A beginner's journey through urban farming (during a global pandemic)
Hello! My name is Hanna Lester and I am a second-year student at the University of Washington studying Economics and Environmental Studies. This past year, I have learned a lot about agriculture and the vital role it plays in our economy and our environment. The most important thing I learned this past year is that I know nothing about agriculture! I needed to change that. While I do not necessarily want to become a farmer professionally, I know that my field of work will involve making important decisions surrounding food production, land management, and how we can feed the world. I have seen too many politicians and other big people in suits making decisions on behalf of people and industries of which they have no practical understanding. How can I tell farmers what is best if I have never set food on their land, put my hands in their soil? How can I understand the ins and outs of agriculture if I have never grown something for myself? If I want to be a competent and inclusive voice within the field of environmental economics, I need to educate myself beyond the classroom. I knew just the class to take!
I had heard about the UW Farm and had even taken classes about farming in the past (all with the incredible Professor Eli Wheat), but I wanted to get more involved. I wanted to take a whole class on urban farming! So I signed up for ENVIR 240: The Urban Farm for Spring 2020, ready to work on the UW farm and learn all I need to know about farming. Easy enough, right? Well, as anyone else living during Spring 2020 would tell you, this time is anything but easy. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we do everything in our lives, including how we go to school and learn. UW's Spring Quarter was entirely online. How on earth was I going to get hands-on experience over my laptop? Well, it turns out, the pandemic allowed me to learn about farming in a way that was more hands-on than I ever could have imagined.
During my last class of my one-credit seminar called "Farm Lunch" last quarter (which was already online), I asked Eli how he planned on going forward with The Urban Farm class. He told me his thoughts, and I jokingly suggested that I could just make a farm in my own backyard. My mom was nearby and said it was a good idea, also presumably half-joking. Next thing I knew several tons of compost were being delivered to my backyard. As for how I got to that point and where I've gone since, we have this blog! Here, I will document my journey in going from zero experience growing food to creating a 400-square-foot urban farm in my own backyard.
Let's get started!
IMPORTANT NOTE: The dates on these posts are not accurate. I could not get the post displayed in chronological order without the dates being in reverse-chronological order, so keep that in mind as you read.
I had heard about the UW Farm and had even taken classes about farming in the past (all with the incredible Professor Eli Wheat), but I wanted to get more involved. I wanted to take a whole class on urban farming! So I signed up for ENVIR 240: The Urban Farm for Spring 2020, ready to work on the UW farm and learn all I need to know about farming. Easy enough, right? Well, as anyone else living during Spring 2020 would tell you, this time is anything but easy. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we do everything in our lives, including how we go to school and learn. UW's Spring Quarter was entirely online. How on earth was I going to get hands-on experience over my laptop? Well, it turns out, the pandemic allowed me to learn about farming in a way that was more hands-on than I ever could have imagined.
During my last class of my one-credit seminar called "Farm Lunch" last quarter (which was already online), I asked Eli how he planned on going forward with The Urban Farm class. He told me his thoughts, and I jokingly suggested that I could just make a farm in my own backyard. My mom was nearby and said it was a good idea, also presumably half-joking. Next thing I knew several tons of compost were being delivered to my backyard. As for how I got to that point and where I've gone since, we have this blog! Here, I will document my journey in going from zero experience growing food to creating a 400-square-foot urban farm in my own backyard.
Let's get started!
IMPORTANT NOTE: The dates on these posts are not accurate. I could not get the post displayed in chronological order without the dates being in reverse-chronological order, so keep that in mind as you read.