Food Access & Community Stewardship
Powell Communal Farm
Living issue page · Updated as work progresses
Growing a shared neighborhood resource for food access, education, volunteering, and connection.
The farm is open for the growing season. Weekly volunteer and free-produce giveaway hours are running on Thursdays, May through November.
What has changed recently
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Growing season underway
Weekly volunteer and free-produce giveaway hours are running on Thursdays, May through November.
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Connecting families to the weekly giveaway
Continuing to recruit volunteers and help families find the farm's weekly produce giveaways.
Work also continues through quieter steps such as agency follow-up, document review, research, and resident outreach. New updates will be posted here as they happen.
Why this matters
The Powell Communal Farm has been a true labor of love, and one of the projects I am most proud of, not because of what was built, but because of what it represents.
In 2018, while working with residents and the Department of Parks and Recreation on the redesign of Powell Playground, I kept looking at a small, overgrown parcel of land tucked between the tennis courts and the church.
Most people saw an empty lot. I saw an opportunity.
Most everyone living around the park lives in apartments with little or no space for growing food. We have seniors experiencing food insecurity, families without gardens, and nearby organizations serving community meals, next to a piece of public land sitting unused.
Working with DPR, and specifically Josh Singer, I explored whether the property could become the District’s next communal farm, modeled after the successful Edgewood and Lederer Communal Farms he has built in partnership with those communities.
Today a once-forgotten space produces fresh food every week, supports neighborhood food pantries, hosts volunteer days and educational programming, and has become a place where neighbors come together.
That is how I think neighborhood government works: recognizing possibility, bringing together people who care, and creating opportunities that strengthen our community in lasting and meaningful ways.
What residents are experiencing
Neighbors want reliable access to fresh produce, safe green space, and ways to be part of something local. The farm answers all three.
Timeline / work to date
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2018
While working with residents and DPR on the Powell Playground redesign, I identified an unused parcel between the tennis courts and the church and proposed turning it into a communal farm.
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2018–2022
Worked with DPR, and specifically Josh Singer, to develop the site, modeled after the Edgewood and Lederer Communal Farms.
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2022
The Powell Communal Farm was built on 16th Street NW through DC Parks and Recreation’s communal-farm program.
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Each season
Volunteer and free-produce giveaway hours run on Thursdays, May through November.
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Ongoing
I help recruit volunteers and connect families to the farm’s weekly giveaways.
What Residents Are Telling Me
- Neighbors have asked for more information about how the farm's weekly produce giveaway works.
- Families have asked how they can volunteer or bring their children to learn.
These are resident observations, shared to show what neighbors are raising. They are not verified findings unless separately documented.
Documents and public record
As documents become available they will be posted here, organized by type, with the newest or most important materials first.
External resources
What happens next
Keep the farm thriving season to season: more volunteers, steady produce giveaways, and stronger ties to nearby schools and families.
How residents can help
Come volunteer or pick up free produce on Thursdays during the growing season, or bring your family to learn. Everyone is welcome.
- Volunteer or pick up free produce on Thursdays during the growing season.
- Bring your family to learn, or help spread the word about the weekly giveaway.
Last updated: June 27, 2026