Our Farms
The source of all food is the soil and we know that in any major city, having access to land for any reason, building a home, growing food, or anything else, is limited. Dreaming Out Loud has been able to partner with City Blossoms to steward land in Washington, D.C. that is owned by the Department of Parks and Recreation to grow food, teach our community how to be responsible stewards of the earth, and provide community gardens to let families produce their own fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
Empowering our community must always be rooted in the soil that made us and brought all of us the life and sustenance that we've enjoyed our whole lives. Read on to learn about how this part of our food story came together!
Kelly Miller Farm
How Our Farming Story Began
In the fall of 2015, a farmer in our community told us about some land that was available for stewardship. Kelly Miller Farm is in Ward 7, located behind the Kelly Miller Middle School.
This is also the location of our farmers' market, which we host every year on Saturdays from June to November. We post up right in front of the middle school so you can easily drive up and grab yourself a plate, a bag of veggies, and connect with local businesses and community members.
The land is not only for farming! It's for bringing people together. We host two festivals on this land to bring the community together, one in the spring and one in the fall. We also provide community garden beds that allow residents of Ward 7 to grow their own food and flowers.
Here are just a few of the crops we will be growing at Kelly Miller Farm in Ward 7 this year:
- Watermelon
- Heirloom Tomatoes
- Brussel Sprouts
- Collard Greens
Fort Stanton Farm
Fort Stanton Farm was a reclamation project that we were brought into. It is located in Washington, D.C.'s Ward 8 just behind the Fort Stanton Recreation Center.
This property had been abandoned for several years, but Dreaming Out Loud teamed up with the city's department of recreation to clean the space up and turn it into a space where both food and community could thrive!
On May 11th, 2024, our partners at City Blossoms joined us for the official ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate this new chapter of serving our community.
Here are some of the crops we will be growing at Fort Stanton Farm in Ward 8 this year:
- Spinach
- Bell Peppers
- Garlic
- Cucumbers
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Our farms sell produce to local customers, but also to our Food Hub. This creates a sustainable ecosystem of healthy food that is both locally grown and locally produced. Dreaming Out Loud's Culinary Team also sources from both our network and our farms before they start cooking!
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Dreaming Out Loud hosts various events on both of our farms. The Spring Festival happens in April every year and our Fall Festival happens in October. These gatherings are a way to keep the community engaged for a day of food, music, family, and fun! We'll see you there!
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We don't stop at our own farms, we support farmers and food producers in the greater Northeast! Our Technical Assistance program and Farm Brigade allow us to provide skilled labor, crop planning, etc. and builds our network of support to grow our own produce more effectively.
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