “living laboratories'',

thus expanding the educational impact of the farm on campus. In order to keep up with the

costs of running a larger farm and paying staff, funding from various departments was secured

but the farm also began selling its produce to HFS and through a CSA program to bring in more

money.

The farm has always been growing and changing. It looks very different today than it did

when it was a student run garden next to the botany greenhouse. Student leadership on today’s

UW Farm is a little harder to find and identify than it may have been in the early days. But, as Eli

Wheat never fails to emphasize, it's fundamentally a student farm and its fundamental mission is

to enrich the lives of UW Students by helping us to connect to the land, our food and community.

Our beautiful farm only exists in any form today because of the tireless dedication and passion

of hundreds of students over the years - it is a gift from students to students, a gift that requires

continued nurturing. And that is our responsibility as students who love the farm, no matter what

state we find it in - to keep nurturing.

11


UW Farm TimelineBased on work by Nina Arlein, Anna Beebe & Nathan Bombardier

➢ 1949: Botany Greenhouse is built➢ 1983 : The Center for Urban Horticulture is founded on the shores of Union Bay, the

former site of the Montlake Dump➢ 1998 : The Program on the Environment accepts its first students.➢ 2000: First attempt to start a farm but lost momentum in finding space➢ 2004: UW Farm founded by Keith Possee, Dr. Alan Trimble, Dr. Jennifer Ruesink,

Elizabeth Wheat and several other students➢ 2005:

○ Students, under the leadership of graduate student Elizabeth Wheat and Biologyfaculty member Alan Trimble break ground on a 1/3 acre site near the NewBotany Greenhouse at the University of Washington

○ The UW Botanical Garden is founded uniting the Center for Urban Horticultureand the Washington Park Arboretum

Original team behind the UW Farm, photo from Nina Arlein’s Guide to the UW Farm Community

12

https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2018/08/Guide-to-the-UW-Farm-community.pdf


➢ 2006 : The UW Farm becomes a registered student organization.➢ 2007:

○ Farm becomes RSO○ Botany greenhouse cob oven built with help from Kieth Possee, pizza bakes held

weekly➢ 2008:

○ Autumn: first “Farm Lunch” seminar is offered, taught by Elizabeth Wheat○ Spring: Urban Farm class is offered for the first time, taught by Elizabeth Wheat

➢ 2009 :○ The College of the Environment unites many environmentally and food related

departments.○ Winter: chicken coop built, first farm fundraiser○ Spring: farm interns start○ Summer: Brady Ryan farm director○ Fall: Farm lunch reaches 40 students, Dirty Dozen starts○ Winter: First visioning meeting (mission and history & vision created)

➢ 2010:○ Seattle Tilth Partners with the UW and UW Farm○ Winter: Visioning period, the farm needs land

➢ 2011:○ Winter: MOU with Seattle Tilth and CUH formalized. CSF Grant, Farm receives

$80,000○ UW Farm and Food Coop team up for a focus group on food and community.○ The UW Farm expands to a site near Union Bay. The farm now cultivates an

additional acre of land.

13


➢ 2012 : Chef Amy Belknap opens Cultivate restaurant as a part of the West Campusconstruction by HFS

➢ 2013 :○ Fall: Break ground at our three bays at Mercer Court and the Terrace Garden at

McMahon Hall began producing produce○ The School of Public Health, The College of the Environment, Housing and Food

Services, and The UW Botanic Gardens come together to support the UW Farmprogram and hire farm manager Sarah Geurkink

➢ 2014 :○ The UW Farm secures a $22,310 grant from CSF to build a greenhouse and hire

an intern to help manage planting schedules throughout the season○ An irrigation system is installed at Mercer Court,○ Summer: CSA program launched○ A series of small grants and a crowdfunding campaign over the next several

years, as well as a design build project through the College of Built Environmentsresulted in solar powered composting toilet, a greenhouse, a structure to shelterand store equipment and supplies, a shelter in which produce could be washedand packaged, a hoop house, a vermicomposting system, and two earthenovens.

➢ 2015 :○ With the help of 135 supporters, farm raised over $10,000 to build a shelter and

two earthen ovens at the Center for Urban Horticulture—a space that will serveas a wash-pack station and community gathering venue for years to come

○ kick-start several other projects, including vermicomposting system, and are ableto extend our growing season into earlier spring and later fall with our newhoophouse

➢ Late 2016 and early 2017:○ Extensive discussions towards a partnership with wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ, the Intellectual

House, were initiated with goal to develop a Native Foods Garden and to addressfood security issues with Alaska Native, First Nations, and Native Americanstudents

○ Discussions began with the City of Seattle’s Department of Parks andRecreation, the UW Campus Landscape Architect, UW Campus Grounds, theUW Farm, the UW Medicinal Garden, the Burke Museum and wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷregarding campus wide use of Native plantings and their interpretation

○ New MOU between UW Dining and the Farm is finalized. The UW Farm takesover management of the Culinary Garden on the rooftop of “The 8” dining area

14


➢ 2017:○ Interim farm manager Alice VanderHaak is hired and manages the farm for 1

season○ MOU with Intellectual House finalized, farm formally agrees to offer space for

indigenous crops in future seasons

Aerial Shot of the farm in the 2020-2021 growing season

➢ 2018:

○ After Alilce decides to leave the UW to start her own farm business, Perry

Acworth is hired as the new permanent farm manager

○ Long time sub-leasing organization, Tilth Alliance (formerly Seattle Tilth),

requests that three farmers from their Farmworks farm incubator in Auburn, WA

move into an area previously farmed by their Seattle Youth Garden Works

program. SYGW program discontinued at the end of 2017 along with FarmWorks

when Seattle Tilth merges with Tilth Producers

○ A three season phase-out of Tilth begins with decreasing acreage each year.

15


○ First crops are planted at Mercer Court and CUH by members of the Intellectual

House.

○ New Food Systems, Nutrition and Health major beings in the Autumn quarters in

the Nutritional Sciences Program, School for Public Health. Labs begin for

Harvest To Health course at both CUH and Mercer Court.

➢ 2019

○ First AmeriCorps Volunteer is added to the Farm team as an Assistant Farm

Manager

○ Grant written by AmeriCorps member, Adam Houston leads to more sustainable

farming practices due to new tools and materials

○ New plot added to the CUH site

○ Renovation of sidewalk plots at Mercer Court begins with an insectary planting

along Pacific Street

○ First Intellectual House Liaison is identified and another hired by the UW Farm to

help facilitate a new Native Garden at CUH

○ New farm course: Sustainable Farm Systems is added in POE

➢ 2020:

○ COVID-19 Pandemic reduces farm labor force from 200 to 27 volunteers for the

entire growing season

○ Field trips, on-farm labs, pizza bakes, and community volunteer programs

cancelled while acreage increases

○ Another insectary planting and blueberry plants are added at the Mercer Court

site

○ Volume of produce reaches an all-time high of 11.5 tons from 1.5 acres of annual

crops

○ Farm pivots by ramping up CSA program and donating to area food banks

○ Sales to UW HFS flatline

○ McMahon Hall MOU with the farm is cancelled due to the pandemic

➢ 2021:

○ COVID-19 Pandemic is still a challenge

○ Another plot added at the CUH site

○ Vermiculture Facility arrives due to another CSF grant written by a PhD student

Michael Bradshaw

16


17


History Resources

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IDPmq2GZOp7DFQcTDVi40aeufn8Zp9RWdS70Tj4tOIA/

edit?usp=sharing

2021 farm staff wearing masks to stay staff while working during the COVID-19 Pandemic

18

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IDPmq2GZOp7DFQcTDVi40aeufn8Zp9RWdS70Tj4tOIA/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IDPmq2GZOp7DFQcTDVi40aeufn8Zp9RWdS70Tj4tOIA/edit?usp=sharing


19


In-Depth Farm Site Descriptions & Maps

The UW Student Farm has 3 locations: the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH) Farm,the Mercer Court Farm and the Mcmahon Terrace Garden. The vast majority of our operationshappen at the CUH (about 1 acre) & Mercer (nearly ½ acre) locations while the Mcmahongarden is a much smaller demonstration space.

Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH) Farm“The Center for Urban Horticulture site of the UW Farm feels a little bit like an oasis in

the middle of a bustling city. This site is the largest condensed agricultural area on maincampus.

In 2011 the Farm received a $78,307 grant from the Campus Sustainability Fund tojumpstart this second farm space. On May 22, 2011, the UW Farm brought in a tractor from FullCircle Farm to officially break ground. Since that original groundbreaking, the Center for UrbanHorticulture UW Farm site has been used for a variety of educational and agricultural activitiesand has produced bounties of organic vegetables. Come check out the CUH site!” - From UWFarm Official Website”

The CUH site, because it is a condensed agricultural area on a single open field, is a farmore appropriate growing space than the multi-level Mercer Court for certain “highmaintenance” crops. For example, tomatoes, peas and beans which require intricate trellisingsystems and full sun are almost entirely grown at CUH because the larger condensed plots lendthemselves much more easily to trellising. Additionally, cucurbitaceae crops (winter squash,summer squash, cucumbers) are almost entirely grown at CUH because of the large space theyrequire.

The CUH site is also home to a pizza oven, many picnic tables and lots of open spacesurrounded by the Union Bay Natural Area. As a result, CUH is the more popular site forcommunity gatherings and events.

There is also a unique history of the CUH site due to its being sited on what was oncenearly underwater. Pre-1850 and north of the farm was the site of a significant indigenousvillage with longhouses. This is now the University Village shopping area. In 1916 the waterlevel of Lake Washington dropped in the summer due to the completion of the Montlake Cut andthen the Ballard Locks in the Fall. This lowered water level led to newly exposed shoreline and alarge marsh area. In the 1920’s the city of Seattle operated the Montlake landfill also known asthe Ravenna Dump. In one area, along the eastern edge, after WWII, GI housing wasconstructed which later became temporary UW Student Housing. The landfill was officiallyclosed by the city in 1973 and capped. For years later effluent and methan escaped from theburied rubbish. However UW assumed control and responsibility and began a long-termremediation process which continues today. For links on the history of this site see Addendumssection.

Mercer Court FarmStarted in 2013 and nestled in the Mercer Court Apartments courtyard, Mercer Court has

almost half an acre in production! Mercer Court has become an important part of the student

20

https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/center-for-urban-horticulture/gardens/uw-farm/where-to-find-the-farm/



community by promoting education about food in the urban environment and providing a moreinteresting backyard for residents of Mercer Court. People can walk through this urban farm site,or stick around longer and volunteer. The UW Farm at Mercer shows that farming is fun anddoesn’t have to be miles out of a city.

UW Farm Clubhouse E102: This is the central meeting location for everything that happens atMercer Court. It serves as a space for farm equipment storage, a break room on a hot summerday, and community space for occasional events. To get to the clubhouse, head west on NEPacific St. and head to Mercer Court Building E (furthest West). The clubhouse is located on thefarthest southeast corner of the building. Click here for driving directions.” - From UW FarmOfficial Website

The Mercer Court farm can be a tricky place to farm because of the layout and design.Originally intended as a LEED certified sustainable living complex there are many elements thatcan teach lessons in urban planning, architecture and urban food production. For instance thebuildings have flat roofs and were intended to collect water for cisterns to water garden plots.This was executed in Building A where water collected is filtered twice and used in the laundry.There are full kitchens for cooking and passive solar incorporated in all five buildings.

In certain jaring ways, you can tell that the farm was not designed by farmers.Theorientation of the buildings is meant to emulate the shape of a human hand. Intriguing, but notpractical for growing sun-loving crops because the design creates wind-tunnels due to thebuildings’ orientation. Irrigation appropriate for crops was not part of the design and had to beadded later. The perennial fruit trees selected were meant to be espaliered, but the wrongvarieties were purchased during the execution of the design and as a result the trees are toolarge and planted too densely. Most had to be transplanted or died due to restricted sun andspace for roots. The many terraces and staircases between these terraces are also quite trickyto navigate with a wheelbarrow.

Additionally, the 7-story buildings between the bays block sunlight and createmicroclimates of shade, sun, wind & heat. The fragmentedness of the farm parcels also make itquite difficult to communicate with farmers working in other areas. Weeds that are removed frombeds need to be hauled up and down stairs via 5-gallon buckets and wheelbarrows in order todeposit them in the compost bin on the easternmost side of the complex. Likewise tooks andcompost carried to beds is a labor intensive process.

Despite these challenges, farming at Mercer is so exciting because it is an incredibleexperiment in integrated residential urban food production. While working in beds at Mercer youare surrounded by apartments full of students. Rather than incorporating non-productive orornamental landscaping around the residential complex, faculty negotiated space to be setaside for teaching urban farming. Mercer court shows how food production can coexist withurban housing. Additionally, there are many crops that grow very well at Mercer despite thedesign flaws. For several seasons, all the UW Farm’s brassicas have been successfully grownat Mercer Court because the CUH site has a soil borne disease affecting brassicas. Headlettuces, salad mixes, beets, carrots, potatoes and corn also grow extremely well at Mercer.Many perennial shade-tolerant herbs such as mint, thyme, chives, rosemary and sage do well

21




as do asparagus.. In addition, because the sandy loam soil was purchased and trucked to thesite for the beds, there are no stones. This makes it perfect for root crops. The upper tiers arevery well drained due to terracing and gravel drainage columns along the inside of the cementblock walls. The acceptance of farming on the site is also acceptance of a less than “perfect”appearance as often the crops are not up to the aesthetic standards of ornamental plantings.

Chioggia Beets planted at Mercer Court, nestled by student housing on three sides!

22


Map Created by UW Farm Intern Nam-Huy Leduc

23


Map Created by UW Farm Intern Linghuan Xue

24


Farm Tour Guides

CUH Site Tour

History

● Indigenous Land Acknowledgement○ The UW Farm acknowledges that we work and live on Indigenous land. These

are the traditional unceded territories of the Coast Salish people, specifically theDuwamish people. The shared waters touch all tribes and bands within thePuyallup, Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleschoot nations. The Indigenous peoplehave been on this land since time immemorial and were violently forced fromtheir homelands.

● Lake Washington was carved out by the Southernmost region (known as the PugetLobe) of the Cordilleran ice sheet that covered much of Canada and the Northern USAduring its last advance 15,000 years ago.

● Five Coast Salish longhouses were once located near today’s CUH farm site; this wasan established Indigenous community.

● Treaty of Point Elliot● The CUH site itself was underwater until 1916, when Lake Washington was

reengineered through the construction of the Montlake Cut and Ballard Locks, whichtogether lowered the lake by approximately 9 feet and exposed marshland we knowknow as the CUH.

● The newly-exposed CUH site was then used as a landfill until 1971, when the UW tookover the land and began restoring the wetland ecosystem.

○ The yellow posts you see on either side of the farm were a student project to testthe soils for any toxins or pollutants from the land fill. It determined it is safe toplant in this area. This is why the south part of the farm is not in production. It stillneeds to be tested. The test also confirmed that it is unsafe to dig below threefeet on this site. We do not worry about that with the no-till farming practicesused.

● The UW farm unofficially began in 2004 as a cohort of graduate students from thebiology department. It also became an RSO known as the Dirty Dozen.

● Other organizations, such as Seattle Tilth and Seattle Youth Gardenworks, have usedplots here in the past.

● In 2012, students learned that the original farm site near the botany greenhouse wasgoing to be demolished. They appealed to the University, and eventually were givenaccess to the CUH farm site. They began with just one plot, but has continued to growevery year.

● The UW farm aims to grow food, but also to be an educational space for students togather and learn about food systems, plants, and organic farming firsthand.

Infrastructure

25


● The toolshed serves as the epicenter of the farm, and holds all farm tools and materials.● Behind the toolshed is the composting toilet.● Plots and plant rotation: The farm has grown from one plot to many, allowing for lots of

crop rotation. Each plot is organized by plant family, which are rotated every year in theinterest of soil health. Different plants give and take different nutrients to and from thesoil, so varying the crops grown in a plot allows nutrients to be maximized.

● The high tunnel houses plants that need to be hardened off--in other worse, seedlingsthat have been grown indoors need to adjust slowly to outdoor conditions. The hightunnel is not climate controlled like a greenhouse, but still provides protection from harshweather that would otherwise kill young plant starts. They are also used for seasonextension to keep crops going during the ‘shoulder’ seasons, early spring and late fall.

● A vermicomposting facility is in development, where worms will be raised to producecompost, an essential source of organic matter to feed the soil.

● Several plots on the farm are dedicated to the Native Garden, a collaboration betweenthe UW farm and UW Intellectual House aimed to:

● Plant, learn about, and consume traditional foods, focusing on Indigenous plantsfrom across the Americas.

● Represent the diverse Indigenous population at UW and their various growingmethods.

● Feed over 200 people at events such as Taking Back the Dinner, an eventfocused on changing the narrative around Thanksgiving and inviting people toengage in Indigenous culture.

● The Fruit Alle features fruit trees (apple, cherry, pear) that line the northern edge of thefarm. They were planted in 2016 in memorial of Washington workers who died on thejob.

● The permaculture patch in the middle of the farm was planted by a student in 2012. Apermaculture patch is an example of planting annuals and perennials together so thatinteractions and synergies can occur.

● The farm plants many flowers, some planted to cut and sell, some edible, and manylocated at edge of the farm to draw in pollinators.

● On the southern edge of the farm is a hedgerow for pollinators, wildlife habitat, andwindbreak to reduce soil erosion.

● The wash/pack located at the center of the farm contains sinks for washing produceafter harvest.

● The UW farm often has a plot dedicated to assisting with agricultural research. On thesedesignated plots, crops are given experimental treatments, and the farm records how thetreatments affect the crops and the yield they produce.

● The Children’s Garden was launched in 2015 with funds from a Campus SustainabilityGrant for the purpose of youth visits, exploration of nature, and science and foodsystems lessons with hands-on components.

26


Mercer Court Site Tour

History

● Indigenous Land Acknowledgement○ The UW Farm acknowledges that we work and live on Indigenous land. These

are the traditional unceded territories of the Coast Salish people, specifically theDuwamish people. The shared waters touch all tribes and bands within thePuyallup, Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleschoot nations. The Indigenous peoplehave been on this land since time immemorial and were violently forced fromtheir homelands.

● The UW farm unofficially began in 2004 as a cohort of graduate students from thebiology department. It also became an RSO known as the Dirty Dozen.

● Other organizations, such as Seattle Tilth and Seattle Youth Gardenworks, have usedplots here in the past.

● In 2012, students learned that the original farm site near the botany greenhouse wasgoing to be demolished. They appealed to the University, and eventually were givenaccess to the CUH farm site. They began with just one plot, but has continued to growevery year.

● In 2012, the Mercer Court residence halls was completed, with farm areas designated forgrowing between the buildings.

○ GGN (Gustafson Guthrie Nichol) is the landscape architecture firm that was hiredto build and design the urban apartments and farm.

○ There have been successes, but also challenges with the design, and inner cityfarming in general:

■ Examples of challenges:● staircases make use of wheelbarrows a challenge and not ADA

accessible,● no area for building compost● noise and air pollution● soil quality low, low organic matter, a built environment=

compaction, limited drainage esp. on street level● seven stories= low sunlight, no sunrise/sunset, average sunlight is

4 hours● buildings funnel wind=high winds● Urban pests (rats/rodents/human)● Gravel paths difficult to push a wheelbarrow and hard to walk on● Shapes of the beds for crop planning● Connecting to residents is a challenge, especially as they often

leave during summer, our peak growing season● Examples of opportunities:

○ a green space that otherwise wouldn’t be used to growfood for people

27


○ awareness and education for students, residents, andpassersby

○ provides erosion control/filters water before it goes to thePuget Sound,

○ diversity of crops lead to habitat for a higher diversity ofwildlife in the city

○ tiered plots allow sunlight to reach more crops during theday

○ irrigation equipment, “drip tape” is easily repaired andallows for micro-control of water flow and maximumconservation

○ Support from maintenance staff: grounds, irrigation, andhousing staff

● The UW farm aims to grow food, but also to be an educational space for students togather and learn about food systems, plants, and organic farming firsthand.

Infrastructure● The clubhouse serves as the epicenter of the UW farm, and holds all farm tools and

materials. It also serves as the home base for the Dirty Dozen RSO.● Plots and plant rotation: Mercer Court contains 3 bays with plots for planting, allowing

for lots of crop rotation. Each plot is organized by plant family, which are rotated everyyear in the interest of soil health. Different plants give and take different nutrients to andfrom the soil, so varying the crops grown in a plot allows nutrients to be maximized.

○ The edge habitats (small plots located on the west side of each bay) tend tohouse perennial plants such as asparagus, rhubarb, and sunchokes.

● Mercer court utilizes drip irrigation for several reasons:■ Micromanagement - individual lines can be turned off if the row or bed is

not planted to conserve water - note the flip valves on the headers in eachbed

■ Even watering at a slow rate for better absorption by soil and plants■ Don’t water weeds in pathways vs. sprinkler which waters everything■ Less evaporation of water vs. overhead sprinkler and low volume,

provides water at the pace the plant and soil can absorb– less waste■ Easy and cheap to repair

● We have an insectary on the southern edge of the site: an untilled bed of native plantsand flowers to attract pollinators and wildlife.

● Growing fruit trees at this site has been a challenge – our original plans were to espalier(pronounced es-paul-ee-yay) these trees, which is a pruning technique that requiressupport cables and hardware. Funding ran out, so now we have plum trees planted tooclosely together. The varieties were not selected well - only dwarf and semi-dwarf shouldhave been purchased, and few survive. Unfortunately the landscape designers musthave had a hard time sourcing the plum varieties because there are standard plums here- too big for our small space.

28


Standard Operating Procedures

29


Starting Crops

Soil Blocking ProcedureMaterials list

30


● 4-8 bags of potting soil (1)

● Five gallon bucket (2)

● Black plastic soil trough/tray formixing soil with water (3)

● Metal soil blockers (We have “large”or “small” and “extra small” sizesdepending on crops being seeded)(4)

○ Large: 4x3 (12) cells perblocker, 4.5cm squaredblocks

○ Small: 5x4 (20) cells perblocker, 3.5cm squaredblocks

○ Extra Small (20) cells perblocker,

● Black plastic “Seedling trays” (solidplastic trays with drainage holes) (5)

● Black plastic “Mesh trays” withvarious latticed bottoms (these arefitted to hold the seedling trays tominimize breakage and reduce theamount of water needed to keep theblocks moist) (5)

● Seeds for desired crops● Vermiculite (or extra dry soil) for

topping off, or distributing over theexposed top surface of the seedblocks to hold in moisture, but allowlight to penetrate and reduce mold (6)

● Wooden Crafts sticks for labellingtrays + Black sharpie markers (7)

● Masonry spade for lifting soil blocksfrom trays and for arranging soilblocks (8)

Image bank formaterials:

(1) (2)

(3) (4)

(5) (6)

(7) (8)

31


Set Up1. Determine the number of trays you will need to make

a. 1 bag of potting soil = about 5 trays2. Empty bags of dry potting soil into the large black soil trough.

a. For each bag of potting soil add ½ five gallon bucket of water to the trough.3. Mix well so that the soil is consistently wet and will hold its shape when balled in your

hands.4. Set up your seedling trays by fitting each solid plastic tray into a latticed plastic tray. Set

aside until needed5. Identify the correct size of soil blocker for the seedlings you are starting (see Seeding

Reference Key).

Soil Blocking1. Push the base of the blocker into the soil vigorously, twisting it left and right to ensure

that all the empty space in the base is filled with soil. You may have to lift the blocker andpush into soil mixture/trough several times.

2. Scrape the base of the soil blocker on the edge of the trough, removing excess soil toensure that the base of the soil blocks are flat. Check for uniform fill and compactionbefore pressing soil blocker into the tray.

3. Once the blocker is full, place the base of the soil blocker into a pre-prepared seedlingtray. Crimp the release mechanism on the soil blocker several times before you lift awaythe blocker, this will ensure the soil blocks set cleanly.

4. While the mechanism is engaged (you are squeezing the bars together) lift away theblocker. It should leave behind a full set of clean blocks with a seed divet in the center ofeach.

a. If the blocks are not neat or do not hold together, the soil mixture may be too wetor too dry. Or you may need to crimp the mechanism a few more times.

6. Each tray will fit 3 blockers worth of cells. 36 (48 max) total blocks for the large cells, 60(78 max) total blocks for the small cells. There may be extra space in the tray.

Starting Seedlings With Soil Blocks

1. Once you have completed trays of soil blocks, move them from the soil blocking area toa designated seeding area.

2. For each crop, determine how many trays you need. Using the wooden craft sticks and asharpie, label each tray with the date and name of crop (ex. 3/28 -- Lettuce, Optima).

a. If you are seeding a half tray, use strips or pieces of cardboard to make aphysical barrier between the two crops. Be extra careful to label each side of thetray clearly.

3. Seed the cells. Use the Seedling Reference Key in the UW Farm Seeding Notebook todetermine how many seeds to add to each block. Ensure that the seeds land in thecenter divit of each soil block

32


4. Once an entire tray is seeded, cover the surface with a thin but complete layer ofvermiculite. Make sure that the vermiculite is evenly distributed across all blocks in thetray. Using your hand or an empty tray, press down on the vermiculite gently to ensuregood seed-to-soil contact. Vermiculite will help retain moisture while preventing molding.If there is no vermiculite available, apply a dry layer of blocking soil to the seeded traysinstead.

33


34


Soil Blocking Reference KeyTransplant Crops Only

Size ofblocks

Large (4.5 cm blocks, 12 cells perblocker)

Small (3.5 cm blocks, 20 cells perblocker)

Crops-Unlessotherwisenoted, sow1 seed perblock

Solanaceae family● Tomatoes● Peppers● Eggplant● Tomatillos● Etc.

Cucurbitaceae family (2 seeds perblock)

● Squash● Cucumbers● Melons● Etc.

Asteraceae family (summerstarting, mid-June onwards)

● Lettuces● Radicchio● Etc.

NOTE as a General rule: Anythingstarted in the summer months,June/July August, may need to beseeded in large soil blocks (askfarm manager)

Amaryllidaceae (Allium) family● Onion, storage (1-2 seeds per

block)● Onion, bunching (2-4 seeds per

block)● Onion, cipollini (2-4 seeds per

block)● Shallots (1-2 seeds per block)● Leeks (2 seeds per block)● Chives (3 seeds per block)

Brassicaceae family● Kale● Collard greens● Broccoli● Cauliflower● Cabbage● Kohlrabi● Turnip (1-2 seeds per block)● Bok Choy/pac choi/tatsoi● Brussels sprouts● Etc.

Asteraceae family (late winter/earlyspring starting)

● Lettuces● Radicchio● etc.

Chenopodiaceae family (2 seeds perblock)

● Chard● Spinach

Herbs (Lamiaceae family) (2 seeds perblock)

● Basil● Mint● Thyme● Sage● Rosemary● Oregano● etc.

Umbelliferae family

35


● Fennel● Dill (2 seeds per block)● Parsley (2 seeds per block)● Cilantro (2 seeds per block)

Starting Seeds - Other Methods

Channel Tray Starts Direct Seeding List

Fabaceae family● Sugar Snap Peas

Poaceae Family● Corn● Etc.

BeetsSpinach (sometimes)CarrotsParsnipsTurnipsArugulaMustard/Asian GreensRadishesSalad MixPotatoesGarlicFabaceae Family

● Beans● Peas● Etc.

36


Planting Reference Key

Plant Family Crop Direct Seedor Transplant

Some cropscan be doneboth ways,

depending ontime of year

Tool Type

Seeder =“Earthway” or

“Jang”

# of Rowsper Bed

Dependent onvariety, time of

year andirrigation

Spacing inRow

(inches)6-8 = everydrip hole.Drip holes

are either 6”or 8” apart.

Amaryllidaceae(Allium)

Onion(storage)

Transplant Hori Hori orDibble

2-4 6-8

Onion(bunching)


2-4 6-8

Direct Seed Winged hoeor Seeder

2-4 1-2

Onion(Cipollini)


2-4 6-8


2-4 1-2

Shallots Transplant Hori Hori orDibble

2-4 6-8

Leeks Transplant Hori Hori,Dibble,winged hoe(for “openfurrow”method) orpaperpottransplanter

2-4 6-8

Garlic Direct Seed Hori Hori orDibble

2-4 6-8

Asteraceae HeadLettuce

Transplant Hori Hori,Dibble orPaperpottransplanter

3-4 4-6

HeadLettuce(Salanova/c

Transplant Hori Hori,Dibble orPaperpot

3-4 4-6

37


ut andcomeagain)

transplanter

Radicchio Transplant Hori Hori orDibble

3-4 4-6

Salad Mix Direct Seed Winged Hoeor Seeder

4 .25-.5 orsmallestsetting onseeder

Brassicaceae Kale Transplant Hori Hori orDibble

2 Every otherdrip or 12in

Collardgreens



Broccoli Transplant Hori Hori orDibble


Cauliflower Transplant Hori Hori orDibble


Cabbage Transplant Hori Hori orDibble


Kohlrabi Transplant Hori Hori orDibble

4(Alternating/Offset)

6-8

Turnip(Salad)


4 4, 6 or 8


4 1-2

Turnip/Rutabaga


4 1-2

Bok ChoyPac choiTatsoi

Transplant Hori Hori,Dibble orPaperpottransplanter

3-4 6-8

Brusselssprouts


2 Every otherdrip hole or12in

38


Arugula Direct Seed Winged Hoeor Seeder


Mustard/AsianGreens

Direct Seed Winged Hoeor Seeder


Radishes Direct Seed Winged Hoeor Seeder

4 1-2

Chenopodiaceae Chard Transplant Hori Hori,Dibble orPaperpottransplanter

2-3 6-8 orEvery driphole

Spinach Transplant Hori Hori,Dibble orPaperpottransplanter

4 4 orEvery driphole

Direct Seed Winged Hoeor Seeder

4 .5

Beets Direct Seed Winged Hoeor Seeder

4 .5

Cucurbitaceae SummerSquash,(Melon,Zucchini)

Transplant Shovel 1 3 ft.

WinterSquash,(Butternut,Pumpkins,delicata,etc.)

Transplant Shovel 1 3 ft.

Cucumber Transplant w/trellacing

Shovel 1 2 ft.

Gherkins Transplant w/trellacing

Shovel 1 6

Fabaceae Fava Beans Direct seed Dibbler or 2 6

39


SeederPole Beans Direct Seed 2 4

BushBeans

Direct Seed 2 2-4

Peas Direct seed 2 1-2

Sugar SnapPeas

Channel TrayTransplant

Winged Hoe 2 Lay wholechannels infurrow,peas are 1in apart

Direct Seed Dibble orSeeder

2 1

Poaceae Corn Channel TrayTransplantorDIrect Seed

Winged Hoe 1 6 in tray1 ft. apartin field

Solanaceae Tomatoes Transplant w/trellising

Shovel 1 3 ft.

Peppers Transplant Shovel 1 2 ft.

Eggplants Transplant Shovel 1 2 ft.

Tomatillos Transplant Shovel 2 6 in

Potatoes Direct Seedw/ trenchmethod

Shovel 1 2 ft. deepand 2ftin-rowspacing

Umbelliferae Carrots Direct Seed Winged Hoeor Seeder

4 1

Parsnips Direct Seed Winged Hoeor Seeder

4 1

Dill Transplant Hori Hori,Dibble orPaperpottransplanter

3-4 6-8

Parsley Transplant Hori Hori,Dibble or

3-4 6-8

40


PaperpotTransplanter

Cilantro Transplant Hori Hori,Dibble orPaperpotTransplanter

3-4 6-8

Fennel Transplant Hori Hori orPaperpottransplanter

2-3 Every otherdrip

Transplanting Procedure, by Hand

Transplanting refers to the outdoor planting of crops which have been started inside.Beginning in early spring, transplanting will regularly occur throughout the growing season asfarmers fulfill the crop plan. Before transplanting occurs, the bed which will house saidtransplants must be fully prepared and installed with irrigation (see bed prep and irrigationprocedures).

Transplanting is preferred for some crops for the following reasons:● Northern climates restricting daylight, plants need more sunlight to germinate● Optimal Soil temperatures occur later than needed for market● Greenhouse is available, necessary to achieve harvest window before frost● Allows for crops to out-compete weeds initially● Allows for optimum field drainage and bed preparation to occur in northern climates (can

not prepare field or plant when the field is waterlogged or frozen)● Restricted to those seed that can be transplanted

Materials● Crop starts● Sanitized harvest knife (if transplanting from soil blocks)● Hori hori or shovel (depending on crop, reference planting key)● Wheelbarrow● Fish fertilizer

Steps1. Refer to crop plan and/or farm managers for information on where transplants will be

transplanted (plot name, bed numbers, etc.)2. Prepare fish fertilizer “bath” in wheelbarrow. Fill wheelbarrow with water and add fish

fertilizer at ratio [¼ cup fert / 5 gallon bucket of water]

41


3. (If transplanting from soil blocks) use harvest knife to carefully slice along soil block lineswithin the transplant tray. This will help with clean separation of blocks and minimizedamage sustained by start roots.

4. Soak transplants in fish fertilizer batha. If transplanting crops from 4-in pots or larger, remove starts from pots entirely

before soakingb. If transplanting from soil blocks, leave starts in seedling tray but remove outer

mesh trayc. Soak all starts for at least 1 minute (until starts are saturated). As starts are

soaking, begin preparing bed for transplanting.5. Prepare bed(s) for receiving starts by making rows of holes

a. See Planting Reference Key for information on # of rows, spacing by crop andwhich tool to use

b. Depth of each hole should match the depth of the tool used.i. Ex. hori hori holes should be as deep as hori hori blade. Shovel holes

should be as deep as shovel blade.c. Rows should be as straight as possible and close to drip tape

6. Plant starts into pre-prepared holesa. Depth: starts should be planted deeply such that cotyledons (if applicable) are

below soil level. For larger starts such as tomatoes, up to 6in of the stem shouldbe submerged.

7. Fill holes (now with starts) back in with soil. Ensure the surface of the bed around cropsis level. DO NOT compact soil by patting down soil around starts over aggressively.

8. Cover beds with row cover

Fully transplanted bed of head lettuce at mercer court

42


Transplanting Procedure, with Paperpot Transplanter

The Paperpot transplanter is an innovative piece of technology in the world of smallscale sustainable farming. Farmers credit this tool with saving them hours off transplanting time.The transplater is a long mechanical machine which releases plant starts in a uniform way asyou pull it backwards across a bed. In order to use the PPT for transplanting, you must createstarts with the paperpot method.

Video of PPT being used on UW Farm

The following directions are reproduced for educational purposes from a Johnny’s Selected Seeds companyPaperpot Transplanter manual:

43

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTwX_epm5s8

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-JSSSharedLibrary/default/dw30da6695/assets/information/7625-paperpot-use-instruction-manual.pdf


44


45


Additional Paperpot transplanter video resources:Full seed tray setup and field usage, tips for starting and finishing a bed, tips for greaterefficiency

46

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMSpN0E8_H8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgyPGqNhSDo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bucV2d-qSJU



Table for Seeding Sizes with PPT (Consult farm manager):

UW Farm Staff Transplanting lettuce with the paperpot transplanter

47


Direct Seeding Procedure, by Hand

Direct seeding refers to the planting method of placing seeds directly into the field ratherthan transplanting. Transplanting is starting seeds indoors or a greenhouse before transferringto the field. In northern climates, starting crops indoors for transplanting later gives farmers ahead start on the growing season, during months the soil is too cold for direct seeding. Thedecision to transplant vs direct seed crops is affected by the type & size of the seeds, thenumber of seeds you are planting, the rate of germination, number of successions for that crop,the desired harvest date for market, the soil temperature at planting, the climate, and otherconsiderations.

Direct seeding is the preferred method of planting for crops with delicate root systemssuch as beets, carrots and parsnips. Direct seeding is also a good method for fast growingcrops such as peas, beans, salad mixes, mustard greens, and arugula. It is also commonpractice to direct seed crops such as potatoes, garlic, winter & summer squash and corn. Usethe Planting Reference Key to determine whether crops should be direct seeded or transplantedand their spacing in the field.

Factors Affecting Choice to Direct Seed● Number of seeds, large quantities leads to mechanization● Type or size of seed (i.e. tubers, cloves, beans vs lettuce, herbs)● Rate of germination● Number of successions● Desired harvest date for market● Soil temperature● Climate

Materials List1. Seeds for desired crops2. Winged hoe, garden hoe or warren hoe (for creating furrow) or dibbler/hori hori (refer to

planting reference key for correct tool choice)3. Fertilizers or soil amendments (for bed prep)4. Irrigation equipment5. String and stakes (optional, for ensuring straight rows)

Steps1. Ensure that the bed you are planting into is fully prepared and the irrigation is properly

installed2. Use the planting reference key (linked above) to determine how many rows (furrows, or

lines of dibble holes) need to be created in each bed3. Depth of furrow or hole is different for various crops. A good rule of thumb, is that the

minimum depth of hole is 3x the width of the seed4. Use your hoe to draw the correct number of furrows in the bed or use a dibble/hori hori

to create the right number of holes

48


a. If using a hoe to create furrows: start at one end of the bed and insert the hoeinto the soil then apply downward pressure to the hoe as you walk backwards

b. Be careful to draw straight furrows. Using a string or the line of drip tape as aguide helps.

c. Make furrows close the the drip tape lines but also ensure they are evenlyspaced

i. For a four row bed draw one furrow on the inside of each drip line firstthen on the outside of each drip line

d. If using a dibbler or hori hori to create holes: string the bed with stakes tovisualize straight lines. Use the dibbler or hori hori to create a hole where eachseed should be placed, for example every 6-8 in (every drip hole) for garlic

5. Once all furrows or holes are created, place seeds based on the spacing listed in thePlanting Reference Key

a. To save time, we often determine spacing based on our hands or fingers. Forexample three fingers may be about 2in in width (measure yourself!)

b. For small seed crops with close spacing such as salad mix, mustard greens andarugula you may use the “parmesan” or “salt and pepper,” method of sprinklingseeds a little less accurately. This is often referred to as a “band of seeds.”

c. Seed orientation is important in some cases, i.e. potatoes and garlic6. Close the furrows using a hoe or your hands to push dirt back over the seeds7. Tamp down on the top of the closed furrow to insure that seeds have good soil contact8. Place row cover over bed and pin in place9. Make sure to irrigate and check that irrigation is on - flip valves should be in “on”

position, or parallel to drip tape

49


Direct Seeding Procedure, with Seeder

Using a seeder to direct seed saves time & energy and is easier on a farmer’s body thandirect seeding by hand. Once you get the hang of using a seeder, seeding can be a quick andeasy process.At the UW Farm we have two seeder models, the Earthway seeder and the Jang seeder.

OverviewBoth seeders work in a similar way. A “furrow maker” or “ground opener” on the

bottom of the devices creates a furrow as you roll the seeder down the length of the bed. Justbehind the furrow maker a seed hopper with rotating seed plates drops seeds into the furrowwith uniform spacing. Finally, either a hanging chain (Earthway) or filler blade (Jang) knockssoil back into the furrow and the back wheel gently presses down on the soil as it passes over.

A big difference between these two machines is that they are adjustable in differentways. The Earthway does not allow for adjustability of in-row spacing but it can beadjusted for use with different sized seeds by swapping out the rotating seed plates.Below is a diagram of seed plates from an Earthway manual. At the UW Farm, we don’tcurrently own (as of 2020) all of these seed plates, but we have several.

The Jang does allow for adjustability of in-row spacing by utilizing a system ofswappable gear sizes (see pictures below). It also has various “rollers” (see picturesbelow) which are similar to the seed plates in the Earthway. These rollers have different sizeddivots which allow for use with various sized seeds.

Here are links to the complete manuals for each of these devices (these have usefulinformation but are a little non-user friendly)Jang - Manual, alternate manual (I like this one much better)Earthway - Manual

50

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/tools-supplies/jang-jp1-clean-seeder-operation-manual.html

https://www.terradonis.com/ouverturepdf.php?file=usermanual-jp1-en-1490093768.pdf

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-JSSSharedLibrary/default/dw5d5f8d44/assets/information/earthway-seeder-assembly-operating-instructions.pdf


Earthway Seeder Parts & Basics:Earthway Seeder Parts

Above: Earthway Seed-Plate Guide

Below: Photo of Various Earthway Seed-Plates

51


Earthway Direct Seeding Directions:Video resources: overview video, start at 3:00 min, earthway being used on UW Farm

1. Adjust the plow or “ground opener” to the correct deptha. Generally, the bigger the seed, the deeper it needs to be planted.b. ¼ in - Carrotsc. ½ in - Most small seeds including salad mix, arugula, mustard greens, radishes,

turnipsd. ¾ in - beetse. ¾ - 1 in - beans, corn

2. Determine the correct seed plate touse based on the type of crop seedyou wish to use. Consult seed plateguide and farm manager forassistance making this determination.

3. Fit seeder with desired seed plate:a. Seed plates are fitter over the

nut on the inside of thehooper, see photo →

b. Tighten the seed plate by holding the seed plate in place while spinning the frontwheel forward

52

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhSDtl0ZbhY&t=618s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Y8F0kKOc4&t=9s


4. Pour seeds into the seed hopper.a. Note: be sure to test that the seeder is working properly by lifting it off the ground

and spinning the front wheel while watching for seeds to fall out of the hopper.5. Ensure that the bed you are planting into is fully prepared and the irrigation is properly

installed.a. Note: Particularly, when using a seeder, it is important to ensure that there is

no large debris in the bed and that the soil is smooth so that the seeder willbe able to make un-obstructed passes down the bed.

6. Determine the number of rows you will be planting using the Planting Reference Key7. Use the seeder to seed the correct number of rows (evenly spaced) in the bed:

a. Start at one end of the bed with the farthest outside row you will be seedingb. Position the seeder such that the

ground opener is at the end ofthe bed and the back wheel is offthe bed. This will ensure thatseeds are sowed the wholelength of the bed.

Photo of farmerdemonstrating the correctseeder and body positionbefore beginning to seed→

c. Apply moderate pressure to theseeder handle and begin pushingthe seeder down the bed at asteady pace

i. DO NOT Walk in the bedbehind the seeder, onlywalk in the rows

ii. Be careful to push theseeder in a straight line

iii. Use the drip irrigatinglines as a guide forcreating straight rows.Adam can be seenplacing the seeder parallel up against the drip line in this photo. Alwaysseed close to the drip irrigation (if applicable) to ensure that seeds willreceive adequate water.

d. Once you complete one row by reaching the end of the bed, lift the seeder usingthe handle and position it for the next row. Walk back the opposite direction tomaximize time efficiency.

e. Repeat step (d.) until you have seeded the correct number of rows8. Place row cover over bed and pin in place

53


9. ‘Make sure to irrigate and check that irrigation is on, flip valves are turned in “on”position, or parallel to drip tape

Jang Seeder Parts & Basics:Materials reproduced for educational purposes from Terradonis JP1 User Manual

Jang Seeder Parts

54



Adjusting Settings on the Jang

55


56


Adjusting for Sowing

57


58


59


How to Swap-out Gears and Rollers on the JangVideo Resource

Left: Photo of the interiorof the gearbox of theJang Seeder

Adjusting the gear sizes on the Jang is simple. Open the gearbox by losing andremoving the white screws holding on the lid, then lift off the lid. Inside you will find a two gearsystem with a chain, as pictured above. You can change out both gears by simply unscrewingtheir holding bolts and replacing them with the correct gears for your needs.

Left: Photo various jang rollers withappropriate seeds

Bellow: Seed hopper with installedroller (black circle)

Various seed rollers (pictured above) can be swapped in and out for use with seeds ofvarious sizes. To change the seeds roller open the hopper by unscrewing the white pin at theback of the seeder. Once screwed off you will be able to open the roller chamber. Inside theroller chamber you will find the roller and the “metering brush”. The metering brush can be

60

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K59h04IS3Fo


adjusted up and down with a screw and slider system. The roller can be swapped out byremoving the release pin and sliding the drive sprocket out which will release the seed roller.Replace with the appropriate roller for your project then replace the drive sprocket, pin andclose the seed hopper.

Inside of the Seed Roller Chamber (finger pointing to metering brush above seed roller)

Jang Direct Seeding Directions

1. Adjust the plow or “ground opener” to the correct deptha. Generally, the bigger the seed, the deeper it needs to be planted.b. ¼ in - Carrotsc. ½ in - Most small seeds including salad mix, arugula, mustard greens, radishes,

turnipsd. ¾ in - beetse. ¾ - 1 in - beans, corn

2. Determine the correct seed roller and gears to use based on the type of crop seed youwish to use. Consult guide on Jang gearbox and farm manager for assistance makingthis determination.

3. Fit seeder with desired seed roller and gears based on procedure above4. Pour seeds into the seed hopper.

a. Note: be sure to test that the seeder is working properly by lifting it off the groundand spinning the front wheel while watching for seeds to fall out of the hopper.

5. Ensure that the bed you are planting into is fully prepared and the irrigation is properlyinstalled.

61


a. Note: Particularly, when using a seeder, it is important to ensure that there isno large debris in the bed and that the soil is smooth so that the seeder willbe able to make un-obstructed passes down the bed.

6. Determine the number of rows you will be planting using the Planting Reference Key7. Use the seeder to seed the correct number of rows (evenly spaced) in the bed:

a. Start at one end of the bed with the farthest outside row you will be seedingb. Position the seeder such that the ground opener is at the end of the bed and the

back wheel is off the bed. This will ensure that seeds are sowed the whole lengthof the bed (see photo in Earthway section)

c. Apply moderate pressure to the seeder handle and begin pushing the seederdown the bed at a steady pace

i. DO NOT Walk in the bed behind the seeder, only walk in the rowsii. Be careful to push the seeder in a straight lineiii. Use the drip irrigating lines as a guide for creating straight rows. Always

seed close to the drip irrigation (if applicable) to ensure that seeds willreceive adequate water.

d. Once you complete one row by reaching the end of the bed, lift the seeder usingthe handle and position it for the next row. Walk back the opposite direction tomaximize time efficiency.

e. Repeat step (d.) until you have seeded the correct number of rows8. Place row cover over bed and pin in place9. ‘Make sure to irrigate and check that irrigation is on, flip valves are turned in “on”

position, or parallel to drip tape

Row Cover

Covering freshly planted crops with row cover is almost always the last step in the directseeding or transplanting process. Also known as garden fabric, row cover is made of lightweightspun plastic fiber material. It is transparent and porus enough to let 90% of the sunlight andprecipitation infiltrate through to soil and crops. Row cover is essential for immature cropsbecause it helps to reduce predation, particularly by rabbits that are eager to feast on tenderseedlings and birds who would happily feast on directly sown seeds. Covering can also help toreduce insect predation to a certain extent. Row cover also helps crops germinate and/orsurvive immaturity by creating a slightly warmer (+4-6 degree F, and thus friendlier)environment in the early spring.

Covering a bed with row cover may seem like a simple task but it can be deceptivelytrickly, especially for untrained volunteers. A few key things to remember when applying rowcover:

1. This is a task much easier accomplished with more than one person, especially on awindy day

2. Crops need room to grow, DO NOT pull and pin row cover taut width-wise, otherwisecrop growth will be inhibited.

3. DO pull row cover taut length wise, to help prevent infiltration by herbivorous pests

62


4. Wind is powerful, row cover needs to be pinned down at multiple intervals otherwise itwill get blown away

Properly row covered beds of fava beans (in the fabaceae plot) at the CUH Farm. Note how

Needed Materials:1. Row cover

a. We save our row cover and re-use for as many years as possible. Row covershould be stored from the year before in large plastic bags in the tool sheds.These bags should be labeled by plot number, find the right bag for the bed youare covering

b. If you need to cut new row cover, you will cut from a spool or roll2. Scissors (only if cutting new length of row cover)3. Row cover pins (green plastic preferred but may have to use metal

Process:1. (Start here if cutting new lengths) It is easiest to pull new lengths of row cover with three

people:a. Two individuals hold the spool of row cover off the ground at the head of the bed

by inserting the handle of tools into the center of the spool (such that it can spinand unravel freely).

63


i. Farm Hack (if doing with one person): insert the handle-end of two hoeson each end of the role. Push two digging forks into the ground spacedjust wider than the width of the roll of row cover. Slide the handle ends ofeach of the hoes into the “D” -shaped handles of two digging forks, Thiswill elevate the role of row cover. Only one person will be needed to pullthe row cover the length of the bed.

b. The third person will grasp the loose end of the row cover and pull (unravel) asthey walk the length of the bed (thus measuring an appropriate amount of rowcover for this specific bed)

c. Pull about 2-3 feet past the length of the bed to leave a little extra room for tyingd. One of the people at the head of the bed uses scissors to cut the length freee. Repeat steps a. - d. for each bed you are covering

Row Cover stored in the CUH tool shed from the previous season, bags labeled with plot numbers makethem easier to identify and re-use

64


2. (Start here if using already cut lengths) For each bed, tie the row cover to the headerirrigation pipe (if possible)

a. Pull a corner of the row cover underneath the header pipe, pull back over the topand tie

b. Repeat with opposite corner3. Pull the row cover taut LENGTH WISE (to the bottom of bed) and pin down at both

corners. Pin into the side of the bed on both sides, leaving the row cover loosewidth wise so that crops have room to grow and so that the paths are clear forwalking.

a. Row cover rips easily. Make sure fold over the edge and pin through twothicknesses of fabric

4. Go back down the bed and pin the row cover into place at several intervals and on bothsides

a. Number of intervals will depend on how long the bed is, use your best judgmentand make sure it is secure

5. At the end of the bed, pull the extra row cover (that is past the end of the bed) into abunch and use one pine to secure it.

A Sad example of what happens if you do not use row cover,rabbits got to these carrots and ate the tops clean

65


Fertilizer & Soil AmendmentsGuides created by UW Farm Intern Leila Kopcic

To grow optimally healthy and nutritious crops, it is important to pay close attention to thespecific level of various nutrients present in your agricultural soils. In order for plants to grow,they need access to available forms of many elements. Plant “macronutrients” (nutrientswhich plants need a lot of to grow) include Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).Additionally there are many “micronutrients” (nutrients which plants need a little of to grow)that are required for optimal plant health, including Zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) & Iron (Fe),among others.

Crop plants extract these macro and micro nutrients form the soil as they grow. Eachspecies and variety of crops extracts a specific regime of nutrients based on their genetics andphysiology. For example, corn plants extract large amounts of Nitrogen from the soil in order togrow and produce ears. After each growing season, farmers must add nutrients back tothe soil in order to promote continued soil health and crop productivity.

There are several ways to organically (the UW Farm is an organic farm) reintroducenutrients to agorcultural soils, including:

1. Sowing cover crops over the wintera. Cover crops are often leguminous species which have symbiotic relationships

with soil microorganisms that fix atmospheric nitrogen and add this nitrogen tothe soil

b. Cover crops roots promote continued microbial activity and biological tillage overthe winter

2. Adding compost to beds at the beginning of the growing seasona. compost is full of organic matter (nutrients!!) - as organic matter decomposes and

interacts with soil microorganisms, plant available nutrients are released3. Amending with specific organic fertilizers

a. Organic fertilizers include: blood meal, feather meal, bone meal, kelp meal, batguano, fish fertilizer and more!!

b. These fertilizers can be excellent tools for providing a boost of a specific macroor micronutrient

At the UW Farm we perform soil tests on each plot at the beginning of every season.These soil tests help us to understand the specific nutrient levels in each farm plot. We use thisinformation to modify our typical application rates, thus more accurately improving the nutrientlevels in our soils.

Following pages:● An example soil test from Mercer plot 1.7● A soil test guide from A & L Western Agricultural Laboratories● Plot by plot typical amendments guides created by former UW Farm Intern Leila

Kopcic in 2019

66


Example soil test resultMercer Court plot 1.7:

Produced by A&L Western Agricultural Laboratories

67



68


Produced by A&L Western Agricultural Laboratories69



70


CUH Application Guides - Link to Excel Version

71

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Z4fQZk0UhzC5HeLU2Uen8t_XPEQ0gP1xAnfamKVMyRU/edit#gid=0


72


73


Mercer Court Application Guides - Link to Excel Version

74

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PQYWsMB5MyHNAzxtotTuzGzel9G73ngIDScYbX8cwCs/edit#gid=584755493


75


76


77


78


79


80


81


82


Cultivation & Crop Maintenance

Tools ID & Usage

NOTE: All power equipment, the BCS, Tilther, Flame Weeders, Weed Whacker, Jang,Earthway, and screw guns are only to be used after getting approval from the FarmManager. The farm Manager also must be on-site for an orientation and to supervise.

Name of Tool Picture Uses How To

Bed Preparationtools

Shovel (roundpoint)

Left in photo

Digging holes (ex.for plantingpotatoes)

Loosing/breaking upsoil

Moving material

ALWAYS wearclosed toe,sturdy footwear

Place shovelhead (nothandel)perpendicular tothe ground, firmlypush shovelhead into groundwith foot thenpull handle backkeeping yourback straight.Extra resource

Spade (flat edge)Right in photo

Cutting, edging,digging trenches orpathways

(especially forscraping off hardground)


If using fordigging, insertvertically

Used often formaking pathwaysat Mercer Court

83

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/gardening/21017612/digging-do-s-and-dont-s


Digging fork Loosening soil forweeding &harvesting (ex.carrots)

Turning soil for bedprep


Insert teethvertically, applypressure withfoot and pry backhandle keepingback straight

Flathead Rake Leveling &smoothing beds orother materials (ex.woodchips)

Breaking upspaded/broadforkedsoil

Collecting debrisfrom bed

Drag rake (teethside down) backand forth acrossthe area you areworking

Bend at theknees and keepa straight back toavoid injury

Bed PreparationRake

Rake in photo was“farmhacked” byfarm staff - theyadded wooden

stakes to draw twoeven lines down a

bed

Spreading soil,compost or othermaterials

Leveling beds

Same asflathead rake

Can also beused as a rowmarker. Seehttps://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/

84

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/bed-preparation-tools/row-markers-bed-prep-rake-accessory-9867.html?cgid=bed-preparation-tools#start=1




Lawn/Leaf Rake Gathering leaves orother soft debris

Bend at kneesand keep astraight backwhile raking

Cultivator (right) &Razor hoe (left)

Cultivator: Tilling,aeration & mixingsoil/compost in beds

Razor Hoe: weeding

Cultivator: Usecultivator tobreak up soil orpull out weedsduring bed prep

Razor hoe:weeding in achopping motion,used for matureweeds

Broadfork Breaking up soil foraeration & drainage

Important part ofmanual bedpreparationprocedure

Video resource: startat 55 seconds in for

Start at head ofbed & workbackwards

Insert tines/teethvertically intosoil, applypressure tocrossbar withfeet sinking teethdeep into thesoil, pull handlesback to groundlevel lifting soil inthe process.Bring handlesback to vertical,pull broadfork outof the bed andmove 1-2 feetbackwards.Continue theprocess to the

85

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV_yMThxYaM


good visual end of the bed.

Wheelbarrow Moving soil,compost, cropdebris, woodchips,plant starts, etc.around the farm

Be careful not tooverfillwheelbarrowespecially if youare movingheavy materials

Lift by bendingknees and keepa straight back toavoid injury

Wheeled/Oscillating Hoe

Heavy duty tool forcutting through soiland slicing largeweeds below thesurface

Great for weedingheavier plantmaterial, grasses,pathways, perimeterareas whereprecision is notnecessary

Work your wayforwards orbackwards,rolling the hoe infront of you,grasp thewooden handlesand push thesteel oscillatinghoe bit back andforth such thatthe cross bladeslices under thesurface of thesoil.Watch this veryshort video forreference:Video

Hoes

86

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp4hvcT9d_c


Circle Fine weeding &cultivating nearcrops

Use circle baldeto slide weedroots by workingthe blade backand forth justbelow the soillevel

Garden Tilling, slicing &breaking up soil

Shaping & formingbeds

Use momentumof heavy blade toslice into soil orsod and pullback towardsyou to break up

Use flat balde tocreate bed edges

Warren Digging narrowfurrows & shallowtrenches

Use point ofblade & createfurrows ortrenches byinserting into soil,applyingpressure &walkingbackwards in astraight line

Winged Digging narrow &precision furrows

Precision weeding

For furrows:same as Warrenhoe

Weeding: useany point todisturb veryyoung/smallweeds bypushing pointthrough soil back

87


and forth

Wire Weeder

Bottom photoshows a wire hoewith replaceable

heads. The variousheads allow forexactly the rightimplement to be

used whenweeding in tight

areas

Precision weeding

Weeding betweenrows of crops

Killing young, smallannual weeds

Run the crosswire slightlyunder the soilsurface byapplyingpressure anddragging.Multiple size wirebits allow you tochoose exactright size forspacing of cropsyou are weddinginbetween

Learn more here:video

Wire(Hooke-n-Crooke)

Precision weeding

Precision chopping

Use varioussides of blade todisturb weeds byslicing undersurface of soil

Learn more here:video

88

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtFL2rHxjOc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_knX0wcerI


Crescent Precision weeding

Cutting sod, “heavy”weeding

Closing furrows(using tool to pushdirt back overfurrows after directseeding by hand)

Use the sharp,angled side ofthe blade to sliceweed rootsbelow the soilsurface.

Use points ofcrescent for veryfine weedingbetween smallcrops

Scuffle/Stirrup* Wedding, good formedium to largesized weeds that aremore establishedand tougher toremove

*my personal favoriteweeding tool

Use stealcrossblade (oftenoscillating) to cutweed rootsbelow soil level

Collinear/Onion Precision weeding Use sharp bladeto slice weedroots under soilsurface

Hand Tools To protect against injury, it is best onyour body to kneel, sit or bend at theknees while using hand tools

Hori hori* Transplanting

Hand knife & saw

Measuring

Digging & hand

Transplanting:Insert bladevertically into soilup to the handlewith indentedside facing you,pull handle back

89


weeding

*Arguably, the desertisland answer for tools

towards you tocreate a hole inwhich to putplant start

This fun videoexplores themany uses of aHori hori!

Trowel For Transplanting

Digging small holes

Very similar tohori hori but withless functions

Japanese handhoes

Precision weeding Use thin, sharpblade forweeding aroundcrops and in tightareas

For reference:short video

90

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5NOcuFT7j8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgwzdWQNkKo


Hand forkcultivator

Small scale aeration& tillage

Small scale weeding

Use tines to dragthrough soil &aerate or loosensoil for pullingweeds

Dibble Transplanting

Often used fortransplanting bulbs,cloves, onion sets

Grasp woodencrossbar handleand presswooden pointdown into soilvertically, pulldibbler outleaving hole forplant start

Double headedmattock w/cultivator

Digging, breaking upsoil, heavy weedwork

Use weight ofsteel head toswing tool withmomentum

Use flathead sideto dig and breakup soil

Use tines toaerate and tillsoil

91


Asparagus knife

*

Harvestingasparagus

Spot weeding (someuse asparagus knifefor removingdandelions)

* this knife looks like itneeds sharpening

Use prongedblade to sliceasparagus spearat soil level - holdspear with onehand and slicewith other

Use blade toslice tap roots(ex. dandelions)just below soilsurface level

Hand PruningShears, short

handle

Bypass Pruner(pictured) shears

Anvil Pruner (notpictured)

Bypass and Anvil havedifferently shapedblades for different

cutting needs

Pruning - fruit trees,bushes,tomatoes,etc.

Harvesting - garlicscapes, broccoli, etc.

Blackberry removal(longer handles aremore ideal forblackberries)

Hold in dominanthand and releasesafetymechanism toopen blade

Shears often rustand may needlubrication

Pruning shears,long handle

“Loppers”Left in photo

Pruning - fruit trees,tall berry bushes, etc

Blackberry removal

Use long handleto reach higherup or obscuredbranches whenpruning

Hedge shearsRight in photo

Trimming - berrybushes, hedges,lavender androsemary, etc.

Use long flatblade to createstraight edgeswhen trimming

Large mechanical& power tools

92


Earthway seeder Direct seeding Watch thisoverview videofor all the details:Video (start at 3minutes)

See DirectSeeding w/Seeder section

Jang seeder Direct seeding What thisoverview videofor all the details:Video

See DirectSeeding w/Seeder section

“Backpack Flamer”

(Small Flameweeder,

Spot weeder withaccessory shield)

Flame weeders areused to efficientlyeliminate emergentor pre-emergentweeds in order tocreate stale plantingbeds and/or spotweed withoutherbicides. Shouldbe used only on

This flameweeder isdesigned byNeversink farm,this video withexplains all thebasics - startvideo at 8:30 toskip assemblyNOTE: FIRE

93

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhSDtl0ZbhY


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO1d8jZb6Qw&feature=emb_title




small weeds (1-2in).

Flame weeders areused as part of a“sterile bed method”often used forplanting carrots andother root crops,

Also can be used forkilling soil bornediseases

HAZARD

“Pyroweeder”

(Large FlameWeeder,

Five-torch Flamewith accessory

shield)

Photo from Farmer’sFriends

The farmmanager mustbe on-site forusage and usermust seek farmmanager’sapproval beforeusing.

Video ofPyroweederbeing used onUW Farm

NOTE: MUSTBE USED WITHA CHARGEDHOSE TOPREVENT FIRE

Paperpottransplanter

Transplanting

Used for variouscrops but primarilyused for precisiongreens or saladmixes

The Farmmanager mustbe on-site anduser must seekfarm manager’sapproval beforeusage

See Paperpottransplantersection

94

https://www.farmersfriend.com/products/weed-management/pyroweeder

https://www.farmersfriend.com/products/weed-management/pyroweeder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa4B1uHntW0&t=1s





Tilther/Small rotaryhoe

Bedpreparation/tilling

For light tilling, bedprep, seed bed prep,incorporatingfertilizer, or sowingseeds

The FarmManager mustbe on-site forusage andapproval.

Powered byscrew gun fittedabove bladehood

Blades spinwhen rope ispulled taught toengage screwgun trigger

Consult farmmanager forfurther instruction

Video of Tiltheruse on UW Farm

BCS Tractor Bedpreparation/tilling

BCS is a “walkbehind” tractormeaning theoperator walksbehind as it isrunning

The BCS is fittedwith various“attachments” whichperform differentfunctions frommowing to tillageand more

Only the farmmanager isauthorized touse the BCS.

The farmmanager mustbe consulted andon-site for useand instruction.

WEAR EYE &EARPROTECTIONWHILEOPERATING

Video of BCSuse in UW FARM

Operating basicsvideo made byBCS America

95

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G48GYb2-QnE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTTvt1XeuDs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1fshawn178



Trellising tools

T-posts

Left: top of t-post, Right: bottomwith T or anchor plate

Used to supporttrellising structures

ALWAYS poundposts into theground with the“T” or “anchorplate” side down(into the soil) -the end withwhite paint is thetop (aboveground)

T-posts shouldbe driven deepenough that theanchor plate isentirely belowsoil level

If installingmultiple T-postsfor a trellisingsystem or fence,ALWAYS orientthem uniformlyso that theanchor platesand studs are allfacing the sameway.

When poundingT-posts into theground, becareful tomaintain astraight up anddown orientation

96


Post pounder Used to pound postsinto the ground

Video resource fromTractor SupplyCompany

USE EARPROTECTIONWHILE OPERATING

The postpounder is aheavy hollowmetal tool usedto pound postsinto the soil.Operate byplacing thehollow side of thepounder over thetop of the postand then liftingthe pounder upwith the handlesand heaving itdown to applyforce to the topof the post.

Wire Used to supporttrellising twine

Can be reused manytimes. Whendeconstructingtrellising system,wrap wire into spoolsfor easy access nextseason

Pull taught wheninstalling toensure that wireholds weight

Wire cutter

Note: multiplehand tools have

wire cutter feature

Used to cut heavywire

Pinch wire atdesired spotusing wire cutterand applypressure

97

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPaEsSJjR64


Wire clips

Note: also picturesare two alternativemethods to using a

wire clip. Thecenter photoshows wire

attached to theT-post using an

extra piece of wire.The extra piece is

bent in ahorse-shoe shapeagainst the back of

the T-post andeach free end isthen wrapped

around the wirebeing installed.The

bottom photoshows the simplest

method - theinstalled wire issimply wrapped

around the T-post

Used to attach wireto T-posts

Use the triangleshaped back ofthe clip to secureonto T-post byprying open thetrinagel andshoving it aroundthe T-Post -orient such thatthe teeth or wireholders are onthe stud side ofthe post.Then attach thewire by weavingit through theteeth on the frontof the clip - thewire will sit ontop of one toothand below theother.

Twine Used to supporttomato branches,cucumber vines andother crops byattaching twine tocrops and trellisstructure

This twine iscompostable

Use a slip-notwhen attachingto cropbranches/vinesfor easy removaland adjustment

98


Tool Cleaning, maintenance & storage

Cleaning

It is essential to clean tools properly after each use. Cleaning ensures that tools will lastlonger and can even help to prevent the spread of soil borne diseases such as club root, afungal disease that has plagued the UW farm for years.

Materials: water source, bucket, brushes, spray bottlewith bleach solution

Steps:1. Identify water source; at the CUH farm we

generally use the rain barrel with spigot as ourtool cleaning water source, at the Mercer Courtfarm we use the hose outside the clubhouse.

2. Fill bucket ¼ - ½ full with water & use brushesand water to remove all dirt from tools,particularly metal blades

3. Once the tool is visibly clean, spray with a bleachsolution (1 Tablespoon of bleach per gallon ofwater) - focus bleach spray on parts of the tool

that come in contactwith the soil (ex. Bladeof a shovel). Store toolproperly in tool shed

99

https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/brassicas-club-root


Maintenance

Tool sharpening is an important maintenance practice that farmers often take on duringthe winter months when there is less field work to be done. At the UW Farm we have a benchgrinder and files to use for sharpening tools. Consult with the farm manager for tool sharpeninginstructions.

Storage

Proper tool storage and organization is essential to running an efficient farm. The laststep of every farm job is ensuring that all materials you used are properly washed and stored.

CUH farm storage locations:● Main Tool Shed:

○ tool room +○ pantry

● wheelbarrows● BCS shed● cage● washpack lock cabinet

Most tools and supplies are stored in the long natural built structure, called the “SuperShed” built by the 2012 Design-Build Studio class. The door on the farm side (south side) ofthe structure enters into the tool rooms where you can find: bed preparation tools, hand tools,stakes, sharpies, rain gear, gloves, irrigation supplies, fertilizer, small flame weeder, seeders &pretty much all other basic farm tools that involve field work..

The door on the north side of the structure enters into an area called “the pantry” in which wehave stored certain pizza bake supplies, fire wood, harvest boxes and a few other odds andends. Most everything in thePantry will have direct contactwith food or harvest work.

Wheelbarrows at the CUHfarm are chained to largecement blocks at the east sideof the tool shed. Wheelbarrowsshould never be left unlockedwhen the farm us unattended.

100


At the CUH farm there is an auxiliary tool shed at the far north west corner of the farm, tuckedacross the gravel strip from the main tool shed. This shed is called “the BSC” shed because ithouses our BSC tractor as well as other power tools, electric fencing, gasoline supplies, sawsand other more heavy duty machinery.

On the far south side of the farm, behind the hoop house, there is a fenced pen referred to as“the cage”. The cage stores t-posts used for trellising structures, unclean harvest totes andother miscellaneous supplies that do not need to be sheltered from the elements.

Finally, at the CUH farm washpack & harvest supplies such as bags, twist ties and cleaningsupplies are stored in a lockbox or cabinet under the washpack roof.

Mercer Farm storage locations:● clubhouse● wheelbarrows● lockbox

At Mercer Court, our meeting area (known as the clubhouse) is also our tool shed. Theclubhouse houses everything from a refrigerator and couches to all our basic farm tools.Wheelbarrows at the Mercer farm are chained below the stairway in front of the clubhouse.Finally, harvest supplies such as bags & twist ties are stored in the blue lockbox under thestairs in front of the clubhouse.

Proper Storage & OrganizationNo matter the farm location, tools should be properly stored when put away. In both the CUHtool shed and the Mercer clubhouse, there are wall mounts upon which tools are hung for easyaccess and organization. Always hang tools with their kind: shovels with shovels, rakes withrakes, etc. Smaller tools and materials such as hand tools & stakes either have wall hangers orare organized into buckets/bins and stored on the floor.All of our tool sheds are at or near max capacity, which makes it even more important to beorganized. While many items are stored on the floor, be sure to always leave clear floor spacefor easy access and movement.

Photos of a full but organized toolshed:

101


102


Bed Preparation Procedure

At the UW farm we maintain permanent 30 inch-wide raised beds separated by 18 inchpathways. The result is that beds are 4 feet on-center. The length of our beds vary greatlybased on site (Mercer or CUH) and plot number. Bed preparation procedures will vary based onwhat state a bed is in prior to preparation. Evaluate the state of the bed in question and workfrom there using the bed prep decision tree.

Materials List: Scuffle hoe, broadfork, shovels, wheelbarrows, compost, rakes, tilther (optional -consult farm manager), BCS tiller, rotary plow (optional - consult farm manager)

103


UW Farm Irrigation System

The UW Farm uses a drip tape irrigation system. This system allows for precision,conservation and flexibility and is used by many small farmers. However, drip irrigation can alsobe finicky, prone to leaks and requires setting up at the beginning and removing/storing at theend of each season.

Irrigation system components:

● Header pipes -- permanent pipes running across head of each plot perpendicular to thearrangement of the beds

● Drip tape -- flat irrigation tape with evenly spaced slits for emitting water● Flip valve piece (w/ green flipper) -- used to connect drip tape into header pipe, has a

rotating ring or collar● End piece -- used to seal or close the end of each drip tape line● Coupler -- used to connect two pieces of drip tape, usually for the purpose of repairing a

leak● Metal “U-shaped” pins -- for pinning irrigation tape in place

Setting up at the beginning of the season:1. Drip tape will be stored from the previous season and will be organized and labeled by

plot name. Find the bundle which matches the plot you are setting up.a. Note: If you are setting up a previously uncultivated plot or replacing damaged

lines, you will have to measure and cut new drip tape lines. See procedure below.2. If working in a plot with varying lengths of beds, identify the drip lines from the bundle

that match in length to each bed. For most crops, two drip lines will be installed in eachbed.

3. Attach drip lines to the header…a. Screw the locking ring or collar towards the green flipper (off)b. Push the opening of the drip tape line over the exposed spigot. Ensure that the

drip tape is pushed as far onto the spigot as possible. The drip tape should belaid so that the slits or holes for emitting water are facing upwards and nottouching the soil.

c. Screw the locking ring onto the drip tape end (on). The locking ring should bescrewed over the drip tape end. Give the drip line a yank to ensure it is secure.

d. Perform step 3 for each bed in the plot4. Clear the lines…

a. Remove the end pieces from each lineb. flip all the green flippers such that they are parallel to the lines (water on), and

allow water to run through the lines in order to clear out any debrisc. Shut off water and replace the end pieces on each line

5. Pin the drip tape lines at the end of each bed using a metal pin.

104


6. To ensure the lines stay straight and anchored, add one or two more pins (depending onlength of bed) in the middle of each line.

Removing/Storing at the end of the season:1. Remove and collect all metal pins holding the drip lines in place2. Unscrew each drip line and collect all the lines from one plot in a neat bundle3. Duct Tape or tie the bundle at several intervals to ensure it stays together and organized

until next season. Label the bundles, use a sharpie to write on each duct tape wrapthe plot name or number.

4. Store all the drip line bundles together for easy access next season.

Cutting new drip line (task most efficiently achieved with two or three people):New drip line will be required if setting up irrigation for a previously uncultivated plot or ifa previously used line has sustained enough damage that it is unrepairable.

Materials: drip tape roll, long handled tool, scissors, end piece.

1. Put the handle of the long handled tool through the center of the roll of drip-tape. One ortwo people will hold the roll off the ground using the tool or “farm hack” this if workingalone by using two long handles of tools - slide handles in each end and then elevate rollby sliding handles through digging forks (see picture). This allows for the tape to beeasily dispensed. Align the roll with the head of the bed.

2. The remaining person will hold the end of the drip tape from the roll and walk with it tothe end of the bed, pulling out a line which fits the length of the bed. Pull the line about afoot past the end of the bed.

3. Cut the line from the roll. Never cut near a drip hole, this will cause leaks. Cut at aright angle straight across the drip tape.

4. Attach an end piece to the end of the line so that it is sealed.5. You are now ready to implement this newly cut line (see above instructions)

Repairing leaks in drip tape:Drip tape is made of relatively thin and light material that is prone to damages. Especiallyon the UW Farm, as volunteers and students weed beds throughout the season, there isa danger that drip lines will be sliced by tools. If such a slice or leak occurs it must berepaired.

1. You will need scissors and a drip tape coupler piece.2. Identify where the leak is in the drip line. Cut the drip line on either side of the leak, thus

cutting out the damaged portion.3. Use your coupler to re-connect the segments of the drip line you cut. Discard the

segment with the leak

105


106


107


Weeding Methods

Other than getting crops in the ground and harvesting for market, weed managementmight be the most important farm task, especially at the height of summer production when longdays of sunshine cause a growing frenzy. Not only will the summer squash and tomatoes begrowing larger and ripening faster than you can imagine, opportunistic weeds will also be tryingto take advantage of a well irrigated farm to sprout and establish. If you are not on top of yourweeding, these hearty plants may easily overcrowd your crops and out-compete them forresources, leaving you with a field that is more full of purslane and amaranth than the onionsyou planted.

In an ideal weed management situation, pre-emergent weed management and weedreduction techniques are used to prevent weeds from ever becoming established or widespread. However, if you are operating outside this ideal, the state of your fields or the stage atwhich you are weeding call for different weeding methods. When you are clearing a bed forplanting, weeding highly overgrown pathways or dealing with any situation in which the weedsare large and well established, you will need to weed with large hand tools, which will give youthe ability to leverage significant force. Once a bed is fully prepared you may utilize flameweeding to destroy emergent and pre-emergent weeds, giving your crop a head start byplanting them into a sterile bed. Finally, precision weeding is useful for removing small andmedium weeds from a bed in which crops are established but weeds are encroaching.

Weed Methods Review:● Non-mechanical weed reduction techniques - solarization, weed barrier fabric, silage

tarp, mulching● Mechanical weed reduction techniques - precision weeding, flame weeding, hand

tools, Tilther, BCS attachments - rotary plow, harrow and rototiller

Pre-emergent Weed Management & Flame Weeding“Weed management has failed if you have to pull big weeds” - Eli Wheat. Dr. Wheat

alludes to the growing field of pre-emergent weed management which recognizes and promotestechniques which prevent weeds from becoming established in the first place. These techniquesinclude no-till practices such as compost smothering, mulching, crowding, and flame weeding.No-till methods help farmers to reduce soil disruption which can prevent weed seeds frommigrating to the surface where they can germinate.

At the UW Farm we practice low-till methods. We work to reduce tillage by utilizinglightweight tillers such as the Tilther and hand tools such as the broadfork. We also cover ourbeds with compost at the beginning of each growing season and limit tillage in general. Oftenwe plant crops tightly, so when they reach maturity the crop “crowds” out the weeds (blockssunlight). This is common with lettuces, swiss chard, and many greens, but requires good soilfertility. Each bed on the UW Farm gets mechanically tilled about twice a year, once in the spring

108


to incorporate soil amendments during bed preparation, and once in the fall to incorporatecover crop before winter.

Using the Tilther to prepare a bed for cover cropat the end of the season at Mercer Court

Non-Mechanical Weed Reduction Techniques

Silage Tarp/Black Plastic MulchSmothering weeds under silage tarp, a heavy plastic material, can be an extremely

efficient way to kill weeds in large areas with little effort. As long as you have the time to leavean area fallow for a few weeks, silage tarping is a great technique. Here’s how it works: “Theblack tarp cre ates a warm, moist envi ron ment which quick ly kills estab lished weeds andencour ages rapid weed seed germination. The new ly emerged weeds then face a dark,suf fo cat ing envi ron ment in which they quick ly die. Worms and oth er ben e fi cial organ isms soonappear to decom pose any organ ic mat ter and loosen the soil. In three to four weeks (up to six

109


weeks in win ter) you will have an almost com plete ly com post ed and beautiful stale seedbed!”(Farmer’s Friend).

Silage Tarp applied to a plot at the CUH Farm, note all the rocks and weights used to make sure the tarpdoesn't blow away!

Beyond weed reduction and management, silage tarp can also be utilized for bedpreparation. On higher parts of the farm (lower parts will flood and get too soggy) we may addcompost to beds in the late fall and cover for 4-8 weeks through the winter.

Weed Barrier FabricWeed barrier fabric is a woven plastic fabric that can be laid in pathways, over beds and

at the perimeter of beds to prevent weed growth. Weed barrier fabric is purchased in largespools or rolls which can be conveniently un-spooled and cut for use around the farm. Unlikesilage tarp, weed barrier fabric is laid during the growing season around crops. It candramatically reduce time spent weeding because where it is laid weeds can not grow due to lackof sunlight infiltration.

At the UW Farm we often lay weed barrier fabric in the pathways of crops that are in thefield for long periods of time and require careful maintenance such as tomatoes and summersquash. Another popular way to use weed barrier fabric is in-bed: the fabric is laid over theentire bed then holes are cut for crops to be transplanted into. Finally, weed barrier fabric isoften installed perpendicularly at the head or foot of a bed to prevent weed from infiltrating fromaround the bed.

110

https://www.farmersfriend.com/products/weed-management/silage-tarp


Volunteers lay weed barrier fabric at the CUH farm, notice the Farm hack method they are using to easily unspool thefabric

Mulching (with Organic Material)

Right: Straw mulch around perennial flowers at theCUH farm

Mulching with organic material(OM)refers to the practice of spreading aprotective layer of organic material over soil.OM often used for mulching include straw,cut grass, leaves which have fallen inautumn and recently mowed cover crop. Likesilage tarp or weed barrier fabric, mulchinghelps reduce weeds by preventing sunlightfrom infiltrating in unwanted areas. Mulchingwith OM can also be beneficial to cropnutrition because over time the OM breaksdown or composts releasing nutrients intothe soil. Additionally, mulching can increase

111


soil temperature a few degrees creating a friendlier environment for crops growing over thewinter or planted in early spring. At the UW Farm we often mulch our overwintering garlic.

CrowdingCrowding refers to the practice of planting crops close together so that they grow in tight

spacing and out-compete weeds for resources. When closely planted crops mature they createa shading canopy that prevents sunlight from infiltrating and thus suppresses weed growth.

SolarizationSimilar to laying silage tarp, solarization works by laying clear plastic over soil. Clear

plastic allows light to infiltrate and magnifies the heat such that temperatures under the plasticrise dramatically. The high temperatures kill weeds as well as harmful bacteria and fungi.Check out this resource for more information: Texas A&M Resource.

Mechanical Weed Reduction Techniques

Flame WeedingOne of the primary pre-emergent weed management practices we use at the UW Farm

is flame weeding, which refers to the destruction of small weeds with intense heat produced bya fuel burning device. The goal of flame weeding is not to “burn up” all weed tissue, but todamage the plant tissues enough to prevent continued growth.

We have two flame weeder models at the farm, the “backpack flamer” is fueled by apropane tank mounted on a backpack. The backpack flamer comes with a spot weeder wandonto which an accessory roller shield can be attached. We also have a “Pyroweeder” whichhas five torches mounted onto a rolling stand with a built in propane tank.

Flame Weeder Safety● ALWAYS have a “charged” (turned on, ready to spray) hoes on either end of the bed you

are flame weeding. While the risk of fire caused by flame weeder is extremely low, it isimportant to take every precaution, particularly in the summer when dry conditions createincreased fire danger.

● ALWAYS wear closed toed shoes and wear gloves when operating a flame weeder. Youshould be dressed appropriately for farm work in general, but it especially importantwhen operating potentially dangerous equipment

When to flame weed:● When a bed is fully prepared but there are small emergent and pre-emergent weeds

beginning to grow (1-2in in size maximum)● Before (and/or after for carrots) crops have been planted, also known as Sterile Seed

Bed method● Soil is damp from recent rain or rain is expected within four hours. Spring is the optimum

season for flame weeding due to lowest fire risk

112

https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/gardening/soil-solarization/


Left: “Backpack weeder” with roller shield onRight: Pyroweeder (Note the black plastic silage tarp draped over the farm plot in the background.)

How to flame weed:Both of our models of flame weeders are easy to operate and can be powered up in the sameway:

1. Open the valve on the propane tank by turning the knob counter-clockwise a fewrotations. See directional “Open” and “Close” on the silver valve on the top of the whiteor gray propane tanks. Wait for about 10-15 seconds before the next step (allowspressure the build)

2. Open the gold colored valve attached to the wand (Backpack or spot flamer) or blackhose that is connected after the pressure valve (red). This allows propane to flow to thetorches. Listen for the gas.

3. Use a “sparker” or “torch lighter tool” to ignite the weeder. Place the sparker close to thetorch end and create sparks, by squeezing on the wire handles. This causes flint tocreate sparks. You may have to create quite a few sparks before the flame is lit.

4. Gently roll the torches over the young weeds. You do not need to burn up the weedscreating ashes. A quick pass with the flame weeder should be sufficient to heat the waterwithin the plant cells thus killing the weeds.

1. See more detailed instructions per flame weeder below:

Backpack weeder instructions from Johnny’s Manual

113

https://www.activevista.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/JSS-neversink-farm-flame-manual.pdf


114


115


Pryoweeder Instructions from Farmer’s Friend

116

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1731383/Farmers-Friend-Pyroweeder.html?page=12#manual


117


Management of Perennial WeedsCertain weeds are extremely pervasive and once they become established they will

return every year either spreading or reproducing ferociously. Several varieties of weedsperennially return to the UW Farm and it requires yearly focus to manage their impact.Particularly himalayan blackberry, thistle, bindweed, burdock, shotweed, galinsoga,lambsquarter & grasses are constant issues.

General Techniques:● Mowing - using a mower or weedwhacker to chop down a large weedy area is an

efficient and fast way to address a large amount of weeds and prevent them fromgrowing to reproductive maturity or setting seed. Mowing won’t necessarily preventweeds from continuing to grow, particularly if weeds are mature enough to havedeveloped a healthy rhizome (root system)

● Sheet mulching - Layering sheets of flattened cardboard on top of weeds to block outsunlight. Using more than one layer of cardboard is more effective. To keep cardboard inplace, bark chips, wet leaves, or boards can be used on top. Note: select cardboardboxes without colorful inks to avoid heavy metals, remove staples and plastic tape.

● Silage Tarp - smothering weeds under silage tarp, a heavy plastic material, can be anextremely efficient way to kill weeds in large areas with little effort. As long as you havethe time to leave an area fallow for a few weeks, silage tarping is a great technique.Here’s how it works: “The black tarp cre ates a warm, moist envi ron ment which quick lykills estab lished weeds and encour ages rapid weed seed germination. The new lyemerged weeds then face a dark, suf fo cat ing envi ron ment in which they quick ly die.Worms and oth er ben e fi cial organ isms soon appear to decom pose any organ ic mat terand loosen the soil. In three to four weeks (up to six weeks in win ter) you will have analmost com plete ly com post ed and beautiful stale seedbed!” (Farmer’s Friend)

Silage Tarp applied to a plot at theCUH Farm, note all the rocks andweights used to make sure the tarpdoesn't blow away!

118

https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/himalayan-blackberry

https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/canada-thistle

https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/field-bindweed

https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/weed/broadleaf/basal/cburdock.html

https://gardenmentors.com/garden-help/gardening-guidelines/managing-weeds-in-seattle-shotweed/

https://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/galinsoga.html

https://www.canr.msu.edu/weeds/extension/common-lambsquarters



● Flame weeding - In addition to being used to create stale planting beds as part of thebed prep process, flame weeding can be a great way to manage perennial weeds. Thesport weeder can be used to eliminate germinating perennial weeds around the farm,particularly thistles.

● Hand removal/Digging weeds out - the most old school technique is sometimes thebest, particularly if you have a large group of volunteers and need work to do with them.When hand removing perennial weeds be sure to dig out the whole root system.

Himalayan Blackberry (HB): is one of the most common invasive species in the Pacific NorthWest and Seattle specifically. Our temperate climate allows for this thorny prolific grower tospread all year round. In late summer, when the vines produce fruit, birds love to eat the sweetberries and then spread blackberry seeds far and wide in their droppings. At the UW Farm,blackberry is primarily a threat to our perimeter plantings at the CUH, and our berry bushes atMercer Court.

Rules for managing HB:● If you see a blackberry seedling growing anywhere on the farm, take the time to

remove it (dig it out and remove the whole seedling including the entire root)● Blackberry can only truly be controlled by digging out as much of the root system

as possible. Well established blackberry bushes will easily regrow after clipping.However, because blackberries are so thorny and thick stemmed, it is oftennecessary to clip back stems before being able to access the roots.

● Clip stems or canes into small pieces and stack on top of flattened pieces ofcardboard until the stems are dead. Once dead (2-4 weeks) dump in compostpile or leave for wildlife.

● Wear two pairs of gloves (if thin gloves) or leather gloves when handlingblackberry. The thorns easily punch through one layer of regular garden gloves

● Strength in numbers: blackberry removal is a great project to tackle with a largenumber of people. Blackberry management can feel overwhelming andfrustrating without a cohort of people, and it can be accomplished much fasterwith groups.

Thistle: prickly biennial (two year life cycle) or perennial (live more than two years) weeds thatunfortunately have established prominence at the CUH site of the UW Farm. Thistles become awidespread problem only if they are allowed to “go to seed” in which case they have completedtheir life cycle and/or reached reproductive maturity. Several years ago, many thistles were letgo to seed at the CUH site and they have been a big problem ever since. Particularly, largenumbers of thistles grow in our wood-chipped pathway areas where there are no other plantscompeting with them for space or resources.

At the UW Farm we have several invasive thistle species, notably Bull Thistles (biennial) andCanada Thistles (perennial) among others. Both can be managed with similar techniques buttheir varying life cycles mean that they will go to seed on different schedules, which should benoted for management.

119


General rules for managing thistles:● If you see a thistle seedling growing anywhere on the farm, particularly within our

crop beds, take the time to remove it.● Young thistles can be scuffle hoed or even flame-weeded● Thistles grow large fleshy taproots or deep spreading root systems which can be

difficult to remove. When removing large well-established thistles, use a diggingfork or shovel to loosen the soil around the base of the plant and try to pull outthe entire taproot or root system

● For Bull Thistles & other biennial thistles: Biennials complete their life cycleand go to seed in two years. In June of their second year they produce flowers,bull thistles flowers are bright purple and are actually very popular with bees andother pollinators. Snip or dig out thistles that have produced flowers before theyrelease seeds and dispose of them in the compost pile. If you were making yourown compost, you would not want to let thistle seeds contaminate it.

● Does not help too much or dig/disturb the soil

Weeding with Large Hand ToolsWeeding with large hand tools will generally occur when the weeds in question are large,

well established and not immediately next to growing crops. Often we will use this method toweed pathways, remove grass which is encroaching into bed space, remove thistles from woodchipped areas and perform initial bed preparation if a bed has been left overgrown with weedsfrom the previous season.

Tools:● Shovel● Digging fork● Oscillating hoe● Stirrup hoe● Cultivator● Razor hoe

Techniques:● When weeding grasses and other strongly rooted weeds, using a shovel or digging

fork to loosen soil and pry roots from the ground is often the best technique. Using anoscillating hoe, stirrup hoe, cultivator or razor hoe can also allow you to remove large,well established weeds. The oscillating hoe and stirrup hoe allows you to slice throughthe soil, chopping weed roots and preventing regrowth. Cultivators and razor hoes aregood for chopping at thick roots in soil and sifting through soil to remove roots.

● NOTE: when weeding, it is extremely important to remove leaves and disturb rootgrowth, otherwise the weeds may be able to easily re-grow.

120


● NOTE: when removing well established weeds it is important to shake off as muchsoil as possible before composting the weed. Remember, we don’t want tocompost our topsoil, it's valuable!

Precision WeedingPrecision weeding refers to weeding of small to medium weeds that are growing up

around crops. When weeds and crops are interspersed, especially when crops are still youngand vulnerable, precision techniques are necessary to delicately remove weeds while notdamaging crops. When precision weeding it is not necessary to remove weeds from the groundbut simply disturb growth by slicing through roots and/or “scuffling” the soil.

Tools:● Hand tools:

○ Japanese hand hoe○ Hori hori○ Hand cultivator

● Wire hoe● Wire Weeder● Crescent hoe● Onion hoe● Circle hoe● Scuffle hoe

Techniques:● Weeding around young crops: This is when the crop first emerges from the soil, or

was recently transplanted and vulnerable. If crops are very young and weeds arebeginning to encroach, it can be hard to tell from a standing position which plants areweeds and which are crops. The best approach here is to kneel over the bed and weedwith fingers or hand tools. The crop is young, in leaf stage, tender and blends ineasily with the weeds. If the weeds are very small, it may be sufficient to simply scufflethe soil with your fingers or a hand tool.

● Weeding around medium & large crops: If crops are well established enough to notbe extremely vulnerable to disturbance, the best approach is often to use a precisionweeding hoe (wire hoe, wire weeder, crescent hoe, onion hoe, circle hoe, scuffle hoe) toslice through weed roots and disturb weed growth. These hoes are designed forweeding in tight spaces. Focus on the spacing of the crops and use your tool to scufflethe soil around crops. It can be more efficient to weed in patterns. For example, if yourcrops are in four rows, drag your hoe the length of the bed down the in-between rowspaces.

● NOTE: in precision weeding it is often too delicate or difficult for volunteers todistinguish between crops and weeds. Avoid letting volunteers weed aroundimmature crops without careful supervision. When precision weeding with

121


volunteers be sure to carefully point out which plants are the crops (and shouldnot be removed) and which plants are the weeds. Also point out the spacing of thecrops so that volunteers are better able to avoid accidentally weeding crops.

Farmer precision weeds around flowers with a stirrup hoe

More Weeding Resources:

● “Guide to Small-Scale Weeding & Cultivation Tools” By Johnny’s○ Great examples of new innovations in efficient hand weeding

● “Flaming Stale Seedbeds for Weed Control” By the University of Vermont

● “Creating a Weed Management Plan for Your Organic Farm” By PennState Extension

● Video: “Organic No-Till Weed Management” By the Rodale Institute○ Example of sustainable management on larger scale, more traditional farms

● Video: “Introduction to Weed Management in a Small Scale Organic Production System”By UC Santa Cruz

● Videos of flame weeding on the UW Farm: Torch weeding, weeding with the pyroweeder

● Video of weed management with cover-crop on UW Farm

122

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/tools-supplies/weeding-cultivation-long-handled-tools.html

https://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/flameweeding.html

https://extension.psu.edu/creating-a-weed-management-plan-for-your-organic-farm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkMB5meXMGg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsqa6cahRxI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u_JuDsO3ZU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa4B1uHntW0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujxf9W3CQos


Trellising Methods

Trellising: The practice of providing a climbing or vine plant with a structural support such that itcan grow vertically.

Trellising is an important practice for maximizing use of space and crop production on asmall farm or garden. It also helps minimize crop disease by elevating the plant and maximizingaeration within and between beds. Trellising also allows for easier access to bed space forcultivation, and facilitates harvesting.

There are many different methods of trellising from simple wire cages placed around ayoung tomato or cucumber plants, to far more complicated overhead/top-down methods thatrequire in-field support structures to be annually built and then deconstructed. Trellising can alsobe achieved using a weave method or with plastic mesh known as hortinova. At the UW Farmwe utilize trellising each year for certain crops and more flexibly for other crops.

Crops that are ALWAYS trellised:● Field tomatoes● Greenhouse tomatoes● Pole beans● Pole snap and snow peas● Cucumbers● Sweet pea flowers

Crops that are sometimes trellised or supported with the weave or plastic mesh:● Small winter squash● Sour Mexican Gherkins● Peppers● Eggplant● Peony flowers

Trellising is a particularly important practice for tomatoes. The tomato plants we growtoday have been genetically selected over many generations to grow large quantities of heavyfruit that the plant's vines can not generally support on their own. Without trellising, tomato vinescrawl along the ground taking up large amounts of space, exposing the fruit to ground crittersand potential squishing by heavy vines and making it extremely difficult to harvest the fruit.Almost universally, tomatoes grown for sale are trellised - building tomato trellising is anessential summer task each year at the UW Farm.

There are two kinds of tomatoes: determinant and indeterminate. Determinanttomatoes only grow to a certain height (generally 2-4 feet) and set fruit all at once whileindeterminate tomatoes can keep growing as tall as resource availability allows and have higherproduction.

123


Methods

Overhead/Top-downUsed primarily for indeterminate tomatoes, this method works by hanging twine from

overhead wiring or structures. Top down trellising is the preferred method for indeterminatetomatoes because it can support a large amount of weight. The twine hangs down and can bewrapped around or clipped onto branches/stems to support their weight.

In the hoophouse, our tomatoes are trellised with the top down method by stretching wireacross the hoophouse structure and tying twine onto these cross wires or tying twine directlyonto the metal cross-bars. In the field, we build trellis structures for tomatoes by stretching wireon T-posts and hanging twine from the stretched wire.

In-field tomato trellising at the UW Farm, Summer 2019

Materials needed for Overhead trellis:1. T-posts

a. or other already built overhead structure such as hoop-house cross bars or evenstairs (see photo of Mercer court farm below)

2. Post pounder (only necessary with T-post system)3. Heavy wire (only necessary with T-post system or to add to greenhouse)4. Wire tightener tool (optional)5. T-post clips (optional)

124


6. Wire cutters7. Tomato twine - at the UW Farm we use unoiled sisal twine that is compostable8. Scissors (for cutting twine)

Creative overhead trellising at the Mercer Court Farm, using the stairs… Now that's urban farming!

Overhead T-Post Trellis Process (for in-field tomatoes at the UW Farm):1. Add t-posts to the field:

a. Establish one t-post on either end of each bed, make sure that the studs on theseend posts are facing outward or away from the bed. Pound posts 1-2 feet into theground using the post pounder tool

i. T-posts should be pounded deep enough that the flange is fullyunderground

b. Add t-posts in-between end posts in each bed, 8-10’ apart depending on bedlength. Intra-bed posts should be oriented with studs all facing the samedirection, perpendicular to the length of the beds (Note: end posts and intra-bedposts are oriented differently). Posts should be equidistant from each other.Always pound posts 1-2 feet deep

125


2. Stretch heavy wire from one end T-post to the other. Wrap wire around one end post andstretch as taught as possible before wrapping or securing the wire to the opposite endpost. Use a wire tightener tool to achieve greater tightness if possible.

3. Go down the bed and secure the wire to each in-bed T-post using either a wire clip or anextra piece of wire

4. Once structure is fully set-up, use twine totrellis tomato branches

a. Choose 1,2,3 or 4 main stems oneach tomato plant. These stems areknown as “leaders” and are chosen fortheir potential to produce fruit (ex. → )

b. For each stem:i. Pull and snip a length of twine

from the spool: the lengthshould be significantly greaterthan the length from ground towire

ii. Tie twine around the base ofthe stem using a slip knot, DONOT TIE TIGHTLY, the tomatoneeds room to grow. Anotheralternative is to use grafting tape to secure the twine to the plant stem.The grafting tape will expand with the growing vine and will not girdle thevine.

iii. Gently wrap the twine around the stem as you support its weight. Becareful not to pin-down any leaves or damage any part of the branch asyou wrap the twine around

iv. Once the twine is adequately wrapped, use the remaining length of twineto pull the branch upwards such that its weight is supported and it is beingpulled vertically. Then tie the twine onto the wire also using a slip knot.

1. The tomato branch or stem should not be aggressively pulledvertically but rather the branch should simply be trained upwardswhile having flexibility to continue growing.

c. Repeat for each “leader” in your tomato field

This process could also be used for in-field cucumber trellising.Video Resource - Top down trellising at the University of Maine, similar to our in-field method

WeaveUsed primarily for determinate tomatoes, beans, peppers and peas, the weave (also

known as basket weave or florida weave) trellising system utilizes horizontal twine to supportcrops. A simple weave method uses stakes at either end of the bed and within the bed at

126

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giJwIJSHoqo


equidistant intervals.The crops are supported by horizontal twine because they are “weaved in”.Each length of twine figure-eights back and forth to alternate sides of the crops as it spans thelength of the bed and with multiple lengths of twine positioned at vertical intervals the crops aresupported. See drawing example:

Drawing of a simple weave trellis, from University of New Hampshire extension

Materials needed for Weave:1. Stakes or T-posts2. Strong twine3. Scissors (for cutting twine)

Simple weave process:Reproduced from University of NH Extension

1. Set stakes at each end of the bed, at least six inches deep, one stake for everytwo-three plants, as soon as the seedlings have been transplanted.

2. Tie sturdy, untreated twine at one end of the row, about 12” up from the soil level. Weavetwine in a figure eight pattern between plants, wrapping twice around each stake downthe row. After reaching the end stake, weave twine back up the row in the oppositedirection, alternating with the first strand so each plant stem has a twine on both sides,holding it up.

3. As plants grow, weave another layer of twine every 6-8 inches to keep plants wellsupported.

a. Four layers of twine will support most varieties of indeterminate tomatoesi. Indeterminate varieties will reach and exceed the top of the stakes. At that

point, cut the tops off of indeterminate tomatoes to maintain a tidy hedgeand to prevent the row from becoming top-heavy.

127

https://extension.unh.edu/resource/pruning-tomato-plants-fact-sheet



V-shape Twine Trellis

V-Shaped Twine Trellis set up for supporting peas at the CUH Farm

This is a fast trellis-making method used for lightweight crops such as peas and beans,sour mexican gherkins at the UW Farm.Process:

1. Install t-posts by repeat method for Overhead or top-down method above2. In addition to a top wire, secure a second, bottom wire about three feet off the ground.3. Using thin twine, such as cotton pea twine or poly twine, secure the twine at one end

with a knot.4. Stretch twine between two wires up and down, creating a V-shape. Repeat for the entire

length of the bed.5. Distance between “V’s” should be approximately 6-10”6. Support young crops with one or two weaves to span the distance between the soil and

bottom wire until the crop reaches the bottom of the trellis.

128


CageCage trellising is the most simple strategy as it simply requires purchasing or building a

cage or structure that surrounds the plant. Cages are often used for determinate tomatoes,peonies, peppers, and eggplant (indeterminate will out-grow the cage), but can also be usedto support cucumbers, berry bushes and other vine or bush plants. To use a cage system,simply secure the cage into the soil around your transplanted crop. You may need to weavesome of the crop’s branches or vines around the structure initially to help the crop rely on thecage for support.

A beautiful tomato plant supported by a cage, from: HB Jinshi

Hortonova/Plastic MeshUtilizing hortonova or plastic mesh netting is an easy way to set up a trellising system

that can support lightweight crops such as beans, peas and gherkins extremely well. Setting upa hortonova system requires a similar t-post method to overhead trellising.

Process:

1. Repeat T-post installation as for Overhead or top-down trellising system2. Attach top wire (same as overhead or top-down trellising system)

129

https://www.plantsupportsupplier.com/products/plant-support/plant-support-cage/tomato-cage.html


3. Lay the hortinova on the ground, along the bed to measure length.4. Secure one end of the hortinova to the top end of the bed t-post. Stretch the plastic

mesh the full length of the bed and attached to the opposite top end t-post. Temporarilysupport the hortinova on the middle and other t-posts if bed is over 30’, to take out thesag until you wrap it onto the top wire

5. Once the hortinova is stretched lengthwise, attach it securely to the top wire by threadingwith twine:

a. Begin on one end, tie off the first mesh square to the t-post then weave the topsquares of the mesh to the top wire by threading twine in and out of the topsquares as you go.

b. Remember to pull the hotinova tight, lengthwise as you weave.6. Once you reach the opposite end tie-off the twine and the last mesh square. Now the

hortinova looks like a plastic mesh curtain, secured only at the top wire7. Next secure the hortinova ends:

a. Thread each square vertically on the end t-posts by starting at the top andwrapping vertically in and out of the mesh squares from top to bottom.

b. Tie off at the last mesh square.8. At the end, your hortinova should be tight lengthwise. The bottom of the hortinova

closest to the soil does not need to be secured. Vines will be woven up as they grow andwill weigh down the plastic mesh keeping it in place and also making harvesting easy!

Video resource: this method is similar to ours with a few differences. It gives a goodvisualization of how to set up hortinova.

Tomato Pruning

Learning how to prune tomatoes was one of the most satisfying and rewarding skills staffcan develop at the UW Farm. Tomato pruning is an essential practice for maintaining tomatocrops and increasing their productivity throughout the growing season. It's a complicated andmulti-faceted practice that can take years to master. When you are first starting to learn how toprune tomatoes, take your time and ask a lot of questions. Eventually you will get a good feel forthe practice and know intuitively how to handle various situations. Each individual tomato plantis unique, and each will require a slightly different set of approaches. Take the time to carefullyexamine the plant you are working with before beginning to prune.

There are two kinds of tomato plants, determinate and indeterminate. Determinatetomato varieties (typically larger tomatoes and “patio” tomatoes) grow in bush-like fashion andonly grow to specific height, usually 3-5 feet. Once they reach this height, they put all theirenergy into producing fruit. Fruit production happens all at once in determinate varieties anddoes not reach the production volume of indeterminate. However, the investment is less onlabor and materials.

Determinate varieties benefit from a certain amount of pruning, particularly removal ofsuckers and damaged or yellowing leaves. However determinate varieties more naturally direct

130

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZzMrFjSVkA


their energy towards fruiting so over pruning can be counterproductive. These tomatoes are thebest choice for gardeners with very little space, on a patio, or balcony.

Indeterminate varieties (most varieties, including cherry, beefsteak and heirloomvarieties) keep growing, setting new flowers, and bearing fruit indefinitely unless stopped by thefarmer or frost. These varieties grow very tall and become heavy and produce many branches,thus they require more careful trellising and pruning. It is particularly important to pruneindeterminate varieties such that they concentrate more of their energy towards fruit productionrather than branching.

Indeterminate tomatoes are increasingly grown in high tunnels to reap the mostproduction in cooler climates. In high tunnels farmers are using “lower and lean” methods andprune more than field tomatoes to maximize height.

Benefits of Pruning Tomatoes:● limits excessive leaf production● increases air flow within the plant● reduces chance of disease & insect damage● earlier first harvest● prolongs harvest● larger fruits● reduces total weight of the plant making it easier to maintain● individual plants can be planted closer together since they take up less room

What is a “Sucker”??!● The term “sucker” refers to a new growth on a tomato plant that emerges out of the axil

between an already existing branch and the main stem (see diagram below)● If allowed to keep growing, suckers will draw energy away from the already existing

fruiting branches. Suckers are not always bad to leave, especially on determinatevarieties. However, if the plant in question has an appropriate amount of trained fruitingbranches already (particularly on indeterminate varieties) it is good practice to remove allthe suckers. Suckers are removed below tomato flowers, and lowest branches on theplant, once fruiting has begun and main vine(s) have been selected.

Pruning Determinate Varieties● Start pruning a plant after it has produced flowers● Train branches upwards so that they do not touch the soil. Soil contact can lead to

disease or pest predation. Trim away branches and new growth at the base of theplant that is touching or will touch the soil

● Selectively prune leaves and branches if the plant has become overgrown. Overgrown isa relative term but generally there should be some amount of airflow through the plant.

● Prune or remove all branches leaves that have become yellow or plagued by blight● Remove all suckers bellow the first flowering cluster● Add a vertical cage or support to keep all vines off the ground and above soil

131


Pruning Indeterminate Varieties● Pruning indeterminates should start with trellising. When you trellis Indeterminate

varieties you will choose 1,2,3 or potentially 4 leader branches which will be trellisedupwards and continually maintained throughout the season to produce fruit. All otherbranches besides the leaders should be removed. The amount of vines removeddepends on the space and system, high tunnel vs field tomatoes

● Train branches upwards so that they do not touch the soil. Soil contact can lead todisease or pest predation. Trim away branches and new growth at the base of theplant that is touching or will touch the soil

● Selectively prune leaves and branches if the plant has become overgrown. Overgrown isa relative term but generally there should be some amount of airflow through the plant.

● Prune or remove all branches leaves that have become yellow or plagued by blight● Remove all suckers

Parts of a tomato plant, from Cornell Cooperative Extension

132

http://warren.cce.cornell.edu/gardening-landscape/warren-county-master-gardener-articles/growing-tomatoes


Leaves with blight such as this one should be removed to prevent spreading of the fungus, from CornellCooperative Extension

The base of an indeterminate tomato plant at the CUH farm, note that two leaders have been selected onthis plant and are trellised with twine into a Y shape. Also notice all the trimmed branches.

133




From Cornell Extension

134

https://cvp.cce.cornell.edu/submission.php?id=555


Perennials

UW Farm Perennials MapsCreated by Emily Campbell-Dangerfield for Capstone, summer 2018Link to higher quality maps

135

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=d1f7ffbc59&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1692603718600847489&th=177d561d40b57081&view=att&disp=inline&realattid=165d5fb8255fa92b1651


136


Perennial CarePerennial crops are gifts that keep on giving. If properly cared for they will produce crops

annually without having to be re-planted. Perennials are beneficial to soil life because theirlongevity avoids the soil disturbance that annual crops require. Additionally, perennial trees andbushes can be important habitats for wildlife including many species of native birds andpollinator insects.

See Capstone Project by Emily Campbell-Dangerfield for comprehensive guide to caring for allUW Farm Perennials

General Tips● Mulch every fall or early spring under all perennials with sheet mulching, wood chips,

and/or compost.● Pruning tips

○ Fruit trees - January/Feb for Apples and Summer/Fall for plums - only remove25% of suckers or limbs each year. Excessive pruning leads to vigorous watersprouts. Prune for open, vase shape for sunlight penetration and ease of harvest.

○ Figs - Do not prune figs unless necessary. Fruit grows on current year’s growth○ Blueberries - prune if necessary. Berries grown on first year growth, (like figs) so

pruning will lead to less fruit.○ Canes - prune out old growth (>3 years) in the fall or January. Fruit grows on

second year canes, so be careful not to prune new growth, (<2 years). Exceptionis Thimbleberry - prune uniformly to 1-2’ high

○ Asparagus - Let asparagus fern, foliage and flower after June/July then cutstems to 1’ high in late fall after foliage yellows

○ Herbs - remove dead foliage and stems in late fall or winter quarter and prune forshape. Mint family (oregano, thyme, mint, etc.) can be trimmed to 6” high ifstringy or overgrown. Lavender and Rosemary - trim to uniform height as low orshort as possible.

○ Rhubarb - dies back every fall. Remove yellowing leaves all season.○ Horseradish - same as rhubarb○ Artichokes and Cardoon - same as Rhubarb○ Hardy Kiwi - prune vines for shape and weave onto trellis

137

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=d1f7ffbc59&attid=0.2&permmsgid=msg-f:1692603718600847489&th=177d561d40b57081&view=att&disp=inline&realattid=165d5fc8c01e82d94562



Harvesting, Washing & Packing Produce

The UW Farm is Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified by WSDA. This meanswe voluntarily adhere to practices designed to reduce foodborne illness. Annually the farm sitesare inspected by an auditor who observes how we harvest, wash, pack and sanitize ourequipment and also take measures to reduce contaminants pre-harvest and post-harvest andtransport and store our products. Many of these practices and record keeping requirementsoverlap with Organic Certification.

There a a number of daily or weekly logs for recording the following:● Training Log● Harvest Attendance● Sanitizing and Cleaning Log● Animal and Pest Log● Integrated Pest Management Log● Truck/Transportation Cleaning Lot● Refrigeration Temperature and CLeaning Log● Soil Amendment Log

When working on the farm, make sure to ask the farm manager if there are any recordkeeping logs you need to be filling out for a given project. Particularly when harvesting, you willalways need to fill out the harvest attendance log, which simply keeps track of who waspresent on harvest day for particular produce. This record keeping makes it easier to trace foodborne illnesses if they should occur and it is vital to keeping accountable for food safety.

In the following sections, you will find all the information needed to safely transition cropsfrom the field to consumer.

Hand Washing & Harvest Practice Protocols● Hands must be thoroughly washed before harvest● DO NOT wear field gloves during harvest (you may wear latex gloves if you wish)● DO NOT handle cell phones during harvest or processing. If you need to handle your

phone, wash hands before returning to work○ Ensure that volunteers follow all of these protocols as well

For produce to be food safe and remain in the highest quality condition after harvest, it mustfollow this “journey” from field to storage:

138


Tote & Harvest tool Sanitation

In order for in-field harvesting to be food safe, produce needs to be harvested withclean hands and sanitized tools and into properly sanitized harvest totes. Additionally,these totes need to be elevated off the ground so that no part of the sanitized harvest toteholding produce is touching the soil or field. Totes used to store CSA shares also need to beproperly sanitized before the CSA is packed.

Distinction & Storage● Unsanitized harvest & CSA totes are stored in the “Cage” at CUH● All harvest totets are labeled “Harvest” in sharpie and are deeper than CSA totes● CSA totes are rubbermaid tubs labeled “UW Farm” which are half as deep as harvest

totes● For tomato harvesting, we use shallow mesh bottomed crates to avoid bruising● Harvest tools (knives, snippers, rubber bands, twist ties) are stored in the harvest kit

which generally lives in the farm truck & in the blue lockbox at Mercer Court

Before starting a harvest project, an appropriate number of totes and harvest tools needto be gathered and sanitized. The harvest tote sanitation station at the CUH farm is on thesouth side of the wash pack. At Mercer court we often use the green picnic tables as amake-shift wash pack station if need be. However, you must sanitize the green tablesbefore use for this purpose.

Farm staff standing at the south side ofthe washpack (tote sanitation station)sanitizing CSA totes

139


Tote Sanitation Needed Materials1. Workspace

a. CUH: Mesh topped metal table at the south end of the Washpack stationb. Mercer: Sanitized green picnic table

2. Pressurized hose3. Bucket with soap/water solution4. Sponges5. Bucket with bleach/water solution (1 cap-full/1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water)

a. OR: Instead of using a bucket & sponges for bleach solution, totes can besanitized using a large tub with bleach solution (pictured above) which totes canbe fully submerged in

Tote Sanitation Process1. Use a pressurized hose to spray down totes & lids. Remove all crop residue, debris, dirt

or other organic & non-organic waste from totes2. Use sponge and soap/water solution to wash ALL surfaces on totes & lids3. Use hose to thoroughly rinse soap off all totes & lids4. Sanitize clean/rinsed totes & lids using bleach solution by either sponging ALL surfaces

with sponge soaked in bleach solution or by dunking tote & lid in bleach tub5. Arange totes and lids to dry (pictured above)

Examples of crates for tomato harvest

140


Harvest Tool Sanitation Materials

● Bucket (sanitation bucket, white and labeled “sanitizer”)● Water source● Bleach● Necessary tools (reference Harvest Reference Key)

Harvest Tool Sanitation Process

1. Prepare a water/bleach solution in the sanitizer bucket by filling with water and adding 1cap full of bleach

2. Fully submerge all harvest tools in the solution and let sit for at least 30 seconds3. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling sanitized harvest tools

and begging harvest

141


Harvest Reference Key

PlantFamily

Crop HarvestTool(s)Alwaysneeded:

washed andsanitized

harvest tote,tools and

tables. Needin-field

platform orpedestal to

keep harvesttote off the

ground

HarvestUnit(s)

lbs=weight in lbs

bu=bunchCt =

Individualcount

Harvest Process

Depending on produce washingprocedure, sale outlet and other

factors, produce may be bunchedin the field or at the wash pack.

Amaryllidaceae (Allium)

Onion (storage) -Pitch fork-Snippers/scissors

lbs Storage onions are ready toharvest when stems collapse andbegin to dry out.1) Loosen soil with pitch fork2) Pull onions free3) Snip roots to 1cm4) Leave stems on for drying5) Bunch to hang dry (optional)

Onion(bunching,scallions, greenonions)

-Pitch fork-Snippers/scissors-Rubberbands (thin)

bu 1) Loosen soil with pitchfork2) pull onions free3) Create UNIFORMLY sizedbunches, 5-10 per bunch4) rubber band each bunch twice:one band over the white bulbs,one to keep the green stemstogether.5) Snip the ends of the stems sothat they are uniform (but keepstems as long as possible)6) snip of the roots of the bulbs sothat they are less than 1cm anduniform7) Rinse root ends in wash pack

Shallots -Pitch fork-snippers/scissors

lbs Same as onions (storage)

142


Leeks

Notes:-Leeks aremounded withsoil throughoutthe growingseason. Whenusing a diggingfork duringharvest, ensurethat you forkdeeply into thesoil

-Pitch fork-Harvestknife-Machete

lbsctbu

1) Loosen soil with pitch fork2) Pull leeks free from soil3) Cut the roots of each leek withharvest knife, to about .5 cm4) Machete the leaves of each leekto create a chevron shape,removing damaged or wilted leafends. Consult farm managers forsafe machete practices.5) Bunch in the field if working withbaby leeks, leave loose if large

Garlic (scapes)

>the flower stemof garlic<

-Snippers-Rubberbands (thick)

bu 1) Identify scapes and be sure todistinguish them correctly from theleaves of the plant.2) Snip the scapes as far down asyou can without cutting any leavesoff3) Bunch together, 5-12 per bunch-- band twice: at base of bunchand just below where the stemsbegin to curl

Garlic (bulbs)

>the root or bulbof garlic<

Notes:-Harvest willoccur whengarlic stems andbulbs aresufficiently dry(brown andpapery

-Pitch fork lbsct

1) pitch fork soil along rows andpull up all garlic2) Lay out dried garlics and sortout any with rotten bulbs, brokenstems or other deformities.3) Braid, if softneck garlic(optional)4)Bundle for drying - hard or softneck

Asteraceae Head Lettuce

Notes:- Head lettucesare prone toinfestations ofslugs, be sure to

Harvestknife

lbsct

1) Push head to the side with onehand to expose the root.2) Use harvest knife to cut headfree, just below or at the soil level(be sure not to cut too high onstem, this could cause head to fallapart)

143


check eachhead for slimy orrotten leaves

3) Peel off any rotten or leavesfrom the outer layers of the head

Radicchio Harvestknife

ctlb

Same as head lettuce

Salad mix-”Salanova” or“EazyLeaf” type-Cut-n-comeAgain

Notes:-light leafygreens arepracticallyweightless bythe handful! Itcan be hard toestimate howmany poundsyou haveharvested. Tomake theprocess easier,bring a scalewith you into thefield so that youcan weigh theharvest toteperiodically.

HarvestknifeOr“Quick CutGreensHarvester”

lb 1) Evaluate bed for weeds andremove any which will disturbharvest2) For Salad Mix: using harvestknife, cut salad mix at 1-2in abovesoil level OR use “Quick CutGreens Harvester”3) Work methodically, cuttingsections at a time and ensuring theentire bed is cut evenly4) Cut-n-come again varieties willre-grow after being cut and can beharvested using this same methodup to 4 times5) Salanova or EazyLeaf typevarieties may regrow once aftercutting, if initially harvested forhead lettuce,but if the cut is low itmay not regrow for a second cut

Brassica-Ceae

- Brassicasare prone toaphids,pests andother issue.,As youharvest youwill likelyhave todiscard and

Kale

Notes:- Kale plantsproduce leavesand can beharvested - formonths, only thelargest andlowest leavesfrom each plantshould beharvested with

-Harvestknife, and/orsnippers-Rubberbands (thick)

lbbu

1) Using a harvest knife orsnapping with hands, remove kaleleaves from stalk near the base ofthe leaves by pulling horizontally.Leaves will snap-off easily this wayversus in a downward motion2) If bunching: rubber band as youharvest, about 5-12 stems perbunch depending on size. Theleaves within each bunch shouldbe roughy the same size3) Once a bunch is formed, trimthe end of the stems of the leaves

144

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1NDCM_enUS789US791&sxsrf=ALeKk01f9mUEcVD5xXxnqw-pRzZzq23P5g%3A1611165987491&ei=I3EIYKynHdvJ0PEPkveDqAM&q=quick+green+harvester&oq=quick+green+harvester&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIFCAAQyQMyCAgAEBYQChAeOggIABDJAxCRAjoFCAAQkQI6CAgAEJECEIsDOgsILhDHARCjAhCLAzoICC4QsQMQiwM6CAgAELEDEIsDOgoILhDHARCvARBDOgsIABCxAxCRAhCLAzoLCAAQsQMQgwEQiwM6BQguEIsDOgUIABCLAzoHCAAQQxCLAzoCCAA6BQgAELEDOgUIABCSAzoICC4QxwEQrwE6BwgAEBQQhwI6BggAEBYQHlCR2H1YlP59YIb_fWgBcAF4AIABiwGIAf4NkgEEMjEuMZgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXq4AQLAAQE&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjsxO6CjavuAhXbJDQIHZL7ADUQ4dUDCA0&uact=5#kpvalbx=_NHkIYKiPNeXA0PEP5fOYiAo11

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1NDCM_enUS789US791&sxsrf=ALeKk01f9mUEcVD5xXxnqw-pRzZzq23P5g%3A1611165987491&ei=I3EIYKynHdvJ0PEPkveDqAM&q=quick+green+harvester&oq=quick+green+harvester&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIFCAAQyQMyCAgAEBYQChAeOggIABDJAxCRAjoFCAAQkQI6CAgAEJECEIsDOgsILhDHARCjAhCLAzoICC4QsQMQiwM6CAgAELEDEIsDOgoILhDHARCvARBDOgsIABCxAxCRAhCLAzoLCAAQsQMQgwEQiwM6BQguEIsDOgUIABCLAzoHCAAQQxCLAzoCCAA6BQgAELEDOgUIABCSAzoICC4QxwEQrwE6BwgAEBQQhwI6BggAEBYQHlCR2H1YlP59YIb_fWgBcAF4AIABiwGIAf4NkgEEMjEuMZgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXq4AQLAAQE&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjsxO6CjavuAhXbJDQIHZL7ADUQ4dUDCA0&uact=5#kpvalbx=_NHkIYKiPNeXA0PEP5fOYiAo11


compostsome leaveswhich arenot suitablefor sale.Other leavescan be“gleaned” forconsumptionor donatedto foodbanks

each pass so that they are even. DO NOT cutthe stems short, leave as muchplant material as possible.

Collard greens

Notes:- See Kale notes

-Harvestknife and/orsnippers-Rubberbands (thick)

lbbu

Same as Kale, number of stems inbunch likely smaller becausecollard leaves are larger

Broccoli Harvestknife

lbHead (ct)

Cut each head from stalk leaving4-10” stem

Cauliflower Harvestknife

lbHead (ct)

Same as broccoli

Cabbage Harvestknife

lbhead (ct)

1) Push head to the side with onehand to expose the root.2) Use harvest knife to cut headfree, just below the soil level3) Peel off any rotten or rippedleaves from the outer layers of thehead.Save leave for use in braisingmixes or for gleaning

Kohlrabi

Note:Kohlrabi is afavorite victim ofthe rats whichwe deal with aspart of growingin an urbanenvironment.Thus, you mayencounter bulbswith nibble andbite marks.These are notsuitable for sale.

Harvestknife orsnippers

lbct

1) Use harvest knife or snippers tocut root of kohlrabi just below soillevel2) Remove anydeformed/rotten/broken leavesfrom the bulb but leave as manyleaves as possible

Turnip -Pitch fork orhori hori-Twist ties

bu 1) Pitch fork or hori hori aroundturnips to loosen soil2) pull up turnips3) bunch, 3-6 per bunch

145


depending on size. Each bunchshould be composed of uniformlysized turnips

Bok Choy / pakchoi / tatsoi

-Harvestknife orsnippers-Rubberbands (forbaby)

head (ct) 1) Snip or cut from root just belowsoil level2) remove anyrotten/broken/deformed leavesfrom each bulb3 )Bunch if small, depending onvariety

Brussels sprouts Harvestknife

lbsstalk

Harvest entire stack with sproutsattached, cutting just below or nearsoil level

Arugula

Note:-light leafygreens arepracticallyweightless bythe handful! Itcan be hard toestimate howmany poundsyou haveharvested. Tomake theprocess easier,bring a scalewith you into thefield so that youcan weigh theharvest toteperiodically.

HarvestKnife or“Quick CutGreensHarvester”

lbs 1) Evaluate bed for weeds andremove any which will contaminateharvest2) using harvest knife, cut arugula1-2 in above soil level, be carefulnot to cut new sprouts which willcontinue to grow OR use QuickCut Greens Harvester3) work methodically, cuttingsections at a time and ensuring theentire bed is cut evenly, foroptimal regrowth

Mustard/Asian Greens

Note:-See arugulanote

HarvestKnife

lbs Same as arugula

Radishes -Hori hori bu 1) Pull all ready, leaving

146


(optional)-Twist ties orrubberbands, small-snips

undersized and ill-formed radishesin the bed2) Bunch in field, 3-7 per bunchdepending on sizexxxBunch like-sized radishes,3) Snip root off for easy cleaninglater

Chenopodi-aceae

Chard

Notes:- Chard plantsproduce leavesand can beharvested formonths. Onlythe largest andlowest leavesfrom each plantshould beharvested witheach pass.

-Harvestknife orsnippers-rubberbands (thick)

lbsbu

1) Using a harvest knife orsnippers, remove chard leaves atthe base of the stem, where it isattached to the plant. Try to keepas much stem on the leaves aspossible2) Each bunch should have 6-8stems depending on leaf size. Theleaves within each bunch shouldbe roughy the same size3) Snip or cut the end of the stemsso that the bunch looks neat butDO NOT cut the stems short4) If bunching: Rubber band asyou go.

Spinach -Harvestknife orsnippers orQuick CutGreensHarvester

lb 1) Snip leaves from plant leaving ashort stem on leaves

Beets -Pitch fork-twist ties

bulbs

1) Pitch fork along bed to loosensoil2) Pull beets from soil, shake offexcess soil3) remove any tattered or unsightlyleaves4) snip long root tails for easycleaning later4) Organize into bunches, 3-6beets per bunch depending onsize. Within each bunch beetsshould be roughly the same size.5) twist tie in field

Cucurbit- Squash -Harvest lbs 1) Snip fruit from vines, leaving at

147


aceae (summer) ->zucchini, pattypan, crookneck,etc.<

Notes-Summersquash areprolific growers,especially at theheight of theseason.Harvesting willoccur frequently.Summer squashcan beharvested oncethe fruit is just 6in long, butinevitably somewill becomemuch largerbefore farmersare able toharvest.

knife orsnippers-Cloth,preferablymicrofiber

least ½ in of stem on fruit2) wipe down squash with cloth toremove prickly hairs3) pack carefully into harvest totes,be sure not to overfill the totes orthey will become difficult to move

Squash (winter) -Harvestknife orsnippers-cloth

1) Snip fruit from vines, leavingmaximum stem on fruit to allow foroptimal curing2) wipe clean and dry with cloth

Summer squash>Cucumbers<

-Harvestknife orsnippers-cloth

lbsct

1) Snip fruit from vines, snip closeto the fruit but be careful not tonick the fruit2) Use cloth to rub off all spikesand dirt from the fruit

Summer squash>Melons<

-Harvestknife orsnippers-cloth

lbsct

1) Snip fruit from vines, leaving ½stem on fruit2) wipe clean and dry with cloth

Fabaceae Beans -clean hands lbs 1) Two-handed harvest - pickbeans or peas off vine or bush bygrasping pod at the stem andpulling upwards while holding plant

Peas

Sugar Snap

148


stem in-place2) move methodically down therow searching low and high3) Be thorough by lifting leavesand manipulating plant to makesure all-ready are harvested

Do not harvest under-ripe beans orpeas (those that are small thin)

Peas

Snow peas

Poaceae Corn No toolneeded

ear (ct)lbs

Pull ears off stalk with a sharpdownward thrustTry to keep stem on ear as long aspossible for optimal huskpreservation and storage

Solanaceae Tomatoes

Notes-Tomatoes areready to harvestwhen they show50% or morecolor-Tomates areprone to rot andbruising. Besure tothoroughlycheck tomatoesfor blemishes.Save over-ripeor blemishedtomatoes forstaff andvolunteers!

-snippers-tomatotrays or “flat”

lb 1) Identify ripe tomatoes and snipor pull (smaller varieties) themfrom the vine, leaving about 1/2cm or less of the vine on thetomato2) Place tomato stem side down inthe tray or “flat.”.3) move tray down the aisle withyou as you harvest3) Once a tray is full (2-3 layers forsmall varieties and 1- 2 layers forlarge) bring it to wash pack andretrieve a new tray4) Be sure to prevent stempunctures by stacking secondlayer stem side up for largertomatoes

Peppers

Notes- The bestpeppers oroptimal harvesttime is when

-snippers lbsCt

1) Snip peppers from stems,leaving about an inch of the stemon the peperBe sure to look thoroughly underthe leaves for hiding fruit!

149


they have ashine or finishon the skin.-Check peppersfor rot andblemishes. Savedamagedpeppers for staffand volunteers!

Eggplants

Note- Eggplants areready to harvestwhen they havereached optimalsize, butoccasionally youmay harvestunderripe torelieve anoverburdenedplant

-snippers Lbsct

1) Snip eggplants from stem,leaving about 1 inch of stem onfruit

Tomatillos No toolneeded

lbs See tomatoes

Potatoes

Note- Beware ofslicing potatoeswith your shovelas you dig!

-shovel-trowel

lbs 1) Dig up potato trench. The rootsystem and tubers will havespread underground so dig a widetrench, keeping a close eye out forpotatoes.2) once a potato is discovered, usetrowel or hands to search area(potatoes often grow groupedtogether underground)

Umbelliferae Carrots -pitchfork-twist ties

lbsbu

1) Pitchfork bed about a foot awayfrom carrots to loosen soil2) Pull carrots from soil by grippingbase of stem and pulling slowly butfirmly (to avoid breaking tops offroot)3) shake off excess soil4) remove any leaves from topwhich are yellowing or broken

150


5) layer neatly in tote so that topsdo not get tangled or bunch in thefield using twist ties - 5-7carrots/bunch

Parsnips

Note- leaves arepoisonous ifconsumed

-pitchfork lbsbuCt

Same as carrots, but remove allleaves by snipping 2” above top ofroot

Dill -snippers orharvestscissors-rubberbands(small)

bu 1) Snip leaves from plant andbunch,” finger-full”

Parsley -snippers orharvestscissors-rubber band(small)

bu Same as dill

Cilantro -snippers orharvestscissors-rubber band(small)

bu Same as dill

Fennel

Note-Fennel is readyto harvest whenthe bulbs areabout 3” or morein size butbefore they“bolt” or flower

-snippers orharvest knife

Inlb

1) push bulb (or rosette of petioles)to one side with one hand2) use harvest knife or snippers tocut bulb from root just below thesoil level3) pull off any broken or deformedleaves from bulb leaving as manyas possible intact or snip leaves to3-4” in chevron (like leeks) if toomany are broken or yellow

151


Wash Pack Preparation

In order to ensure food safety is maintained after harvest, the washpack station (wherewe wash and pack produce from the field before transport to the cooler or storage) must beproperly sanitized and prepared. As of 2020, we only have one washpack station (at the CUHfarm), despite having three farm locations. All produce harvested across all three sites mustmake its way to the washpack station at CUH before moving on to storage.

Components of Washpack Station● Solid metal top tables, east side

○ Used to hold produce coming in from the field before processing● Large basin sinks: metal (south side) & plastic (west side)

○ For washing leafy greens primarily● Center tables

○ For bunching, sorting, packing, etc.● Wire top tables, west side (see photo on next page)

○ For spraying down root crops, leeks, etc.● Solid metal topped tables, north side

○ For stacking packed bins ready to go back in the truck for transport to DouglasConservatory (storage)

● Mesh topped metal tables, southside outside washpack○ Tote sanitation station

Washpack Preparation Process1. Remove all items from tables in washpack, clear the space for produce2. Remove all large debris from sinks3. Spray down all tables with pressurized hose & rinse out sinks with faucets4. Prepare a bleach/water solution by adding 1 cap of bleach to a sanitizer bucket full of

water (small white bucket labeled “sanitizer”)5. Use sponge and sanitizer solution to wipe down every washpack surface which will

touch produce including:a. Sink basinsb. Sink racksc. All table topsd. Mesh topped produce washing table

152


Washpack in action photo bank:

A volunteer utilizes a pressurized hose and mesh topped table to clean beets

153


Farmer processes & counts head lettuce on the washpack’s center tables

154


Looking north through the wash pack as farmers count bok choy on the center tables

155


A mighty stack of drying harvest totes on at the tote sanitation station

156


Produce Washing Reference Key

Plant Family Crop Processing & Washing StorageAll our UW Farm

produce is stored atthe Douglas head

house which is alsohome to the farm

offices. For the mostpart, there are twostorage options,

either in the cooler oron dry shelving (not

in cooler)

Amaryllidaceae(Allium)

Onion (storage) - Roots trimmed to 1cm- stems left on anduntrimmed- NO WASHING

Dry storage

Stored for 2-10months before sale

Onion (bunching,scallions, greenonions)

- Roots trimmed to 1cm- Bunched (6-10 perbunch depending onsize)- Stems trimmed touniformity within bunchbut do not over trim,maintain stemas as longas possible- roots washed withpressurized hose toremove dirt

Cooler

Shallots Same as onions (storage), except with a shorterstorage life

Leeks - leaves trimmed todiamond/chevron shapewith machete- yellow, discolored orbroken leaves removed- roots trimmed to 1cm-roots and leaveswashed with pressurizedhose (on wire table) to

Cooler

157


remove dirt

Garlic (scapes)

>the flower stem ofgarlic<

- bunched with elastic(6-10 per bunchdepending on size)- straight end of scapestrimmed to uniformitywithin bunch-wash optional

Cooler

Garlic (bulbs)

>the root or bulb ofgarlic<

-roots trimmed to 1cm-hardneck varieties:bundle for drying, 5-10stems/bundle and strungtogether for hanging- softneck varieties:stems braided togetherinstead of strung

Dry Storage,bundles/braids drywell when hung andelevated

Stored for up to ayear before sale

Asteraceae Head Lettuce

Notes:- Head lettuces areprone to infestationsof slugs, be sure tocheck each head forslimy or rotten leaves

- cut head at soil level, inprocessing - trim tomake stem flush with thebase of the head-remove slimy and/ordiscolored outsideleaves- fully submerge headlettuce in water, allow tosit for a minute or so tolet debris and insectssink- pull out heads one at atime and shake offexcess water and invertto dry on table

Cooler

Radicchio Same as head lettuce

Salad mix-”Salanova” or“EazyLeaf” type-Cut-n-come Again

- while processing - beon the lookout for weedsand slimy or discoloredleaves to remove fromharvest- using the stainlesssteel sinks, triple rinseusing all three basinssuccessively

Cooler

158


-change out water afterone full cycle- spin dry in saladspinner *NEEDS TO BEVERY DRYMay need to shift contentof spinner and spin againto achieve driest leveland/or do not pack tootightly

Brassicaceae Kale

Note:Watch out for aphidinfested leavesduring processing.The PNW is a regionof heavy brassicapests

- bunch (6-10 stemsdepending on size)- trim stems to uniformlength and keep stemsas long as possible- wash in sink or tub,fully submerge in waterand allow to soak- One rinse is sufficient- remove and shake offwater

Cooler

Collard greens Same as kale

Broccoli - dunk or rinse once inclean water-for greens: washed likekale or collard greens

Cooler

Cauliflower Same as broccoli

Cabbage - remove slimy ordamaged outside leaves- fully submerge in water,allow to sit for a minuteor so to let debris andinsects sink- shake off excess waterand invert to dry on table

Cooler

Kohlrabi

Note: “bulb” refers tospherical shape ofstem

-remove broken,discolored or slimyleaves by snipping atbulb- trim root to base of bulb- briefly dunk in clean

Cooler

159


water or lay out on meshtable and spray withpressurized hose

Japanese SaladTurnip

- remove broken,discolored or slimyleaves- lay out on mesh tableand spray down avoidingleaves, focus on root -be careful to remove alldirt from roots- bunch (3-6 per bunchdepending on size) andtie with twist tie at baseof stems

Cooler

Bok Choy / pak choi /tatsoi

Note: slugs areparticularly fond ofthese brassicas,while submergingheads in water,check for slugsemerging from theleaves andsubmerge for extratime if so

- remove broken,discolored or slimyleaves- fully submerge heads inwater bath to remove dirt-Lightly brush stem/rootjuncture to remove anyremaining dirt

Cooler

Brussels sprouts - emerge entire stalk inwater then - blast with ahose-air dry

Cooler

ArugulaSame as salad mix

Mustard Greens/AsianGreens/Mizuna

Radishes Same as turnips

Chenopodiaceae Swiss Chard Same as kale

Spinach - While processing: beon the lookout for weeds

Cooler

160


to remove from harvestas well as any spinachleaves which arediscolored or slimy- triple rinse (see saladmix)- dry in salad spinner- leave loose oroccasionally bunchdepending on marketoutput

Beets

Note:May be processed:- with leaves on, intobunches- removing all leaves,in bulk

- remove any broken,discolored or slimyleaves (if processing withleaves on, you may beremoving all of theleaves if processingseconds or for pantry)-trim off string-like rootextension- lay out on a mesh tableand spray down with apressurized hose ORuse a sink/tub of water tofully submerge roots andscrub with brush (Note:beets are a rootvegetable, harvestedfrom the soil - it takessome elbow grease toremove all the dirt!)- if bunching - 3-5 perbunch depending on size

Cooler

Cucurbitaceae Squash (summer) ->zucchini, patty pan,crookneck,cucumbers, etc.<

- wipe fruit with cloth infield to remove pricklyhairs- DO NOT WASH

Cooler

Squash (winter)

Note: long stem aidsin curing process andincreases shelf life

- leave on as much stemas possible for “wicking”of moisture- DO NOT handle bystem to keep stem intact-wipe off dirt with cleancloth or soft brush

Dry storage

Stored for up to 12months before sale

161


- DO NOT WASH

Summer squash>Melons<

- wipe off first with cleancloth- DO NOT WASH

Cooler

Fabaceae Beans-make sure your handsare EXTRA CLEANwhen processing

- DO NOT WASH

CoolerPeas

Sugar Snap Peas

Snow peas

Poaceae Corn - let dry in field (flint,popcorn, dent)-pick at milk stage, whenkernel weeps white liquidwhen squeezed (sweet)- DO NOT WASH

Dry storage (popcorn,flint, dent)

Cooler (sweet corn)up to 3 weeks or willget moldy

Solanaceae Tomatoes

*Note:Blossom end rot:black/molding spoton underside oftomato, save end rotaffected tomatoes forpantry or volunteers

- trim fruit stems short orremove- check bottom of fruit forblossom end rot*- arrange tomatoes onflats or trays for storage- first layer is stem sidedown, second layer stemside up to avoid punctureDO NOT pile beefsteakvarieties more than twolayers deep - this willcause squishing & rotting- DO NOT WASH

Dry Storage

To accelerateripening, cover withcloth

Peppers - trim stems to ~1in butleave on- check bottoms of fruitfor blossom end rot(black spots), saveaffected fruit forvolunteers or pantry- DO NOT WASH

Dry Storage

Eggplants Same as peppers

Tomatillos/ground Harvest should include Dry Storage

162


cherries paper huskDo not wash

Potatoes Fingerling and forfresh order:-put on wire table andblast with a hose-scrub with brush toremove most dirtStorage:-leave dirty in tote

Cooler

Umbelliferae Carrots

Note:May be processedwith out without tops

If topping/not bunched:- snap off all tops in field- slice off tops inwashpack if damaged bytransport/harvest/rodentsWashing options:1) wash with two bucketmethod: fill one sanitizedfive gallon bucket withwater and topped carrotsthen pour into a secondfive gallon bucket. Pourcarrots/water back andforth until carrots areclean and water is dirty2) potato, fresh storagemethodIf leaving topson/bunched:-remove any yellowed orslimy leaves- bunch in the field (5-10per depending on size)- wash by spraying rootsdown with hose and/orfully submerging roots inwater bath to remove alldirt

Cooler

Parsnips

Note:- leaves arepoisonous ifconsumed

Same as carrots

163


Fennel - remove any broken ordiscolored leaves fromthe bulb.-trim root at bulbjuncture, lightly brush toremove any excess dirtDepending on marketneeds either:- leave fennelstems/leaves untrimmedOR-trim stems to a coupleinches (pictured left)

-wash by fullysubmerging bulbs andleaves in water bath thenshaking off excess water

Cooler

Dill Depending on marketneeds:- bunch such that bunchwidth or diameter isabout the samecircumference as anickel-trim stems to uniformlength-dunk herbs in water toremove dirt and hydrate- shake excess water off

Cooler

Parsley

Cilantro

Herbs(In general)

Rosemary In general dry herbsshould be minimallywashed with water, onedunk max to hydrate

Bunch into finger sized(at stem) bunches andthen trim stems touniformity within bunch

Cooler

Thyme

Tarragon

Sage

Oregano

Lavender

Bay Leaves Bay leaves can be soldfresh or dried beforesale. The UW Farm hasa couple large bay

164


bushes at the McMahondorm site. To harvest,trim the bush byremoving branches, thenhang branches to dry instorage until the bayleaves become dry andcrackly

Mint Depending on marketneeds:- bunch such that stemsare collectively about anickel in diameter, trimstems to be uniform

Cooler

Basil - See specialsidebar note

NEVER put basil inthe farm cooler - it istoo cold for basil.

Put in dry storage ina bucket of water, asyou would a flowerOR harvest fresh onthe day of delivery

165


Packing CSA

Below: UW Farmers arranged in an assembly line in Douglas Head Houseas they pack CSA boxes

CSA Stands for CommunitySupported Agriculture and it is apopular direct to consumer salestechnique utilized by many smalldiversified vegetable farms suchas the UW Farm.

CSA shareholders purchasea share of the season’s harvestupfront, usually paying a fewhundred dollars in the winter.Then, throughout the growingseason shareholders have anongoing relationship and dialoguewith farmers. Shareholders receiveweekly boxes filled with a varietyof produce that the farmers wereable to harvest that week. Wemostly sell UW Farm CSA sharesto members of the UW Community- faculty, staff, students &

neighbors.The CSA model can be great for farmers because it gives them upfront funding to

purchase things such as seeds at the beginning of the growing season. CSA’s can also helpreduce the high levels of risk that small growers usually face. By purchasing shares of the farmbefore seeds are even in the ground, community members are assuming some of the risk thatthe farmer would otherwise be individually shouldering and shareholders have to accept thatcertain crops may fail or the season may be lean.

CSA programs are also great for farmers because they make growing diversityprofitable. Rather than taking produce to a farmers market where maybe only the salad greensare profitable on a given week, CSAs allow farmers to put whatever is harvestable each weekinto already purchased share boxes.

That being said, popular and successful CSA’s contain a diverse set of produceusually including some greens, some fibrous or root vegetables, a bunch of herbs, something“snackable” such as snap peas, some “fruit” vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc) andmaybe even some actual fruits - all of this will change based on what is in season. For example,you will only see snap peas in the summer CSA and you will only get pumpkins in the fall CSA.In this way shareholders also learn about the seasonality of produce in their region and howabundance ebbs and flows.

166


While there are many benefits to having a CSA program, one challenge is that CSAboxes can take a lot of time, labor and energy to pack and they often constrain efficiencybecause they require many different produce items with different processing needs to beprocessed at the same time. Given this challenge it is very important to run an efficientCSA packing process.

Notes:● Establishing what items will be in the CSA box any given week is determined by what

crops are in season & creating a nice balance within the box. The composition of the boxis ultimately the farm manager’s decision.

● The UW Farm’s primary and longest CSA program is the Summer CSA (early June -late September).The farm also provides a shorter and more limited capacity Fall CSA (Septemberthrough November) which allows customers to access our fall crops.Finally, the farm offers a third option called Peak CSA (August & September) whichallows us to sell more shares just during the most abundant harvest season - latesummer.The number of shares we sell each year fluctuates and changes as the farm grows andthe needs of HFS (our other primary outlet) shift.

● Harvest needed items on Monday, Tuesday (primary harvest days) and periodicallythroughout the week (for crops such as zucchini, tomato and beans) , Wednesday isCSA packing day

● CSA packing occurs at the Douglas Head House, in the spacious room outside of thefarm offices suite. This space provides easy access to our farm cooler & dry storage aswell as the farm truck which can be parked right outside the open garage doors.

A beautiful late August UW Farm CSA boxwith heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers, hot

peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, kale,salad mix and basil!

167


CSA Packing Process

1. Prepare Douglas Head House for CSA packing by:a. Lining up and pushing together all of the center tables into one long rectangleb. Move all the chairs out of the way to ensure easy access to the tablec. Using a bleach solution (1 cap-full of bleach per gallon of water) & a rag,

thoroughly wipe down all surfaces of the tables and all adjacent counters that willbe used for produce processing & packing

2. Use a whiteboard to write out in big font what this week’s CSA will contain and order thislist from heaviest/sturdiest/largest item to least sturdy. Also write the quantity of each.

a. List Ex:i. Summer squash mixed (2 count)ii. Cucumbers mixed (2 count)iii. Kale (1 bunch)iv. Heirloom tomatoes (3 lbs in brown paper bag)v. Cherry tomatoes (1 lbs in carton)

vi. Bell peppers (3)vii. Hot peppers assorted (10)viii. Salad mix (1 lbs bag)ix. Basil (1 bunch)

b. ALL PRODUCE MUST BE WEIGHED AND COUNTED before packing. Oftenitems are weighed at the wash pack but sometimes weighing is left for CSApacking day. The weight of our standard Harvest tote is 4.5 lbs, take that intoaccount when weighing

i. After weighing and counting determine how much or how many of eachitem is available for each share. For example if the team harvested 50 lbsof salad mix and there are 100 CSA shares, each share will get a .5 lbsbag of salad mix.

ii. Certain items including salad mix, beans, cherry tomatoes, plumbs, etc.will need to be processed into individual bags or cartons before CSApacking can begin

3. Once each produce item is individually ready to be packed (salad mix bagged, beansbagged, tomatoes counted & bagged, etc) line up all the produce items on the centertables from heaviest/sturdiest/largest item farthest from the garage doors to lightest itemclosets to the garage doors

a. Set up all these items such that they only take up half of the table (width-wise).This will allow you to slide a CSA tote the length of the table as you add items

4. On the far side of the table (farthest from the garage doors) stack the correct number ofSANITIZED CSA totes. On the near side (closest to the garage doors) stack the correctnumber of SANITIZED CSA tote lids. Finally, next to the near side of the table positionthe wheeled cart for easy trucking back and forth to the cooler.

168


Farm team counts and bags peppers for CSA

5. Now you are ready to begin packing:a. Each crew member will pack one CSA at a timeb. Start at the far end of the table and grab a CSA tote. Line the tote with the CSA

bag (Note in 2021 liner bag will be eliminated as a pilot project to reduce plastics)c. Slide the CSA tote down the length of the table, adding the correct quantity of

each item to the bag along the wayi. Note: try to add items in a strategic way such that no produce items are

being squashed under the weight of others and everything fits snuggly inthe bag

d. Once all items have been added, tuck the opening of the CSA bag (if used) intothe box and lid the box using one of the Sanitized CSA tote lids

e. Add the finished box to the CSA carti. Note: once the cart is full (boxes stacked three high) bring CSA boxes to

coller and unloadii. NOTE: Carts can become front (non-handle side) heavy, in which case

they can tip over, dumping all the boxes on the floor! Be careful to avoidthis

f. Move back to the far side of the table and repeat steps a.) - e.) until the correctnumber of CSA shares have been packed

169


6. Once all CSA shares are packed, clean Douglas Head House:a. Wipe down all surfaces of produce debrisb. Sweep floorsc. Put away all farm itemsd. Put chairs and tables back into original position

7. About an hour before shareholders are scheduled to pick up their shares (usually1:30-2pm in the afternoon), all shares will be removed from the cooler and loaded intothe back of the farm truck for delivery to the two pick up locations:

a. The UW Farm offers CSA pick up at the CUH farm site and on the main campusat the UW Club. Shareholders indicate when ordering the CSA which site theywill pick up from thus it is important to ensure that the correct number of CSAshares are left at each site.

b. A clipboard is left at each site for shareholders to sign off on getting their boxes.This way, if there are boxes left behind, farm staff knows and can contactshareholders that did not pick up.

8. On the day following CSA day (Thursday), the farm team will drive in the farm truck tothe pick up sites and retrieve all the CSA totes (shareholders only take home the bags).

UW Farmers arange CSA items on Douglas head house tables for packing. Note the high level of organization andthe space left on the near side of the table for CSA totes to be slid along as packers add produce items.

170


Student Leadership & Community

171


On Farm Leadership

While the UW Student Farm is production focused and grows tons of produce eachseason, equally important is the farm's educational, curricular and community value. Eachseason, thousands of students interact with the farm through service learning opportunities, labs& field trips for their classes, simply showing up to volunteer or even just socializing at pizzabakes & other community events. Beyond students, the farm serves as a broader communityhub - volunteers from around Seattle (and sometimes around the world) come to participate inurban food production on our campus farm. Effectively utilizing this high level of communityengagement is how much of the labor at the farm gets accomplished. Additionally, communitysupport and excitement is instrumental in ensuring the farm program thrives and has thegreatest positive impact.

As a UW Farm student leader, it's vital to build skills around effectively leading students& volunteers in the field. Additionally, it is important to maintain a focus on building community,sharing knowledge and creating an inclusive environment. The following section includes tips onhow to build these skills and create a positive farm environment!

Farm staff leading a tour of the CUH farm for students & volunteers

172


In-field instruction of Volunteers & Students

Tips & Rules

1. Always Have a Plan: At the beginning of each day of field work, whether there will bevolunteers and students showing up or not, it is important to establish a work plan. Thiswill include all the most important tasks that need to be accomplished on that day as wellas some bonus tasks to get to if there is extra time or people. Undoubtedly, the farmmanager will have the most insight on what tasks need to be completed on any givenday. Here are some tips on how to create an effective plan for the day:

a. Create the day’s work plan before volunteers start showing up - it is vital togive the leadership team time to get organized and think through the day beforevolunteers start showing up.

b. Prioritize the work plan - write tasks in order of urgency; what needs to getaccomplished the most first and the least crucial tasks at the end.

c. Think about numbers - plan for how many farm leaders you will have presenton a given day, how many people will be useful for each task and how manyvolunteers/students are expected to show up. For example, if there are 3 studentstaff present on a work day, you will likely want to have three groups working onvarious tasks - each student staff leading a group of volunteers. However, if thereis a high labor and urgent task to complete (such as setting up a trellising systemor washing a large quantity of produce) you may want to have everyone workingon that task.

d. Always have a bonus/gravy item - you never know when a large number ofpeople are going to unexpectedly show up at the farm. When this happens, it canbe stressful and chaotic if there is not enough for these folks to do. So, youalways want to have a bonus item on your to do list that a lot of people can workon. Some popular go-tos are:

i. Weeding/removing thistles & blackberry from around the farmii. Weeding perennialsiii. Re-woodchipping pathwaysiv. Hauling/moving heavy materials

2. Set Up the Space Before Volunteers Show Up: The key to a smooth running operationis to have the space fully set up before volunteers show up:

a. Have each task “station” set up with all the tools needed for the number ofpeople who will be working there - this may include hand tools, wheelbarrows,weed buckets, harvest totes… really just everything you will need to completethat task. Have all these items ON SITE, for example, if one group will beweeding onions, have all the weeding tools set up next to the onion bed.

3. Divide & Delegate: Often, the most efficient way to complete tasks with volunteers onthe farm is to divide into groups and delegate responsibility. Especially if there are more

173


experienced volunteers who have been to the farm many times, volunteers can take onresponsibility and leadership to save farm staff from being overextended trying tomanage many different groups. People are our greatest resource, use them!

4. Think Ahead: Always be thinking ahead when leading volunteers and students in thefield. If you are nearing the end of a task with a group of volunteers, begin thinking aboutwhat will happen next, ask yourself:

a. After we finish this task, would it be a good time to take a water/snack/bathroombreak?

b. Is there enough time in the day for us to start a new project?c. Should we split up and help other groups with their projects?d. Is there anything urgent that still needs to get done today?

If you decide to start a new project with your group, set up the new task asvolunteers are finishing the first one. Split off from your team and arrange everythingneeded for the new task.

5. Be Inclusive: Staring and leading volunteer shifts with intention can go a long waytowards building community and creating positive experiences for folks involved. Hereare a few simple tips for being inclusive:

a. Names & pronouns - Begin each volunteer shift by having everyone stand in acircle. Then, go around and have everyone share their names, pronouns &perhaps a personal or fun question (what program are they in, what is theirfavorite vegetable, etc.). When working with volunteers and students in the field,be sure to continue asking people their names until you remember. Thissimple gesture can go a long way towards building inclusivity. If a volunteershows up mid-shift, be sure to take a pause from what you are doing to ask thenewcomer their name and get them oriented.

b. Conversation - Farm work entails long hours spent in the field and when thesehours involve multiple people working together - as is almost always the case atthe UW Farm - conversations often abound. As a student farm leader, it isimportant to create conversion space that is inclusive to all peopleinvolved:

i. Avoid talking about inside jokes or inside information with other farm“insiders” or friends

ii. Try to keep the conversation in an appropriate realm and be mindful ofpeople’s varying level of comfortability around more sensitive topics

iii. Make an active effort to include people in the conversation, especiallythose who seem shy

iv. Try to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to talk aboutfood systems, agriculture, urban farming, etc!

c. How to Correct Someone Correctly - correcting a volunteer when they aredoing something wrong can often feel uncomfortable, but there are ways toapproach doing so that can make it much more pleasant for everyone:

174


i. Address the volunteer by name and with a pleasant toneii. Remember this is a teaching farm, there is room for mistakes, nothing

anyone does wrong is too seriousiii. Rather than saying “don’t do that” or “you’re doing that wrong”, say “what

you’re going to want to do here is…”iv. Acknowledge that the volunteer may never have farmed before and you

should have explained the task in more detailv. Explain why what they were doing is wrong so that they learn and

remember for next time. For ex. “We try only to step on the pathways andnot on the beds because we don’t want to compact the soil in the beds.Compacted soil is a much tougher environment for crop roots todevelop...”

Farm Staff working alongside a volunteer to plant lettuce starts

6. Instruction tips:a. Begin each day with a circle - gather all volunteers around, have everyone

share their name, pronouns, etc. Then, cover the basic information:i. This is the UW Student farmii. Point out to people where the tool shed is, where the toilet is, where they

can take a break and leave their belongings, where they can get waterand wash their hands, etc.

iii. Go over the agenda for the day in brief

175


b. Explain things in detail first - this might be THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECEOF INFORMATION in this whole section:

i. Start each task (whether you are with one volunteer or 20) bycarefully explaining in GREAT detail how to accomplish the task.The better and more detailed description you give initially, the lesspeople will have questions throughout the process.

1. Use this framework: I do (demonstrate), we do together, you do onyour own, I check what you do for understanding

c. Have fun and connect with people! Volunteers and students will often matchthe energy of leadership. If student farm leaders have a positive attitude, arehaving fun and making an effort to connect, the field work day almost alwaysgoes better!

Planning & keeping field work organized often goes more smoothly with the use of a white board!

176


UW Farm Community

Indigenous Relations & Partnerships

Written by Sierra Red Bow, UW Farm Food Sovereignty Lead 2020-21

BeginningsThe partnership between the UW Farm and the Indigenous community began in 2018 after anMOU was signed in 2017 between the Intellectual House and the UW Farm. This wasspearheaded by the Tribal Liaison, Iisaaksiichaa Ross Braine (Apsáalooke), Student Assistantof wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House, Sierra Campbell (Apsáalooke) and Tom Hinckley, professorat UW and donor. They sought to advance the food sovereignty movement on campus throughpartnership with the UW Farm among other food centered and educational efforts. This wasfurthered by Student Lead of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House Kamaka’ike/Natalie Bruecher(Kanaka Maoli) in 2019 and Magnus Jim (Navajo, Dine’) in 2020.

Our Shared History2017-2018Sierra Campbell was the first farm Lead to plant crops. In 2018, the first indigenous crops wereplanted at Mercer Court and CUH by Michael Yates, Sierra Campbell and Iisaaskiichaa workedthe beds. These crops were consumed at the Taking Back The Dinner. Sierra and Kamaka’ikehammered in the claim stake, ironic though true, which was a bed marker labeled withLushootseed language indicating the crop and the Intellectual House beds. Sierra served on theUW Farm Manager hiring committee at the end of her time as farm lead, Spring 2018.

2018-2019UW Farm Manager finds a Letter of Intent in farm archives and writes the first CSF grant forfunding for a student Farm lead within the Intellectual House membership. Kamaka’ike wasdesignated as the first farm lead - she harvested plants for the first time at CUH and Mercer.She cooked food from the harvest to feed the community on multiple occasions, Squash breadand potatoes.

2019-2020Magnus was the second paid student worker serving over the Spring and Summer 2020. AfterMagnus graduated, Autumn Forespring (Cowlitz) stepped up as a volunteer and oversaw thecrop all summer and into the harvest of 2020.

In February the first Wapato (duck potato) is planted. “Muck” from Lake Washington, isharvested from the UNBA shoreline and troughs are used to establish a nursery

2020-2021

177


In the Fall quarter, Sierra Red Bow took over managing the Native garden and became thefourth Native Garden lead. The position is re-named Food Sovereignty Liaison, to reflect therigorous demands of the position (to coordinate the partnership between the wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ andUW Farm).

wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ - Intellectual Housewǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House is a longhouse-style facility on the UW Seattle campus. Itprovides a multi-service learning and gathering space for American Indian and Alaska Nativestudents, faculty and staff, as well as others from various cultures and communities to cometogether in a welcoming environment to share knowledge. wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House Ishome to the Tribal Liaison, a team of staff who run the facility, and the broader Indigenouscommunity who come to know it as the Indigenous center on campus.

● Intellectual house website:https://www.washington.edu/diversity/tribal-relations/intellectual-house/

First Nations @ UWFirst Nations is one of several Indigenous RSOs on campus. It is a legacy group which meansthat it is one of the original ethnic cultural organizations that were born out of the student-ledactivism of the late 1960s/early 70s. The same calls for change that organized these studentgroups established the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity in 1970.

Historically, First Nations has been in charge of holding the Spring Powwow annually, however,their commitment is first and foremost to their community. Building a community that cares forthe holistic health and success of Indigenous students on this campus is at the core of whatFirst Nations strives to be.This includes:

● Providing a community for Native American and Alaska Native students to help themsucceed in higher education.

● Reaching out to Native American and Alaska Native communities to help our youthcontinue on into higher education so that they may return and strengthen our Nativenations.

● Bringing awareness of Native peoples and issues to the University community.● Making alliance with non-Native student groups to pursue common goals.

Official website: https://sites.uw.edu/fnuw/Recognition from the UW Daily:https://www.dailyuw.com/features/article_f2eb4c50-9d03-5fe7-883c-e0bdfd676147.html

Building Relations & Navigating Partnership

178

https://www.washington.edu/diversity/tribal-relations/intellectual-house/

https://sites.uw.edu/fnuw/

https://www.dailyuw.com/features/article_f2eb4c50-9d03-5fe7-883c-e0bdfd676147.html


In 2017 the UW farm and wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ signed a memorandum of understanding which laid thefoundation for working with the Indigenous community and our plant relatives. It specifies thatspace will be designated for indigenous food growing and activities and not for research.

Please keep in mind that:● We are not a research subject, neither are our plant people● Respect our privacy. Please ask before taking photos or videos.● For Interview requests, please email the current Food Sovereignty Liaison and Tribal

Liaison, requests will be reviewed on an individual basis. We do not hold interviews inthe month of November.

Wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ - Intellectual House Native Garden

AboutIn 2018, the wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ - Intellectual House partnered with the UW Farm to create thewǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Native Garden, a plot dedicated to growing traditional foods utilizing Indigenousgrowing practices and ways of knowing. This partnership has blossomed into the IndigenousFood Pathway Program whose mission is to create spaces where students, staff, faculty, andcommunity members can learn about, grow, and consume traditional food. Aims includeadvancing food security, self-determination, and holistic health all of which are critical torevitalizing Indigenous lifeways and decolonizing food pathways at UW.

DimensionsThe plot measures approximately 2,575 ft. and is still growing. Prior to the Native Garden, theplot was originally managed by Seattle Youth Garden Works. In 2012 that program was adoptedby Seattle Tilth, now Tilth Alliance, a nonprofit. That program folded in 2017 and was returned toUW. Because the farm applied for organic status in 2019, the area is referred to on crop rotationmaps as plot “I.”

FundingKamaka’ike/Natalie Bruecher and Perry Acworth received funding for the Native Garden in 2018which has sustained our work into 2021. Staff are making progress to secure additional fundingto increase security and accessibility at the Native Garden, as well as expand food distributionand educational programming (Food Pathway Program).

Relationality

Shared Land and Waters

179


Relationality is central to Indigenous lifeways including our epistemology (knowledge system),pedagogy (teaching/learning), and methodology (way of doing things). For our Coast Salishrelatives, they have an ancestral connection to place and intergenerational knowledge that isendemic to the Salish Sea. So when we talk about our priorities as to what we grow and how wegrow, relationality, respect, and reciprocity spring to mind. Through community outreach,research, and hands-on learning, the Food Sovereignty Liaison facilitates collective learning.We learn from all our relations extending beyond people to our plant and animal relatives. AsLeanne Simpson (Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg) has said “land is pedagogy” and we have manyrelatives we have learned from since time immemorial.

Indigenous Growing PracticesIndigenous growing practices implemented at the garden include but are not limited tomoundwork, companion planting, and polyculture. To learn more, come volunteer with theNative Garden!

Plant RelativesWhat we choose to plant is based on community stakeholder sessions and surveys. Growingpriorities include:

● Indigenous Plants of the Pacific Northwest (Salmonberry, Camas, Wapato, etc.)● Foods Indigenous to the Americas (Corns, Beans, Squash, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Chilis,

Cacao, Vanilla, Allspice, etc.)● Plants used medicinally or in ceremony (Devi’s Club, Stinging Nettle, Sage, Tobacco,

Sweetgrass)● Seeds traded through community (Ex. Pigeon Beans from the Abenaki Community/Yale

Garden)We do not support GMO seed, we prioritize organic seed (which is aligned with the UW Farm),and most often our seeds are heirloom (old seeds that predate industrial agriculture) by nature.

180


UW Farm & UW Food Pantry Partnership

OverviewThe UW Food Pantry is our on-campus pantry

providing free food to UW Students, faculty and staffwho are experiencing food insecurity. The pantry is partof the Any Hungry Husky initiative which aims to providethe UW campus with “hunger relief free of judgment orstigma” (Any Hungry Husky Website) among otherthings. The pantry offers a safe and welcoming spacefor anyone with a UW ID to come and shop for free fooditems on a weekly basis. The mission of this project is tominimize the barriers to student success, reduce stigmaassociated with food insecurity and provide food for adiverse set of cultural backgrounds all within the modern American context in which 15-20% ofcollege students have experienced food insecurity at some point in their lives.

(Below) UW Pantry volunteer cleans carrots for the pantry! Relationship with the UW FarmThe partnership between the UW Farmand the UW Food Pantry is vital because itprovides pantry customers with freshproduce while also cutting down on farmwaste. For the past several years, farmproduce which is slightly too blemished forsale or which we have too much of, goesto the panty.

The relationship between farm andpantry has evolved a great deal since itsconception and in many ways we are stilldetermining the best method for gettingproduce to the pantry. In the 2019-20 &2020-21 growing seasons we launchedthe pantry gleaning team program whichhas volunteers directly from the pantrycome out to the farm to harvest gleaned(blemished or excess) produce, wash &

pack that produce and then take it back to the pantry.

Covid-19 ResponseDuring the Covid-19 pandemic HFS dining halls which normally buy significant produce

from the UW Farm stopped ordering. Many students were no longer on campus and operationswent online. Thus, many dining halls were shut down and orders of UW Farm produce went tozero. In response, the UW Farm directed significantly more produce to the UW Food Pantry.

181

https://www.washington.edu/anyhungryhusky/


The pantry saw an increase in visitors during the pandemic as UW community members lostwork and experienced other hardships which led to increased food insecurity. Thus, theincreased farm produce donations were welcomed. While the farm lost revenue, serving thepantry community during a time of hardship was in line with the farm’s values and is oneexample of how the farm can have a profound impact as a community resource.

Pantry Location: Poplar Hall 210, 1311 NE 41st St

Video for further information: here

182

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddVuhDgaDGc&t=4s


Dirty Dozen Farm Club

Way back in the early days of the farm, when it was completely student run, the DirtyDozen (DD) was the committee which handled all the farm work. There were originally 12 ofthem and the “dirty dozen” is a reference to the list of 12 produce items that are “dirtiest” ifnon-organic, hence the name. These students made crop plans, carried them out, planned workparties and generally ensured that the farm work got done and the produce “got grown”. Whenthe farm expanded and eventually took on staff leadership, the DD fell to the wayside. Therewas no longer the need nor the ability for students to run all the farming operations.

However, after 2013 as student involvement in the farm ebbed and flowed, peoplerealized that there was a need for there to still be a group of students dedicated to the farm.Afterall, some of the core original missions of the UW Farm were to create a space on campusfor students to have autonomy, learn through experience and share knowledge amongstthemselves. If the farm lost critical student engagement, it would stray from this mission.Eventually, the dirty dozen was rebranded as a registered student organization associated withthe farm. In 2018, this mission statement was established by the club:

The dirty dozen is a student organization committed to engaging in the full cycle of thefood system from seed saving, to growing food, to cooking and sharing what we grow, tofostering critical discussion and educational opportunities relating to the food system asa whole. We do so by engaging with the UW farm and building a stoked communityaround agriculture and food!!

Dirty Dozen club members soil block in the clubhouse! Making starts for their garden!

183


The dirty dozen today is part social club (responsible for hosting pizza bakes and othercommunity meal events), part gardening & food club (we cultivate our own small plot at theMercer Court Farm and host events such as pickling parties and potlucks) and part farm support(we try to lend a hand when the farm needs volunteers and help out in other ways). With our tinyplot - plot 1.7 at Mercer Court - we get to replicate some of the student autonomy that wasinherent in the early days of the farm. Here we can grow whatever we want, harvest and sharefood amongst ourselves and generally experiment with gardening & farming techniques.

The dirty dozen today aims to support the farm in several key ways. By hosting pizzabakes and other community meal events, we work to create an engaged community around thefarm. By inviting people into the community to socialize and connect, we aim to increase farminvolvement and increase pathways for people to eventually become farm leaders. For example,many of the farm student staff over the past several seasons originally got involved with thefarm through the dirty dozen. Additionally, we use our base of club members to mobilize for thefarm when need be.

Essential Dirty Dozen practices:1. Weekly meetings at the clubhouse: the clubhouse is the farm storage room at the

Mercer court farm. It also serves as the dirty dozen clubhouse where we hold weeklymeetings to make consensus based decisions about everything from our garden to pizzabakes!

2. Stewarding our garden: plot 1.7 at mercer court, right outside the clubhouse3. Running pizza bakes4. Engaging in the UW Food system in other ways!5. Supporting the UW Farm: club leadership should always be in contact with the UW

Farm manager and staff about ways the club can help support the farm!

Dirty Dozener’s smile for the camera at a DD pickling party!

184


Pizza Bake Guide

One of the most important things the dirty dozen club does is host pizza bakes at theCUH UW Farm. These events help build community around the farm and offer opportunities fornew participants to get socially connected. They are also incredibly fun and rewarding, offeringan opportunity to share UW Farm produce baked onto fresh out of the oven pizzas! It doesn'tget more farm to table than the table being on the farm!

A beautiful thin crusted pizza (with lots of cornmeal underneath) baking in the UW Farm cob oven!

Pizza bake traditions/tips:● It is tradition that ALL pizzas at pizza bakes are to be communally shared. While

everyone who attends should get the chance to create a pizza, when it comes out of theoven it should be sliced up and shared.

● Learn from those before you: The best way to learn how to operate the cob oven, runa pizza bake, and run community events generally is to learn by doing. Student mentorswithin the farm community should pass on knowledge to the next generation andyounger students should seek out these mentors to learn from!

● Keep the oven HOT: essential. Keeping the oven hot is the only way to ensure thatyou’ll be able to quickly and evenly bake pizzas, don’t be afraid to add more wood!

185


● CORNMEAL is key: Raw pizzas will not slide off the paddle easily without aGENEROUS amount of cornmeal… never let anyone put a raw pizza on a paddlewithout cornmeal underneath

● Roll out that dough THIN: thick dough topped with sauce and toppings simply won’tcook evenly in the cob oven… it's important to remind everyone that the best bakingresults will come from thinly rolled dough!

● Portion pizza dough before hand: to avoid having a ton of people stick their dirtyhands into the dough and grab variously sized portions, it is a good idea to portion thedough out before hand. A .5 lbs (250 gram) dough ball should make a good 10in pizza,but all dough is different so experiment beforehand! Once you have a good sized doughball, measure out all the dough into neat balls before people come to the pizza bake.

Students and community members gathered around the cob oven enjoying a pizza bake!

Step-by-step pizza bake process:1. As a club, establish at the beginning of each quarter how many pizza bakes you’ll have

and when you’ll have thema. Generally, more pizza bakes are hosted in fall and spring than winter. In winter it

is often quite cold to be outside for long periods of time, it gets dark early andthere is less produce from the farm to be used on pizzas.

186


b. Once a month is a popular and manageable frequencyc. Fridays are always fun!

2. A couple weeks before the event, post about it on social media, send out an email to thegroups email list, post physical flyers and/or promote the event however you choose!

3. At least one week before the event, establish which club members will be responsible forvarious aspects of the event. Generally, you’ll need:

a. 1-2 people to make the pizza dough the night beforeb. 1-2 people to shop for ingredients such as sauce and cheesec. 1 person to come 2 hours before the event to start the fired. 2-3 people to come 30 minutes before the event to set upe. 3-5 people who will take shifts manning the oven during the eventf. 3-5 people to help clean up (hopefully, everyone at the event will help clean up

but it's good to have people signed up to facilitate4. The night before the event, make the pizza dough (see instructions below)5. At least 2 hours before the event, start the fire in the cob oven:

a. Completely uncover the oven and make sure nothing flammable/meltable istouching it

b. Start by establishing a small fire with newspaper & kindling directly in the centerof the over, then gradually add larger pieces of wood until you have a roaring fire

c. Let a large fire burn in the center of the oven for at least an hour, this will bringthe oven up to temperature

d. Immediately before the first pizza is to be baked, use the oven brush or otheroven tools to move the burning logs and charcoal around the edges of the ovensuch that there is a round opening in the middle for pizzas

6. 30 minutes before the event is to begin set up the wash-pack:a. Use a bleach sanitizer solution to sanitize all surfacesb. Arrange materials on the center wash-pack tables:

i. Farthest from the cob oven place the dough, the large wooden cuttingboards, the rolling pins, flour & cornmeal - this is where the pizzas will berolled out

ii. Next arrange all the toppings in the center so that people can create theirpizzas as they move along down the line

iii. Finally, nearest the cob oven have some space for pizzas to waiton-paddle before going into the oven

c. Place pizza stones, pizza cutters & plates on the metal tables at the north end ofthe washpack - this is where pizzas will go after being pulled out of the oven

7. While the pizza bake is running:a. Remind everyone in attendance:

i. roll out their pizza dough VERY THIN, otherwise it won’t cook well inthe oven

ii. Use LOTS of cornmeal between the pizza paddle and the dough,otherwise the pizza will stick to the paddle

187


b. Pizzas are cooked by being slid into the oven using a pizza paddle. When theoven is really hot, it will only take a few minutes to cook each pizza. After slidinginto the oven, let the pizza cook for a couple minutes, then prod with the paddleto see if it's ready to be rotated. Its ready to rotate when it is easy to move withthe paddle

i. Note: pizzas are done when their crust has risen and is slightly chardii. Note: rotate each pizza to ensure it is cooked evenly!

c. To keep pizzas cooking quickly, you MUST KEEP THE OVEN HOT. Don’t beafraid to add more wood to the fire if the temperature is dropping

d. If there is room, cook two pizzas at oncee. Working the oven is a very hot job - the oven reaches up to 600-700 degrees

fahrenheit and it releases sweltering heat waves. To ensure safety, trade off onwho is working the oven

i. Note: pizza bake attendees often want to work the oven and bake pizzasand they should! However, there is a learning curve to understanding howto work the oven, not to mention its so hot it can be dangerous. So,always make sure someone who is new to the process has a mentor toguide them for their first time

8. Clean-up:a. Use wash-pack sinks to clean all dishes with soap and waterb. Put all pizza bake supplies back into the pantry or bring to Douglas Head Housec. Use pressurized hose to clean off all wash pack tablesd. Sort all waste into recycling or trash then, take trash and recycling bags to the

dumpsters at the east entrance of the farm near the CUH buildingsi. It is very important to take the waste to the dumpsters! Otherwise rodents

and other animals will get into the farm bins and make a huge mess!9. Putting the fire out:

a. When all pizzas are cooked, spread out the coals in oven such that they cooldown

b. Fill a METAL wheelbarrow halfway with water from a hosec. Scoop all coals from the fire into the wheelbarrow such that the water cools them

downd. Brush out oven with cob brush such that no coals or debris remain insidee. Dump charcoal + water out onto the grass lawn south of the farmf. DO NOT cover the cob oven again until the next day when it has fully cooled

down10. Make sure everything at the farm is locked up before going home!

188


Farm staff member works the cob oven

Overnight pizza dough recipe:This overnight pizza dough is really easy and convenient! You can just make it and let it riseovernight for use the following day or evening.The recipe is in percentages so that you canscale it to make any amount of dough you want.

Ingredients● 100% flour● 56% water● 2% oil (olive is preferred)● 1.75% salt● 0.375% yeast

Ingredients for 12 (10 in) pizzas● 1400g flour● 840g water● 30g Olive oil● 26g salt● 6g yeast

Directions1. Prepare a large clean surface for working (table top or countertop is fine, just give

yourself plenty of space)

189


2. In a LARGE bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, yest) with a fork or whisk.BE SURE that the ingredients are evenly mixed before continuing

3. Add oil and 1⁄4 of the water and begin mixing with a wooden spoon4. Gradually add the rest of the water as you keep mixing5. When the dough becomes too thick to work it with the spoon, dump it out onto your clean

WELL FLOURED surface. Use your spoon or clean hands to scrape out excess doughleft in the bowl

6. Begin kneading the dough with clean hands by applying pressure to the center of thedough ball, then folding one side of the ball over the other and pressing down again

a. Throughout the kneading process you will need to continuously add flour to yourkneading surface and to the dough ball in order to prevent the dough fromsticking to the surface or your hands

7. Continue kneading until the dough is well combined, uniform and bouncy (re-expandsafter being compressed). In total you should be kneading for 5-10 minutes

8. Once the dough has fully come together, form it into a ball and place it into a clean,floured bowl. Place a clean dish towel over the bowl and leave your dough to rise in aroom temperature or warmer spot until ready to use.

Funding & SuppliesUnfortunately, running pizza bakes cost money. There is a need to purchase ingredients

for dough, sauce & cheese as well sometimes firewood. Here are some tips for getting fundingand supplies:

1. Ask UW arborists to drop off wood from trimmings around campus… free wood!a. The campus arborists cut down a lot of trees and in the past, they have been

willing to drop off some of their cuttings at the farm so that we can use them forfirewood!

2. Have a donation box/venmo sign at pizza bakesa. While we want these events to be free and open to all, some folks might want to

chip in to keep them going! Make an announcement at every pizza bake thatfolks are welcome to donate if they wish!

3. Ask everyone to bring a couple ingredientsa. If everyone chips in by bringing some sauce or cheese, abundance will abound!

4. Fundraise, In the past we have fundraised in a couple ways:a. Making pickles from UW Farm excess end of season produce and then selling

them at the Farm to Table Dinnerb. Partnering with the UW Farm on a spring plant sale → dirty dozen students help

run the sale and then the farm and the club split the earnings!

Supplies you will always need before a pizza bake:1. Firewood2. Cornmeal3. Flour

190


Inclusivity and activities

Pizza bakes are fundamentally about building community and increasing engagement inthe farm. Thus, student leaders should be mindful about creating an inclusive and activatedspace at these events. Here are some tips for doing so:

1. Always offer a farm tour: At every pizza bake there may be people who have neverbeen to the farm before and may want to learn more about it. So, at each pizza bake onestudent leader should make an announcement that a tour will be led around the CUHsite at a given time (maybe 1 hour into the event so people have time to eat some pizzafirst). Use these tours as an opportunity to answer questions about the farm!

2. Have an activity or discussion planned: to build engagement it can be a good idea tohave a simple activity or discussion planned. At a predetermined time in the pizza bake,have people get into groups of three or four and pose a discussion prompt orget-to-know you activity. It can be as simple as that! Or you can get more creative andcomplicated… just be sure there is some intentional time at every pizza bake so thatnew folks don’t feel excluded!

3. Student leaders and dirty dozen folk should make an effort to talk to newcomers:this is really important. As a student leader it is your job to welcome new people onto thefarm… which is their farm too! At each pizza bake, student leaders should intentionallywelcome and introduce themselves to newcomers.

Student leaders lead a tour at a back-to-school pizza bake!

191


Student Involvement & Leadership Flow Chart

Link to Google Sheets, editable version with active links: Student Involvement Flow Chart

This chart was created in 2019 by Aisling Doyle Wade as part of a Jackson MunroeService Fellowship project aimed at increasing student ownership & leadership at the UW Farm.The purpose of creating this flowchart was to more clearly define all the ways students at theUW can get involved in the farm and chart paths towards becoming farm leaders. The maintakeaways of this project were:

1. There are many entry points to the UW Farm community and students can becomeinvolved at whatever level works for them, whether that be the casual experience ofgetting involved with the Dirty Dozen, the academic experience of doing an internship orsimply just being a community volunteer.

2. Students can become leaders at the UW Farm by simply maintaining involvementover time, gaining skills and becoming a member of the community.

192

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19C87h2gGhG-YPA0TDhGGtFZHnqM5lDy4adg3Ng_vGr8/edit#gid=0


Addendums

Video Resource Appendix

Videos in order of appearance in document:1. Paperpot Transplanter

a. Video of PPT being used on UW Farm2. Earthway seeder

a. overview video, start at 3:00 minb. earthway being used on UW Farm

3. Jang seedera. Swapping out the gears: Video Resource

4. Paperpot transplanter videos:a. Full seed tray setup and field usageb. tips for starting and finishing a bedc. tips for greater efficiency

5. How-to, use a broad fork:a. Video resource: start at 55 seconds in for good visual

6. How-to, use an oscillating hoe:a. Video

7. How-to, hoes:a. Wire weeder: Videob. Wire Hooke n’ Cronke: videoc. Japanese hand hoe: short video

8. Hori hori: fun video9. Backpack flamer:

a. this video with explains all the basics10. Pyroweeder:

a. Video of Pyroweeder being used on UW Farm11. Tilther

a. Video of Tilther use on UW Farm12. BCS:

a. Video of BCS use in UW FARMb. Operating basics video made by BCS America

13. Post Pounder:a. Video resource from Tractor Supply Company

14. Extra weeding videos:a. Video: “Organic No-Till Weed Management” By the Rodale Institute

■ Example of sustainable management on larger scale, more traditionalfarms

○ Video: “Introduction to Weed Management in a Small Scale Organic ProductionSystem” By UC Santa Cruz

○ Videos of flame weeding on the UW Farm: Torch weeding, weeding with thepyroweeder

193

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTwX_epm5s8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhSDtl0ZbhY&t=618s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Y8F0kKOc4&t=9s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMSpN0E8_H8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgyPGqNhSDo


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV_yMThxYaM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp4hvcT9d_c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtFL2rHxjOc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_knX0wcerI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgwzdWQNkKo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5NOcuFT7j8



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G48GYb2-QnE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTTvt1XeuDs


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPaEsSJjR64

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkMB5meXMGg



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u_JuDsO3ZU




○ Video of weed management with cover-crop on UW Farm● Trellising

○ Top down trellising at the University of Maine, similar to our in-field method○ Hortinova/plastic mesh: Video resource: this method is similar to ours with a few

differences. It gives a good visualization of how to set up hortinova.● Quick-cut greens harvester: see official website● UW Food Pantry video: here

Additional Resources Appendix

Information on farm history & culture● Nina Arelin’s: “A Guide to the UW Farm Community”● UW Farm Official Website

Additional Standard Operating Procedures Resources● Johnny’s Selected Seeds company Paperpot Transplanter manual● Jang (seeder) manual - Manual, alternate manual (I like this one much better)● Earthway (seeder) - Manual● How-to, use a shovel: Extra resource● How-to, use a bed preparation rake to make rows:

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/● Club root overview: here● Silage tarp: Farmer’s Friend● Solarization: Texas A&M Resource.● Backpack flame weeder instructions: Johnny’s Manual● Pyroweeder instructions: Farmer’s Friend● Perennial weeds:

○ himalayan blackberry, thistle, bindweed, burdock, shotweed, galinsoga,lambsquarter

● Extra weeding resources:○ “Guide to Small-Scale Weeding & Cultivation Tools” By Johnny’s

■ Great examples of new innovations in efficient hand weeding○ “Flaming Stale Seedbeds for Weed Control” By the University of Vermont○ “Creating a Weed Management Plan for Your Organic Farm” By PennState

Extension● Trellising:

○ Drawing of a simple weave trellis, from University of New Hampshire extension○ Simple weave trellis: Reproduced from University of NH Extension

● UW Farm Perennials:○ Link maps, Made by Emily Campbell-Dangerfield○ See Capstone Project by Emily Campbell-Dangerfield for comprehensive guide

to caring for all UW Farm Perennials

194

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujxf9W3CQos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giJwIJSHoqo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZzMrFjSVkA

https://www.themarketgardener.com/qcgh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddVuhDgaDGc&t=4s

https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2018/08/Guide-to-the-UW-Farm-community.pdf


https://www.johnnyseeds.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-JSSSharedLibrary/default/dw30da6695/assets/information/7625-paperpot-use-instruction-manual.pdf

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/tools-supplies/jang-jp1-clean-seeder-operation-manual.html


https://www.johnnyseeds.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-JSSSharedLibrary/default/dw5d5f8d44/assets/information/earthway-seeder-assembly-operating-instructions.pdf

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/gardening/21017612/digging-do-s-and-dont-s


https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/brassicas-club-root


https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/gardening/soil-solarization/

https://www.activevista.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/JSS-neversink-farm-flame-manual.pdf

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1731383/Farmers-Friend-Pyroweeder.html?page=12#manual

https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/himalayan-blackberry

https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/canada-thistle

https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/field-bindweed

https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/weed/broadleaf/basal/cburdock.html

https://gardenmentors.com/garden-help/gardening-guidelines/managing-weeds-in-seattle-shotweed/

https://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/galinsoga.html

https://www.canr.msu.edu/weeds/extension/common-lambsquarters

https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/tools-supplies/weeding-cultivation-long-handled-tools.html

https://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/flameweeding.html

https://extension.psu.edu/creating-a-weed-management-plan-for-your-organic-farm



https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=d1f7ffbc59&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1692603718600847489&th=177d561d40b57081&view=att&disp=inline&realattid=165d5fb8255fa92b1651




Sources of Historical Documents regarding Coast Salish people and modern day regionsurrounding the UW Farm at the Center for Urban Horticulture, Union Bay (North)Collected by Perry Acworth UW Farm Manager, 2018-present

Coast Salish History near the UW Farm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duwamish_people

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Seattle_before_white_settlement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Bay_(Seattle) - Union Bay where CUH is located

http://coastsalishmap.org/Village_Descriptions_Duwamish-Seattle.htm#26Number 26 describes the native village at CUH and what is now the U-village

http://www.hiddenhydrology.org/waterlines-seattle-archaeology/Scroll down to maps, Union Bay. Note on one map (from “Waterlines”), north side, (green, bluecolors) indicating longhouses, as location “B.”Note “Yesler” on map above that one indicating lumber mill and railway system to South LakeUnion and beyond

https://www.burkemuseum.org/static/waterlines/project_map.htmlWaterlines project via Burke Museum. Farm is near “B” site of settlement of Coast Salishpeoples (what is now U-village). Note original water line vs today. Most of the Union Bay Naturalarea was under water before 1914. Farm is located in greenish area, old water’s edge near “B”

https://pauldorpat.com/seattle-now-then-archive/1982-08-08-the-montlake-isthmus-before-the-ship-canal/History of ‘”Little water” (Lake Union) and “Big Water”, (Lake Washington)Montlake Cut history

https://www.historylink.org/File/2487You have to scroll down where it mentions a village (What is now U-Village area) that was twoor three miles southwest of Sand Point was a village on Lake Washington bay (later calledUnion Bay). The people at this village were called the Sk-tahl-mish and were one of the 22tribes listed in the January 22, 1855 Point Elliott Treaty made between the United States and thenorth Puget Sound Indians. There were numerous spellings for this tribe, among them,S’ke-tehl-mish, Thuwi’thalbsh, Ska-wamish, Skaquahmish, and Swo-Kwabish.

In the summer of 1856, David S. Maynard (1808-1873) counted just 16 members of theSk-tahl-mish village, whose elder was Chatskanam. It is unknown how accurate Maynard’scensus was but it is likely that the population was much larger. The so-called Indian War of

195

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duwamish_people

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Seattle_before_white_settlement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Bay_(Seattle)

http://coastsalishmap.org/Village_Descriptions_Duwamish-Seattle.htm#26

http://www.hiddenhydrology.org/waterlines-seattle-archaeology/

https://www.burkemuseum.org/static/waterlines/project_map.html

https://pauldorpat.com/seattle-now-then-archive/1982-08-08-the-montlake-isthmus-before-the-ship-canal/

https://pauldorpat.com/seattle-now-then-archive/1982-08-08-the-montlake-isthmus-before-the-ship-canal/

https://www.historylink.org/File/2487


1855-1856 dispersed the population, and during the previous three-quarters of a centurysmallpox, measles, and other European diseases had decimated Western Washington Indianpopulations, likely including those at Sk-tahl-mish. Remnants of this group remained on UnionBay till the beginning of the twentieth century.

Landfill History of UW Farm

https://fieldnotesjournal.org/ubnaHistory of Union Bay Natural Area including photos of Landfill

http://www.thecascadiacourier.com/2012/07/living-with-garbage.htmlHistory of the “dump” – opened in 1926, closed in 1971. Farm now occupies space between thelandfill and old GI housing complex (what is now CUH). Scroll down to see “Montlake Dumpafter WWII photo” – that is area where UW Farm is now located.

https://www.historylink.org/File/10182University of Washington records – history of Union bay Natural area including the “dump.”Great photos. Scroll down to the 1932 photo and see the “light patch” which clearly locates thedump at what is now the UW Farm

https://www.ehs.washington.edu/system/files/resources/montlake.pdfUniversity makes Montlake Landfill Project Guide, environmental remediation. Scroll down toFigure 1. Excellent outline of the dump in total.

https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/03/Pond.2019.03.27.UWERSymposium.pdfGreat Powerpoint with history of Union Bay Natural Area, Center for Urban Horticulture

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/trash-talk-wsu-coach-nick-rolovich-asked-if-husky-stadium-was-built-on-an-old-garbage-dump-heres-the-answer/Historic photos with bulldozers and seagulls on the dump

https://green.uw.edu/blog/2015-11/trash-treasure-union-bay-natural-areaVideo of dumping (pretty depressing music)

196

https://fieldnotesjournal.org/ubna?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTWpNMVkySXhOREJtTmpOaSIsInQiOiI2XC81bTVwSm9TQlZYRjVJSWhpancrU1NqcCtwRHRzM1U1OElBN3MxaWI0MXNBblA1b1RWZ0dsYkpZK3NHT216MVwvSGpQd242NnZIc05jNjRZSU41Z1ZWNjhoZitoN0lTRnpOMmZzNUh5aDAyRnFjRG9HUXZtRVFcL1Qyb3hlSWhvTyJ9

http://www.thecascadiacourier.com/2012/07/living-with-garbage.html

https://www.historylink.org/File/10182

https://www.ehs.washington.edu/system/files/resources/montlake.pdf

https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/03/Pond.2019.03.27.UWERSymposium.pdf

https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2019/03/Pond.2019.03.27.UWERSymposium.pdf

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/trash-talk-wsu-coach-nick-rolovich-asked-if-husky-stadium-was-built-on-an-old-garbage-dump-heres-the-answer/

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/trash-talk-wsu-coach-nick-rolovich-asked-if-husky-stadium-was-built-on-an-old-garbage-dump-heres-the-answer/

https://green.uw.edu/blog/2015-11/trash-treasure-union-bay-natural-area