Story and photos by Allison Burket
On July 26, despite record-breaking temperatures, over a dozen volunteers joined DC Food For All for a Saturday morning workday at Common Good City Farm!
Composting at Common Good
Common Good City Farm, Washington, DC’s only urban farm, was founded in 2007 to support healthy, affordable food access in DC communities. Two years ago, it relocated from its original home on 7th Street NW (you may remember it as the 7th Street Garden) at the request of the LeDroit Park Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC). Now located on V Street, between 2nd and 4th Streets NW, on what was formerly a baseball field on the grounds of a shuttered middle school, Common Good has since provided over 400 bags of fresh produce.
Between time spent tending the berry plants, volunteers took a tour of the farm – which includes a forest garden, a weed garden, and dutifully decaying compost piles. The farm itself was a delight, featuring arrangements of leafy greens, berry plants, and everything in between. My favorite part was the intentionally meandering, spiraling walkways that practically force visitors to stop and smell the sunflowers. The farm is organized and maintained based on principles of permaculture, which works to mimic relationships between species found in nature, thereby encouraging crops to support each other as they grow.
We later reviewed the programming components of Common Good’s educational and gleaning programs. Through the Green Tomorrow program, produce from the farm goes to neighborhood residents, who work a certain number of hours on the farm in exchange for fresh fruits and vegetables. The rest is donated to local food pantries dedicated to improving healthy food access. Common Good also engages youth in the neighborhood, encouraging in the next generation the skills and enthusiasm to eat healthy and prepare their own food.
Workday potluck on the farm
The day ended, of course, with a potluck! A feast of beet brownies, freshly-picked peaches, and a cumin quinoa salad was well worth the sweat and sunburn.
Want to get or stay involved? We talked with Spencer, the farm manager, and Olivia, the volunteer coordinator about all sorts of ways DC Food For All readers can support Common Good:
Call your Councilmember! Common Good needs help pushing the City Council to move forward on plans to turn the empty lot next to the farm into a neighborhood park! The park would be an important asset to the community and would help draw wider neighborhood participation to the farm. Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Berry recently moved to extend the public comment period for the proposal, adding another delay to the long-overdue approval and construction of the park.
This most recent postponement increases the likelihood that the city may never come through on its promise. Call Councilmember Barry at (202) 724-8045 or Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham (202) 724-8181 to urge action on the park for LeDroit Park!
Volunteer! Olivia the volunteer coordinator also emphasized that Common Good is always looking for individuals interested in sharing their time or specific talents with the farm.
The Farm is open Monday and Thursday afternoons (3-7 pm) and Wednesday and Saturday mornings (10 am -1 pm). Visitors are always welcome to stop by, though Common Good requires that any who would like to volunteer participate in one of the volunteer orientation sessions, which usually take place the first Saturday of every month. Check here!
If you are interested in neighborhood outreach, enthusiastic about grant-writing, enjoy putting up fliers, or want to help with database management, e-mail info@commongoodcityfarm.org with “Attn: Olivia” in the subject line.
Did you know they take food scraps? Your kitchen waste can help nourish the farm! Drop off your food scraps (no meat or dairy please!) anytime during work hours and Common Good will help you add it to their compost pile! Click here for a full list of what they accept.
Donate! Tax-deductible donations can be made on the website. Click here!
