At the Neighborhood Farm Initiative, spring means planting. It means digging, fertilizing, weeding, watering, and finally, eating.
Seed it
This spring, we’ve been joined by a ton of amazing volunteers, including groups from the USDA, the Latin American Youth Center, KPMG and George Washington University’s MBA program.
Weed it: Volunteer Teshome tackles the weeds in the fennel field
Now we’re gearing up for the arrival of our Green Summer teen teams at the end of June. Along with the DC Department of Environment, DC Parks & Recreation, the Washington Youth Garden, & Thurgood Marshall Academy, we’ll train five teams of (12) 14-15 year-olds in green job skills related to urban agriculture: basic nutrition education, food preparation skills, and basic marketing. NFI will be overseeing teams at our garden site near Fort Totten (Ward 5), and at Lederer Youth Gardens in Deanwood (Ward 7).
Eat it
Although we won’t be hosting regular volunteer days until August, you’re still invited to come learn and enjoy our space. Our first Field Day of this growing season is July 10 from 10-2. Email neighborhoodfarm@gmail.com for more information or to join our email list.
Students in NFI's Gardening Education Program learn to grow their own vegetables
And our Gardening Education Program continues: Program Director Bea Trickett teaches our season-long hands-on gardening class, where first-time gardeners learn the fundamentals of organic gardening.
Our volunteers make our little farm work.
None of it is possible without energetic, engaged volunteers. From hauling compost to creating a database, we’re incredibly grateful for the time that the people of DC have donated to our project. Email neighborhoodfarm@gmail.com if you’d like to join us!
Cross-posted on DC Field to Fork Network’s blog
