Fresh Produce Thrives at GroW Garden

By Kristen Mitchell

The plump tomatoes and leafy kale sprouting in George Washington University’s student-run garden are the fruits and vegetables of months of hard work. Sandwiched between bustling H Street and Ross Hall, the GroW Garden gives students a first-hand agricultural experience in the heart of Washington, D.C.

Izzy Moody, a rising junior studying international affairs and co-manager of the garden, said the garden is a place where GW students have built a community and found a way to give back. The garden, sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, donates its harvest to Miriam’s Kitchen, which provides meals for the homeless. Several hundred pounds of produce are donated every year, Ms. Moody said.

“We’re dedicated to serving our community and promoting access to fresh food,” Ms. Moody said. “Everyone deserves access to fresh produce.”

The garden runs along H Street between 23rd and 24th streets in Foggy Bottom. Its current crop includes tomatoes, string beans, chard, kale, carrots, radishes, peppers and other produce. In addition to providing food for Washington, D.C., residents, since 2009, it has also been a place where students go to learn about where the food they eat comes from.

“Students gain an understanding of the labor required to produce food, which is not something you learn from going to the grocery store and buying a bunch of carrots,” Ms. Moody said. “That’s really valuable for students.”

The garden is committed to sustainable farming practices. Volunteers do not use pesticides or herbicides and rely in part on four rainwater harvesting barrels, funded through a 2016 grant from the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment, to water the crops. Students also collect and use compost to nurture the GroW Garden.

Ms. Moody said the GroW Garden has had a huge impact on her GW experience. She started volunteering early in her freshman year and has been an active member of GroW Community, a student organization separate from the physical garden.

“Every since I arrived at GW the garden has really driven my sense of community at GW,” she said.

Rising junior Savita Potarazu (right) and another volunteer tend to the GroW Garden in Foggy Bottom. The garden donates its harvest to Miriam's Kitchen, which provides meals for the homeless. (William Atkins/GW Today)

GW students grow produce such as tomatoes, string beans, chard, kale, carrots, radishes and peppers at the GroW Garden in Foggy Bottom. (William Atkins/GW Today)

The GW GroW Garden is run by student volunteers who plant seeds, water the produce and harvest it for Miriam's Kitchen, which provides meals for the homeless. (William Atkins/GW Today)

Izzy Moody, a rising junior studying international affairs and co-manager of the garden, said growing produce is a good way to give back to the community. (William Atkins/GW Today)

The GroW Garden was started in 2009 and has become a place for community in Foggy Bottom. (William Atkins/GW Today)

Izzy Moody (left), a rising junior, works alongside rising junior Savita Potarazu and another volunteer in the GroW Garden on H Street between 23rd and 24th streets. (William Atkins/GW Today)

The GroW Garden, sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, donates its harvest to Miriam's Kitchen, which provides meals for the homeless. Its current crop includes tomatoes, string beans, chard, kale, carrots, radishes, peppers and other produce. (William Atkins/GW Today)

Volunteers at the GW GroW Garden are currently growing cucumbers and other fresh produce to donate to Miriam's Kitchen, which provides meals for the homeless. (William Atkins/GW Today).

Izzy Moody (left), a rising junior and co-manager of the GroW Garden, plants produce alongside rising junior Savita Potarazu. (William Atkins/GW Today)

Izzy Moody (left), a rising GW junior and co-manager of the GroW Garden, works alongside Peter Maye, a community volunteer and leader of the Foggy Bottom Association Garden Committee, to plant produce that will be donated to Miriam's Kitchen. (William Atkins/GW Today)