Our Mission
Gardens are healing grounds. Gardens evoke awareness, compassion and meaning, while creating connective experiences that engage the individual physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Urban food gardens unite diverse communities through provision of local food.
The 7th Street Garden directly promotes food security, human and environmental health and strong communities by:
- The Green Tomorrows Program: A horticulture job training for low-income D.C. residents that can be applied to gardening, fresh food entrepreneurship, and urban sustainability fields.
- Garden Education Program: Teaching hands-on classes in urban food production, gardening, nutrition, pollination and food origin to adults and children.
- Marketing affordable produce through farmer’s markets.
- Nourishing disadvantaged D.C. residents through provision of shares of fresh produce.
- Collaborating with community organizations and hunger advocates addressing District residents' needs.
- Holding events and activities in the garden for Shaw community members.
Urban food production will directly alleviate food insecurity, foster trust and camaraderie among program participants and ultimately lead to the development of a strong and healthy D.C. community. Our vision is a truly open and inclusive garden with the underlying premise of the program to progressively shift responsibilities and jobs to involved low-income D.C. residents. We are committed to creating an integrated community food project in collaboration with local organizations and the D.C. community.
Our Story:
Since 1998 Shaw EcoVillage (SEV) trained youth to be leaders of sustainable change in our urban neighborhoods. Through SEV’s EcoDesign Corps program, over 500 youth were engaged in hands-on community based projects, gaining the design and organizational skills necessary to create sustainable economic, environmental, and social change in DC. The EcoDesign Corps program included building and sustaining an urban food garden at 1523 Seventh Street, NW. SEV closed in early 2007. With hopes to continue engaging youth and adults in sustainability education and food production, before closing, SEV gave the 7th Street Garden permission to direct garden programs at the 7th street site. The 7th Street Garden consisted of the Co-Directors, Liz Falk and Susan Ellsworth, both committing to the project as volunteers.
Since planting the first seeds in March 2007, the 7th Street Garden has provided over 70 bags of fresh produce to disadvantaged D.C. residents, hosted over 350 volunteers, and taught over 250 D.C. school children. In August, the Garden held a free community BBQ to 75 Shaw residents and in September, hosted a very successful fundraiser event – both events demonstrating strong local and citywide support.
The 7th Street Garden was pleased after a very successful first season and is thrilled about launching several program enhancements as the second season begins. What was the Resident Gardener program has evolved to become the Green Tomorrows Horticulture Job Training Program. The Garden Education program has been formalized and an excellent set of curricula were developed over the winter. We have also added two wonderful people to our volunteer staff repetoire; John Crockett and Abbey Piner. We still have many visions for the years to come including cooking and preservation classes through secured use of a commercial kitchen and obtainment of a second D.C. garden site, but for now, we are thrilled to be planting the seeds of a second season.
Please consider donating to help the 7th Street Garden continue to grow. Be sure to specify "7th Street Garden" in the comment box. Thank you!