Memorandum of Understanding

Between

UW Farm

And the

wǝɫǝbʔaltxw (Intellectual House) August 24, 2020

Introduction: The University of Washington’s Student Farm (UW Farm) and wǝɫǝbʔaltxw (Intellectual House) enter into this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) renewal, This is an extension of the previous MOU dated August 22, 2017. This MOU specifically addresses the continued coordinated farming activity between the UW Farm and wǝɫǝbʔaltxw. 

The overriding principle of the UW Farm is the engagement of students as learners, interns, volunteers, and workers in the biophysical and socio-cultural aspects of producing healthy food for campus consumers. The UW Farm currently has three locations, Mercer Court, the UW Botanic Gardens’ Center for Urban Horticulture, and McMahon Terrace. 

The administrative home of the UW Farm is the College of the Environment; the unit with direct responsibility is the UW Botanic Gardens within the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. The UW Student Farm currently operates under four other MOUs and these are between: 

(1) the College of the Environment, the Housing and Food Services Department, and Nutritional Sciences Program (2016-2020) regarding funding for the Farm Manager within the larger operations of the UW Farm. 

(2)  the UW Farm and the Department of Housing and Food Services for the establishment of a culinary garden at McMahon Terrace. 

(3)  the UW Farm as represented by the College of the Environment, Facilities Services – Facilities Maintenance and Construction, and the Department of Housing and Food Services (2013) regarding the UW Farm operations at the Mercer Court Apartments. 

(4)  the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and the UW Farm regarding Operations. 

wǝɫǝbʔaltxw has relationships with both on- and off-campus entities including the 29- federally recognized tribes, 7-state recognized tribes of the State of Washington and 8- federally recognized out-of-state tribes who have historical ties to Washington Territory. These relationships are not only defined culturally, but also legally. As a consequence, wǝɫǝbʔaltxw and its place in and relationship with the University of Washington are governed by a series of MOUs (http://www.washington.edu/diversity/tribal- relations/summit/ ). The 2010 MOU is particularly appropriate: 

http://www.washington.edu/diversity/files/2013/03/tribal-summit-mou2011.pdf . These documents note the special legal and sovereign relationships between tribes, the state, education, and the University of Washington. These MOUs supersede this MOU. 

wǝɫǝbʔaltxw joins with the UW Farm to meld jointly the learning, the growing and the celebration of foods. This joint project has been conceived of, developed, and will be managed by the shared teams from wǝɫǝbʔaltxw and the UW Farm. 

Coordination between the UW Student Farm and wǝɫǝbʔaltxw is necessary because of these existing MOUs, because both wǝɫǝbʔaltxw and the UW Farm are on University of Washington Property, and the recognition that Puget Sound Tribes have ancestral rights to this land. This broader vision of the UW Farm has been conceived and developed by the two braided teams. 

This MOU embraces the addition of a spectrum of activities beginning with plant growing beds and plots potentially associated with one or more of the current locations of the UW Farm. These beds and plots will be designed, managed, and supported by the American Indian and Alaska Native community on the University of Washington’s Seattle campus. This MOU also recognizes and encourages the broader importance of featuring existing and new plant material on lands managed or co-managed by the campus that have cultural, medicinal, and nutritional value, especially as this material supports the American Indian and Alaska Native community. Both groups embrace two overarching objectives and these are: 

(1) the importance of addressing campus food security issues, and
(2) the meaningful engagement of the students, staff, and faculty of the University of Washington in learning about and participating in the care, maintenance, and enhancement of this joint endeavor. 

Overarching Policy 

The UW Farm will assist wǝɫǝbʔaltxw in acquiring adequate space on the existing Farmland to grow and manage plants chosen by wǝɫǝbʔaltxw. At the same time, plant and soil care and management practices emerging from conversations with elders, American Indian and Alaska Native learners will be appropriately integrated into the practices of the UW Farm. Both groups will aspire to make sure that individual success spells joint success, to enhance cross-cultural learning and respect, and to increase the exposure of UW students to different ways of doing and knowing. 

Pragmatically, care will be taken to select plants and planting locations to meet plant growth needs, minimize pest and disease issues, and not jeopardize the UW Farm’s Organic Certification while simultaneously enabling the cultural, educational, and professional objectives of wǝɫǝbʔaltxw. 

Unique Conditions 

Special sensitivity with regard to the knowledge, stories, songs, and plant material perhaps shared or gifted to wǝɫǝbʔaltxw by tribal individuals and tribes is required. wǝɫǝbʔaltxw will develop guidelines that will be incorporated into the literature and introductory material used by faculty, staff and students involved in UW Farm and the emerging two braided parts. 

In contrast to the Center for Urban Horticulture’s and the Mercer Courts’ Farm sites, McMahon Terrace has its own MOU, which stipulates that both the access to the McMahon Deck and the plant selection for the McMahon Terrace must go through Housing and Food Services. This affects the potential for wǝɫǝbʔaltxw to utilize this site and clarifies the path to usage. 

User Procedure Requirements 

1. For all UW Farm sites, there must be special attention to access, safety, materials storage and location appropriate activities, infrastructure, and plant material. To this end: 

(1)  all paths are to be kept clear of tools and debris at all times, 

(2)  at the end of the work period or day, whichever is the shortest, all work material is to be put away, 

(3)  infrastructure and plantings must fit into the policies associated with the existing UW Farm locations and may require additional permissions from existing UW Farm MOU signatories (see above). For example, planting apple trees or beaked hazelnut in the upper tier of the Mercer Court would block established sight lines. 

1. With regard to plots or planting beds:

(1) Plot or planting bed selection on existing UW Farm approved sites at Mercer Court and CUH will be a coordinated effort between the UW Farm and wǝɫǝbʔaltxw. 

(2) Plot or planting beds at McMahon Terrace, coordination will be coordinated between Housing and Food Services and the UW Farm. 

(3)  Plot or planting bed selection by wǝɫǝbʔaltxw not on existing UW Farm approved sites will require coordination with Facilities Services – Facilities Maintenance and Construction. 

(4)  Plots or planting beds designated by both entities for addressing issues of food security will be jointly managed. 

(5)  Plots or planting beds designated for use by American Indian and Alaska Native 

students will be coordinated with the UW Farm; the establishment, maintenance and care of these plots and beds shall be the responsibility of wǝɫǝbʔaltxw. 

III.  For UW Farm and wǝɫǝbʔaltxw sites: 

1. All signage at Mercer Court and McMahon Terrace shall follow existing UW policies. 

(2) All signage at the Center for Urban Horticulture should follow the UW Botanic Gardens Interpretive and Wayfinding Plan. The UW Botanic Gardens must approve all signage. 

1. Both UW Farm and wǝɫǝbʔaltxw will need to coordinate with regard to, plants, planting material and soil. This will be necessary in order to: 

(1) reduce the likelihood of an introduction of a pest or a disease,
(2) not jeopardize the UW Farm’s Organic Certification,
(3) not hinder the growth potential of plants by un-intended shading or allelopathic outcomes. 

1. Additional aspects of this joint arrangement will be:

(1) UW Farm will make equipment and storage space available when possible. This includes tools, access to water sources for irrigation, and assistance in identifying abiotic and biotic stress issues. Necessary keys will be given to wǝɫǝbʔaltxw identified staff and salaried students for access to the Mercer Court and CUH sites. Keys for McMahon Terrace are through Housing and Food Services. 

(2)  There will be a shared calendar to facilitate site activity and use of equipment (would include the UW Farm website calendar, the UW Botanic Garden’s calendar and wǝɫǝbʔaltxw’s calendar). The shared calendar will: 

1. Aid in planting and plant management activities 
2. Sharing of tools and equipment 
3. Coordination of interns and volunteers 
4. Fund raising activity 
5. Student and classroom tours, public tours and engagement 
6. Broader scheduling coordination will be likely necessary with campus events such as DAWG day tours, the Living Breadth of wǝɫǝbʔaltxw food symposium, Native American Student Days, UW President’s Tribal Leadership Summit, etc. 
7. A ceremonial event or a visit of an elder or elected leader. 

(3)  When possible, UW Farm and wǝɫǝbʔaltxw will coordinate acquiring seeds and starts for beds and plots specifically designed to address food security issues. 

(4)  Plant material (and soil) chosen by American Indian and Alaska Native students for their growing spaces will be the responsibility of wǝɫǝbʔaltxw. 

(5)  Fund raising either as individual parts of the whole or as the whole will be coordinated for optimal gifting in order to support the learning, the growing and the celebration of foods as well as addressing campus food security issues. 

(6)  Social, educational, cultural, and ceremonial events sponsored by either the UW Farm or wǝɫǝbʔaltxw for the CUH site will be coordinated with UW Botanic Gardens; Mercer Court and McMahon Terrace events will be coordinated with Housing and Food Services. The overarching philosophy will be to enable. 

It is understood that emergencies and other unforeseen events (e.g., delivery of plant material by an outside vendor, a prolonged drought, the breakage of an irrigation line, a forecasted wind or storm event, pandemic, emergency crisis) may require flexibility beyond the situations outlined above under Roman numerals I to IV. 

Direct Financial Support: There are currently three University of Washington partners providing direct annual financial support towards the UW Farm through 2018-19: 

1. College of the Environment ($15,000)
2. Department of Housing and Food Services:
   1. To the UW Farm in general ($25,000) 
   2. To the UW Farm for the operation of the McMahon Terrace culinary garden ($10,000). 
3. Nutrition Sciences Program ($15,000) 

In addition,

1. UW Grounds and provision of a pick-up truck.
2. Direct revenue from sales averages $50,000-$60,000 per year, generated through produce sales to 

1. Housing and Food Services, 
2. The Food Pantry, and 
3. the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, aka a weekly produce box provided to households. 

(6) Gifts through UW Advancement (~$2,500) 

In-kind Support: The UW Botanic Gardens, the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, the Program on the Environment, and the Biology Department all provide in-kind support to the UW Farm through faculty and staff time allocated for administration and student mentoring. 

Governance: Any amendments or changes to the MOU, the UW Farm and wǝɫǝbʔaltxw will mutually negotiate such amendments or changes. During negotiations, the other partners associated with the UW Farm and wǝɫǝbʔaltxw will be notified. The Farm Manager and the Director of the UW Botanic Gardens will represent the UW Farm. Student-staff and full- time professional staff will represent wǝɫǝbʔaltxw. There may be issues, which might then necessitate changes, faced by both the UW Farm and wǝɫǝbʔaltxw that require broader Campus considerations and, therefore, individuals responsible. 

Updates to the MOU: This agreement may be revised or amended at any time by mutual agreement of all parties and the governance body. Once the language of the MOU is modified, all parties of the MOU will be notified of the change in writing and the revised MOU will be re-issued.