Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands

About

For 72 years, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) operated an 11 acre nursery in southeast Seattle called the Atlantic Street Nursery. In 2010, we consolidated our growing and plant propagation at the Jefferson Horticulture site and closed the Atlantic Street Nursery. Together with the Friends of Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands, Seattle Tilth, Seattle Parks Foundation and many others, SPR capitalized on this move and with extensive community input, created a uniquely significant asset that embeds environmental education, urban farm production, food distribution, experiential learning opportunities, and community-building activities into the Rainier Valley neighborhood. 

The project was completed in the fall of 2017 and now includes

• Better use of the site: Improvements demonstrate the "farm to table" experience and bring to life the food system in a powerful and interconnected way with full community engagement.
• A new classroom: The new building provides extensive opportunities for hands-on environmental stewardship and food production education for the community, directly onsite at a community-based urban farm.
• A commercial kitchen to prepare food harvested at the farm, providing cooking and nutrition education with school and community groups, the first time we will have a functional kitchen for cooking, teaching and food preparation.
• Office space to allow staff to work onsite to administer programs, and be part of the fabric of the community with year-round facilities.
• Improved access: The new gate at Beer Sheva Park allows community members greater access to the farm, and a new circle drive will better accommodate school buses, delivery vans and service trucks.
• A new park experience with paths to walk, picnic seating, an overlook of farm activities, and the opportiity to sit in the sun, share in the bounty, and participate in family activities.   

SPR selected Seattle Tilth and the Friends of RBUFW for the long-term operation of the urban agriculture and wetland preservation and enhancement project.  The farm will ultimately engage 5,000 community members and produce more than 20,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables annually, to be distributed primarily to Rainier Valley residents. It is the center for the Food Innovation District and Seattle's largest urban farm.