way to grow news for urban gardeners AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | VOLUME 38 | NUMBER 10 Gardening for Climate Change Laura Matter, Garden Hotline Coordinator The past two summers’ high temperatures broke records. Tomatoes loved it. Before that, the warmest summer on record was in 1967. So far, June and have July hit record highs. Our familiar Northwest summers are changing. What’s wrong with early tomatoes? Nothing! But our warming summers indicate more changes to come. Climatologists’ research indicates an upward trend in global temperatures caused by carbon dioxide emissions. These Matthew McDermott, Jess Bitting and Emma Shorr (left to right) begin building the walk-in gasses accumulate in the atmosphere and cooler at our new warehouse in Rainier Beach neighborhood. warm the planet, leading to deforestation and loss of reflective glaciers -- warming the planet further. This heat may benefit Hello Food and Farm Hub the Northwest gardener for a few decades, increasing plant diversity and offering a Chris Iberle, Food Hub Manager longer growing season. But the benefit might be mitigated by challenges such What is cool as a walk-in cooler, attracts local farmers, delivers CSA boxes, makes juice and as the increase in pests that accompany sells chicken feed? A new Food and Farm Hub in Rainier Beach, that’s what! warmer and longer seasons. Severe weather Seattle Tilth Produce has been looking for space to pack our 300 CSA shares and 150 like hail, wind storms and wildfires will Good Food Bags, increase our cold storage and receive deliveries from local farmers. increasingly take their toll. The Northwest We’ve found our new home! will see increasing humidity while summers Seattle’s Southeast Effective Development (SEED) signed a master lease on the 5000 may get drier. Rain events will be heavier, square foot building. They welcomed Seattle Tilth Produce along with Juicebox, Seattle especially during the winter. Farm Co-op and City Fruit, establishing one of the first multi-use food spaces of its kind in Sounds dire, right? The good news is Seattle. What a great team! And we still have some space available for additional partners. we can utilize our gardens to mitigate Who’s interested? Email [email protected]. problems, even in a small way. As we Our team spent long hours building a big walk-in cooler and now we can receive fresh, make changes, we can encourage others organic produce and food from local farmers and then distribute it to the community. to do the same, magnifying the effect on Buyers include weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members, subsidized our environment at large. Following are Good Food Bag members and local restaurants. When construction begins at Rainier techniques you can try. Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands, a farm stand will open at the Food and Farm Hub as well! Experiment with new plants. Our Many small-scale farmers struggle to find adequate space for cold and dry storage, climate zone changed in the 2012 USDA packing and aggregation. Since Seattle Tilth Produce is sourcing food from many local Plant Hardiness map, netting a 5 degree farmers, we needed a larger space. A majority of the food comes from Seattle Tilth Farm F warmer zone. Look to the Southern Works in Auburn and Seattle Youth Garden Works in Rainier Beach and the University Oregon, California and Mediterranean District. plant palette for ideas. Many of these plants are more drought tolerant in dry summers. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 2 WAY TO GROW | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Cinnimin Avena Vice president Brad Kramer Construction Begins this Fall Branden Born Cameron Miller Elaine Chang Emily Neff Secretary Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Kate Delavan Tom Neir Katherine Fountain Mackinnon Sara Peters Amy Grooms Treasurer Joshua Piper Wetlands Gets a Facelift Jim Hook Jessica Rudder Barry Hoyne Liza Turley President Andrea Dwyer, Executive Director Tim Joyce STAFF After six long years of combined effort, Micah Anderson Education Manager, Seattle Tilth Farm Works we are on the verge of moving from vision Jessica Bitting Coordinator, Food Hub to reality at Rainier Beach Urban Farm Amanda Boyle Officer, Development and Wetlands. Thanks to the help and Liza Burke Director, Communications assistance of many key partners, we hope Andrea Platt Dwyer Executive Director to begin construction sometime this fall, Derek Farmer Coordinator, Just Garden Bethany Fong Registered Dietician completing the project in time to take Lauren Foster Coordinator, Executive & Community Engagement advantage of the 2016 growing season. Mike Gervais Program Coordinator, Children’s Garden The farm, which began as a vision of Emily Gordon Coordinator, Volunteer & Development the late Harry Hoffman, was quickly Paul Haas Consultant, Fundraising embraced by the community. Several Sue Hartman Educator, Garden Hotline Chris Hoffer Coordinator, Environmental Programs especially enthusiastic community Chris Iberle Manager, Food Hub members organized themselves into the Alex Kazer, Coordinator, Seattle Tilth Farm Works Friends of Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Renee Kok Deputy Director Wetlands, and began the arduous process Jenn Leach Manager, Environmental Programs of converting a vision into something real Justin Maltry Coordinator, Master Composter/Soil Builder and valuable. They continue their efforts Laura Matter Coordinator, Garden Hotline Kevin McAleese Communications Coordinator today, serving as a critical link to the Matthew McDermott Program Manager, Seattle Tilth Farm Works community. Melissa McGinn Educator, Garden Hotline As those entrusted with the day-to-day Maureen McGregor Administrative Coordinator operation of the farm, we at Seattle Tilth Maren Neldam Coordinator, Environmental Programs are committed to ensuring that the farm Kim Pitre Manager, Executive Admin & Operations adds maximum value to the community. This new gate is being installed on the Anthony Reyes Manager, Seattle Youth Garden Works Farm Kristen Roewer Program Manager, Seattle Youth Garden Works Besides growing and sharing food in the southeast side of Rainier Beach Urban Lia Spaniolo Coordinator, Seattle Tilth Farm Works neighborhood, we hope the farm will Farm, connecting the farm to Beer Sheva Sharon Siehl Director, Garden Programs contribute social, economic and ecological park. It was created by Jean Whitesavage Leika Suzumura Director, Cooking & Nutrition Programs benefits that reach far beyond the fields. and Nick Lyle. Jenny Thacker Officer, Corporate and Foundation Giving During construction, we will, by Carey Thornton Program Coordinator, Adult Education Alexandria Vickery, Coordinator, Children’s Education necessity, scale back on programming at the farm. School tours, youth employment and Katie Vincent Educator, Garden Hotline elder farming will all be constrained by the presence of heavy equipment and chain link fences. OFFICE HOURS AND PHONES Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. or by appointment Wetlands restoration will continue, solidifying the gains that have been made over the Office Phone (206) 633-0451 Garden Hotline (206) 633-0224 past six years. Volunteer work parties will be an important component of this ongoing seattletilth.org / seattletilthblog.org work (you can sign up online!). E-mail [email protected] ADDRESS Participants in our East 4649 Sunnyside Avenue North, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98103 African elder farming WAY TO GROW Sarah Kulfan Design/Production program learn about sorting Liza Burke Editor Printed by EcoGraphics garbage, recycling and yard Amanda Boyle Assistant Editor waste at the farm – in three Sharon Siehl Assistant Editor languages! Way To Grow is the bi-monthly newsletter of Seattle Tilth. Readers are encouraged to submit article ideas and photos c/o the editor at the address above or to [email protected]. Seattle Tilth reserves the right to edit submissions for interest, length and style, and print them as space allows. Printed with soy-based ink on forest friendly paper. The mission of Seattle Tilth is to inspire and educate people to safeguard our natural resources while building an equitable and sustainable local food system. WWW.SEATTLETILTH.ORG | SEATTLE TILTH 3 Faith in the Garden Marlena Nip, Food and Faith Coordinator, Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest explained, “We want our church garden to increase awareness in our community of the importance of growing food locally.” News of the garden project cultivated a surge of enthusiasm from church members. On May 16, many members worked together to build the new raised beds. The new WUU garden has bolstered the church’s social justice mission and engagement of members. The fresh produce will go to the West Seattle Food Bank and also to members of the WUU congregation. “We want our church garden to increase awareness in our Gardeners from Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation build garden beds as part community of the of a big garden building day with Just Garden in May. importance of growing As you walk through the streets of Seattle, take notice of the changing landscapes at neighborhood churches, mosques and synagogues. Houses of worship throughout food locally.” King County are teaming up with Seattle Tilth’s new program, the Food and Faith -Regina Brennan, WUU Initiative, to strengthen our local food system by growing fresh produce for those who are food insecure. Our Food and Faith Initiative provides support for faith-based organizations who Inspired by the momentum of the would like to grow food. This support can take many