Yardshare and Share Alike

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

This post was written by Going Green DC contributing writer Alison Drucker.

The rewards of yard sharing. Fresh basil!
The rewards of yard sharing. Fresh basil!

What’s a city apartment dweller with a green thumb to do? Find a neighbor willing to share some yard space.

Sharing Backyards is a national project that connects people with unused yards with others in their communities looking for a place to cultivate something. It encourages urban gardeners to make the most of limited green space, gives people a connection to the land, and expands access to fresh, local food – while uniting neighbors and beautifying urban space.

The D.C. area is full of yard-sharing success stories. One of those is the partnership between Patricia, a Rockville resident with a double lot, and Rebecca, a first-time gardener inspired by Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to reevaluate her food sources.

Patricia posted her spare space on the D.C. Sharing Backyards Web site and swiftly – within 15 minutes – received an email connecting her to Rebecca.

eHarmony couldn’t have done a better job matching the two. Rebecca found a gardening mentor in Patricia, and each found a good friend. A few patches of squash and tomatoes later, Rebecca had a new source of produce, which she happily shared with Patricia all summer. They didn’t have a formal arrangement for sharing the veggies, though some yard-sharing duos choose to lay down specific terms for who gets what and who supplies the tools, seeds, and soil.

Interested in yard-sharing? Use this online map to find a potential partner. If you’re in search of land, try to find a place close by, since tending a garden may become part of your daily routine – when it isn’t your own yard, you can’t just wander outside in your bathrobe to pull some weeds.

Grow Your Own

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

This post was written by Going Green DC contributing writer Alison Drucker.

Sometimes city life can leave you aching for fresh air – and fresh dirt. Not that grimy, stuck-to-the-bottom-of-your-shoe city dirt, but clean-smelling, produce-cultivating countryside dirt.

Get your hands dirty at Clagett Farm, a sustainable vegetable farm in Upper Marlboro, MD, owned and operated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Any able-bodied person can sign up to volunteer picking produce on the farm on Tuesdays through Saturdays. At least four hours of labor will get you the same full weekly share of fresh, local vegetables that a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) member receives.

The workshare is perfect for anyone who isn’t ready to commit to an entire season’s worth of harvest through a CSA membership, or who just wants to go learn about sustainable farming on a beautiful fall morning. Clagett Farm isn’t certified organic, but follows organic standards and doesn’t use genetically modified seeds.

In addition to doing good for the planet, the farm does good for the community. Almost half of Clagett Farm’s produce is distributed free or at a reduced cost to low-income DC communities in cooperation with the Capital Area Food Bank, expanding access to the fresh, healthy foods we all need in our diets.

Visit the Clagett Farm Web site to learn about participating in a workshare. Saturday workshares require calling ahead to sign up. Call 301.537.3038 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. a couple of days before the Saturday you want to work.

There’s still time to volunteer this season – September, October, and November bring broccoli, kale, cabbage, butternut squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, salad greens, carrots, turnips, collards, chard, spinach, and more.

If you’re adventurous in the kitchen and willing to explore new recipes as different fruits and vegetables are in season, purchase a 2010 CSA membership. Email clagettfarm@cbf.org to be notified when shares are available, and join the farm to get weekly batches of the season’s harvest.

Connecting Farms to Schools

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

IMG_0264This post was written by contributing writer Andrea Northup.

Imagine the following scenario:

Jenny is one of many schoolchildren in DC who receives free or subsidized meals at school every day.  One day, she finds a fresh, juicy slice of watermelon grown on a farm in Maryland on her cafeteria tray.  She meets the farmer who grew the fruit and learns about how the watermelon started as a seed, grew, and made it to her tray.  Jenny and her classmates participate in a cooking demonstration with a local chef using fresh, seasonal ingredients.

This scenario will be a reality during Local Flavor Week (September 21-25), when schools in DC will serve locally grown produce and offer educational opportunities for students, including produce tastings, cooking demonstrations, and farmer visits.

The event kicks off efforts to bring Farm to School programs to DC. The goal is to link schools with local farms in order to serve healthy meals in school cafeterias, improve student nutrition, provide health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime, and support local small farmers.

With the start of the school year, school lunch is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Farm to School programs are popping up across the country. It’s time for DC — with the White House Garden in our midst, and farms in the surrounding region looking for stable markets – to become a leader in the Farm to School movement.

IMG_0421Local Flavor Week is organized by the DC Farm to School Network in partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank, the National Farm to School Network, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Whole Foods, and other community partners.

Organic Wine Tasting

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

wineLearn how a grape goes from the vineyard to your glass at an organic wine tasting sponsored by The DC Green Connection on Friday September 18th at 6pm at Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar.

Join sommelier Brian Cook on a virtual tour of organic wine production starting on the vineyard and ending with a tasting of several varieties of reds and whites. And what would a wine tasting be without a cheese pairing? Your ticket also entitles you to delicious canapés and an artisanal cheese board prepared by the restaurant’s chefs.

Space is limited so reserve your spot by emailing organizer Monika Thiele at dcgreenconnection@gmail.com or 206.790-1789. Tickets are $25 (members), $30 (non-members) at the door.

Green Your Home Expo

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

english gardenCurious about solar energy for your home? Want to learn about carbon offset programs? Interested in yard sharing? Then stop by the Green Your Home Expo on Saturday, September 12,  from 10 am – 2 pm at UDC’s outdoor plaza (4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW in front of building 38 and 39; Van Ness Metro stop).

Find out how to  ‘green’ your home and neighborhood, enjoy live music, a farmers’ market, and bicycle eco-tours. There will also be two hour-long panel discussions–“Act Locally” and “Think Globally”–with experts on sustainability, climate change, and residential greening. The panels begin at noon in the Windows Lounge on the 3rd floor of Building 38.

Exhibitors include CarbonFreeDC, Clean Currents, DC Greenworks, District Department of the Environment, Eco-Green Living, Green Living Consulting, Sharing Backyards, Standard Solar, Switch Renewable Energy, Zipcar, and more.