Progress 09/01/24 to 08/31/25

Outputs
Target Audience:The project primarily focused on residents of Ward 8in Washington, DC, with an emphasis on communities surrounding Oxon Run Park, includingthe Congress Heights, Bellevue, and Washington Highlands neighborhoods. These neighborhoods experience disproportionately high rates of food insecurity, limited access to full-service grocery stores, and elevated rates of chronic disease such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Changes/Problems:During the 2024-2025 project period, DC Greens experienced minor operational challenges related to staff capacity and site security that required small adjustments to the project approach. Staff turnover and seasonal scheduling shifts occasionally stretched capacity, leading to brief delays in workshop planning and outreach. The team addressed this by cross-training staff and engaging community ambassadors and volunteers to keep programs running smoothly. A few security concerns at The Well, including minor vandalism and unauthorized access, prompted simple improvements such as new locks, better lighting, and updated open hours. These updates helped strengthen site safety without significantly affecting programming. Weather fluctuations during the 2025 growing season occasionally required rescheduling outdoor activities, but all major goals were still achieved. Overall, these challenges were manageable and helped refine operations, strengthen team coordination, and improve long-term planning for The Well's community programs. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project created opportunities for both professional development and community skill-building. DC Greens staff received training in facilitation, regenerative agriculture, and data collection to support program evaluation. Community ambassadors were trained in outreach, event management, and resident engagement, preparing them to co-lead activities and represent community perspectives in planning sessions. The gardening and composting workshops also served as a training platform for residents. Participants gained knowledge in sustainable agriculture, soil management, and nutrition that they applied in home gardens and community spaces. Several ambassadors and participants have continued volunteering and mentoring new residents, demonstrating the lasting impact of the project's capacity-building efforts. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project results and updates were shared through multiple community communication channels. DC Greens used The Well's newsletter, social media, and on-site bulletin boards to keep residents informed of workshops, market days, and composting opportunities. Information was also distributed through partner organizations and at community meetings. In fall 2025, DC Greens hosted a community reflection session to present results from the gardening workshops, composting cooperative, and food distribution efforts. Residents reviewed data on participation and outcomes, discussed successes, and identified priorities for sustaining the work beyond the grant period. Results were also shared with institutional partners such as the Capital Area Food Bank, FRESHFARM, Arcadia Mobile Market, and Food Rescue DC to align future programming and leverage shared resources. These outreach and dissemination efforts helped maintain transparency, celebrate community impact, and ensure that residents remained active stakeholders in shaping The Well's long-term direction. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The project reached its final reporting period at the close of the 2025 growing season. During this time, DC Greens focused on solidifying successful program models and transitioning them toward sustainability. The final three gardening and nutrition workshops were completed between April and September 2025, integrating all curriculum refinements and participant feedback from previous sessions. The composting cooperative continued to operate through the fall and achieved consistent participation from residents across multiple neighborhoods. The team finalized a simple management plan and volunteer structure to ensure that the program remains community-led beyond the grant period. The 2025 programming calendar at The Well concluded with a large-scale Wellness Market and community harvest celebration, which served as both a closing event and an opportunity to share outcomes. Planning began for continued collaboration with food access partners to maintain the CSA and produce distribution model in 2026 under separate funding streams. Through the completion of these activities, DC Greens met the project's objectives and strengthened community capacity to sustain food access, nutrition education, and wellness programming beyond the life of the grant.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During the 2024-2025 project period, DC Greens implemented the Community Food Project at The Well at Oxon Run with a focus on increasing food access, building local capacity, and fostering community leadership around urban agriculture and wellness. Under Goal 1, the team finalized and delivered a six-week gardening and nutrition workshop series that integrated fruit and vegetable gardening, composting, and healthy eating education. Across both seasons, five workshop series were completed, engaging a total of 52 participants from Ward 8 neighborhoods surrounding Oxon Run Park. Participants gained hands-on experience in soil preparation, seed starting, harvesting, and meal preparation using produce from The Well's farm. Feedback collected from each cohort guided curriculum improvements that were applied during the 2025 growing season. The composting cooperative pilot evolved into a regular community program by early 2025. Residents were able to drop off food scraps weekly, and more than 2,500pounds of organic waste were diverted from the landfill. The compost produced was used to enrich the farm's soil and support new planting beds. This activity increased residents' understanding of waste reduction and regenerative soil practices. Under Goal 2, DC Greens expanded wellness and nutrition education through a full calendar of events at The Well during the 2025 growing season. The site hosted monthly Wellness Market Saturdays that combined food access, fitness, and education. Each event featured farm stand produce, mobile markets, cooking demonstrations, and yoga or fitness classes. Partnerships with the Capital Area Food Bank, FRESHFARM, and Arcadia Mobile Market helped provide thousands of pounds of fresh food to residents while also promoting SNAP, WIC, and Produce Plus enrollment. By the end of 2025, The Well's programs collectively reached more than 1000residents through events, workshops, and volunteer opportunities. Under Goal 3, DC Greens launched a small-scale CSA distribution and monthly produce giveaway model for the Oxon Run Park neighborhood. The Well produced more than 6,500 pounds of fruits and vegetables over theproject period, distributed at no cost through the farm stand, pop-up markets, and direct community distributions. Coordination with regional food partners improved the reliability of mobile markets hosted at The Well, increasing consistent access to affordable, healthy food for Ward 8 households. Collectively, these accomplishments strengthened food system resilience, advanced nutrition education, and created long-term community ownership of The Well's programs.

Publications