Author Archive

Posted by Liz Whitehurst | April 15th, 2010

Common Good City Farm, a 3-year old 501(c)(3) urban farm and education center located in the LeDroit Park neighborhood in Washington, DC, is accepting applications for its Executive Director job opening.

The ideal candidate is energetic, with a passionate commitment to the mission, vision and goals of Common Good. We are searching for applicants who have experience in working with sustainable food systems, urban agriculture, food and nutrition, or other relevant issues. We are seeking a proven leader and motivator with organizational development as well as staff and volunteer management skills. As the leader of the organization’s fundraising strategies and initiatives, the candidate must demonstrate prior fund-raising and grant-writing success. S/he should possess proven experience working in a diverse urban environment, with the ability to reach low-income families as well as urban professionals.

Posted by Liz Whitehurst | April 14th, 2010

By Rebecca Kanter

DC’s Field to Fork Network and the DC Food for All are hosting a free panel discussion on Friday, April 16th at THEARC in Southeast DC from 10 to 2. The topic will be community food security, with two panels: one that has a national focus and one that will look at what’s going on here locally. Afterward, a reception begins at approximately 1:15. Appetizers will be served!

Registration available here.

Maurice Small is one of the speakers on the national panel. Let’s meet him below!

Posted by Liz Whitehurst | April 13th, 2010

When I found out that guerilla gardeners were about to descend on our fair city, I decided to investigate. Theresa, who help found DC Guerilla Gardeners, told me about their first-ever event – coming up this Sunday – and how the group came to be. Read on:

The D.C. Guerilla Gardeners is brand new. I started it because I’ve been interested in urban gardening and guerilla gardening but there didn’t seem to be any groups in the area that were geared toward this type of activity.

I honestly think that my interest in urban gardening is the result of my love of graffiti and street art

Posted by Liz Whitehurst | April 5th, 2010

Rooting DC and DC’s Field to Fork Network are hosting a free panel discussion on Friday, April 16th at THEARC in Southeast DC from 10 to 2. The topic will be community food security, with two panels: one that has a national focus and one that will look at what’s going on here locally. Afterward, [...]

Posted by Liz Whitehurst | April 1st, 2010

We’ve been talking a lot about the Healthy Schools Act here on the blog. Last Friday over 60 DC residents testified on the legislation before the DC Council. Here’s one testimony:

Good afternoon Madam Chair and Councilmember Barry:

My name is Carl Rollins and I am here on behalf of Common Good City Farm. When I was riding my bike here this morning I stopped by the farm. This time of year it doesn’t look like much, but I saw the future. Through the fence, I could see cherry blossoms on a tree we planted a year ago. Garlic scapes were shooting up towards the sky.

This abandoned school baseball field could be the first of many. We could have one school farm like this in each ward.

Posted by Liz Whitehurst | March 18th, 2010

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At the Neighborhood Farm Initiative, we’re planting seeds. Today it was tomatoes, eggplant, seven varieties of peppers. The first collard leaves are already round and reaching toward the sun.

We’re also planting seeds of a different kind: we’re teaching people to grow food. Starting in April, Program Director Bea Trickett will lead a series of workshops that will take DC residents from preparing soil to pruning tomatoes. Each participant tends her own plot at our site near Fort Totten and takes home the fruits – and vegetables – of his labor.

Posted by Liz Whitehurst | March 15th, 2010

Students in Washington Youth Garden’s Garden Science program learned about the proposed DC Healthy Schools Act this past week.

We wrote letters to the City Council to express our support of this bill, a few of which you can read below. We will be submitting these letters of support to the DC City Council and will read a few of them during the public testimony period at the upcoming hearing on March 26.

Posted by Liz Whitehurst | March 2nd, 2010

Beet Street Gardens is a demonstration project combining two of my greatest passions—community gardening and harm reduction. The basic model of Beet Street is to bring gardens to social service organizations which work with marginalized adults, teens, and their families.