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On Capitol Hill, elected officials have long supported big agricultural and industrial-scale farming that requires massive inputs of chemicals and fossil fuels. But can this system continue to feed the population of a warming planet?

Just a few miles up the road from where lawmakers set far-reaching policy, some DC residents are organizing to create something different. FSRN’s Alice Ollstein takes us to a farm called Three Part Harmony, where we explore what urban, organic agriculture could do both for a community and the environment they live in, and how US policy could better support it.

This documentary was produced by Alice Ollstein and edited by Shannon Young. Our technical producer at KPFA is Jeannine Etter. The original music in this documentary was performed by Owen Grooms, a young farmer in North Carolina.  Special thanks to everyone who supported this project on Indiegogo.

Click here to listen to the radio documentary.

The price is $300 for the year.

Please make payment by mailing in a check with your order, or contact us by email to pay with a credit card. There will be a 5% fee added to credit card transactions. If you want to pay by cash, please contact us to make arrangements.

Payment is due in full by June 5th.

Pick ups will be once a month (third Saturday from 3 – 6) starting on June 15th.

the dates will be:
June 15th from 3 – 6
July 20th from 3 – 6
August 17th from 3 – 6
September 21st from 3 – 6
October 19th from 3 – 6
November 16th from 3 – 6

What’s in a share?
Variety
I like to try to give you a variety of items, although sometimes things are all ready at once and you get an abundance of one thing. That’s what freezers are for! Save some for later.

New Challenges
I always include something new for you to try. I’m excited to have added peanuts to the crop list last year. This year I’m adding ginger, galangal and turmeric. Sometimes I include items that are referred to in common parlance as “weeds.” But I actually cultivate some of the more popular “weeds” to make harvesting easier. I think you’ll enjoy adding these unusual but extremely nutritious items to your cooking routine! This includes purslane, lambs quarters, amaranth (calaloo), wild onions, and dried stinging nettles.

Well-Rounded
My household also benefits from the fresh farm goodies, and I’ve been known to mix parts of an entire share in one big stir fry and call that dinner. Therefore, I lean towards putting together shares that have a couple of meal options, not pieces of more than a dozen meals that can’t be combined. You’ll notice for example that each share has something in the onion family. I think that’s an important base for any dish. You’re also likely to see the ingredients for ratatouille at the same time instead of always spread out across pick ups, and so on through a seasonal based meal planning.

Mouth Watering Goodness!
Don’t worry: I don’t grow “bad” vegetables! Ok- that’s obviously subjective. Every farmer should be upfront about the fact that we grow things we like to eat. I do grow some things just for my customers, like swiss chard which I can’t stand. But mostly what you get is what I eat. I also tend to make meal recommendations that I myself put on the dinner table. Finally, at the end of the day I am restricted in what I can grow by the climate, daylength, and space constraints. You’ll see all of these things reflected in what is available each month.

Community Minded
Like last year, I’ll sometimes include items from my farmer cooperative peers, such as honey and mushrooms from Good Sense Farm & Apiary, as well as herb-infused vinegars from Little Red Bird Botanicals, also located in DC.

How much will I get?
The question that never goes away: how much will be in my share? This year I’m trying something new: I’m only distributing shares once a month. It will be a “double share” meaning it’s twice as much as I gave out weekly last year. That means either you live in a house with a lot of people, or you like to do marathon cooking weekends once a month and save meals for later, or you always invite yourself over for dinner at friends for the entire week after receiving your share, or you find someone else to share with. Or you decide it’s not for you and you go to the farmers’ market or store instead. Take the plunge if you want to support a DC-owned farm. As we grow, you’ll reap the benefits as we are able to offer more customer-friendly options and show our gratitude in yet to be determined ways…

To give you a better idea, here’s what I think will be in the first share:
June 15th
2 heads of lettuce
2 bags of salad greens (i.e. 1 spinach and 1 arugula)
3 bunches of herbs
1 bunch of garlic or onion scallions
1 bag of garlic scapes
2 bunches of cooking greens (i.e. 1 kale, 1 swiss chard)
2 bunches of roots (carrots, beets, radishes, turnips)
1 bunch of flowers
1 bag tat soi or bok choi or 1 head of cabbage

A group of people, interested in learning the basics of starting vegetables from seed, came together on March 30, 2013 for Three Part Harmony Farm’s Seed Starting Workshop.

There are many reasons why plants need to be started indoors, but the act of doing it is fairly straightforward for most kinds of plants. Starting seeds before the last frost gives you a jump start on the season! It also helps you select for the healthiest plants. Some plants are trickier than others to directly seed into your garden so starting them in pots is actually the only way to grow them. Some flowers and herbs or difficult to germinate vegetables have slightly different requirements, but for the most part once you know the basics, that knowledge will come in handy each year until you stop gardening!

In this workshop, Gail explained the basic requirements for the seed and plant that it will become (soil less medium, temperature and water for germination; feeding, watering and light requirements for growing plants). We also discussed what to do with fluctuating spring temps and how to create the ideal conditions if you are doing it in a basement or other location that doesn’t get sun. We made potting soil together, seeded trays, and practiced watering.

Click here to view more photos from the workshop.

You can still order your seedlings from Three Part Harmony Farm: http://threepartharmonyfarm.org/buy-local-seedlings/

On Saturday, February 23, 2013, Three Part Harmony Farm participated in Rooting DC, a forum about urban food production and consumption. We had a great time networking with new and old allies, we participated in workshops, discussions and set up a table at the information fair.

Many thanks to Favianna Rodriguez for letting us use her amazing artwork for the Three Part Harmony banner, that we painted the night before the forum.

Cooking for Self Determination – poster by Favianna Rodriguez

A few years ago, Favianna collaborated with Bryant Terry, author of Vegan Soul Kitchen, on a set of posters dealing with food justice. The posters Green Our Communities and Cooking for Self Determination are available for sale on Favianna’s webpage.

Connecting with so many great people who were interested in urban farming was really energizing. Three Part Harmony Farm is part of a community that grows, sells and eats healthy food. Urban Farming in Washington, DC contributes to food security and food safety by increasing the amount of fresh vegetables and fruits available to people in DC. Local food production through urban farming saves energy and promotes food sovereignty by taking a step towards breaking the dependence on a fragile and increasingly unwieldy global food system.

Three Part Harmony Farm is growing a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers using organic production techniques. We are currently taking orders for seedlings that are growing in our greenhouse.

Our products are grown for everyday people who care about providing healthy food for their families. The farm is an integral part of a vibrant multinational, multicultural city and has a strong long-term presence in the community. We collaborate with small start-ups and nonprofits that share a broader vision of self-sustaining, cooperatively run projects and engage the community around the environment, food, and health while utilizing vacant plots and creating local jobs.

Just in time for spring. This year, skip the hardware store and buy local. http://threepartharmonyfarm.org/buy-local-seedlings/

Click here to place your order.

Three Part Harmony farm would like to thank the volunteers, customers, friends and supporters who made this first year so wonderful!

I could never have predicted everything that happened. And I never anticipated being part of such a community-driven “Community Supported Agriculture” project. The customers were also the volunteers and not to mention my friends and family. Thanks to all!

The last vegetable pick up happened the week after Thanksgiving. The sun was going down just as the table got set up. In the biting cold and with the help of a table lamp, 3PH shareholders chose 9 bunched or bagged items from an array of options.

I promised a journey and I think I’ve delivered that! Stay tuned for news about the farm’s expansion in 2013.

Stay warm, safe and healthy,
Gail

Earlier this months, Three Part Harmony Farm was part of Bustin’ Loose, a party in support of autonomous urban agriculture projects in DC (click here to check out the new video with some of the presentations during Bustin’ Loose). Xavier Brown of the Green Scheme was also involved in the party, which became a great networking opportunity for people from all over the city, who are involved in food justice issues. The Green Scheme is now organizing for Code Green, a big event in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC and has invited Three Part Harmony Farm to participate. The event on Saturday, July 28 from 10am – 3pm (400 50 Street NE) is centered around the creation of a community garden as an avenue for people in Lincoln Heights to cultivate their own vegetables. Code Green will also include a community brainstorm about food deserts in Ward 7, food, live music, a DJ, face painting and a moon bounce. Three Part Harmony Farm is going to set up a farm stand with fresh locally grown produce and information about urban farming in the District.

For more information about Code Green and the community garden in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood, contact Xavier Brown

Bustin’ Loose for Heal our Hood, Three Part Harmony Farm and the Green Scheme. The community came together on Saturday, July 7, 2012 for a BBQ, speak out and dance party in support of autonomous urban agriculture projects in DC.

Tashira Halyard, Mac Gaskins, Gail Taylor and Xavier Brown (left to right)

Following a relaxed meal with beers, burgers and grilled veggies, representatives of different groups talked about their efforts for Food Justice, about the challenges they are facing, and their visions for the future of urban agriculture in the district. The speakers were Tashira Halyard of Heal Our Hood, an organization that was created in 2008 to respond to food and health disparities in low-income communities in Washington, D.C.; Gail Taylor of Three Part Harmony Farm; and Xavier Brown, a master gardener and the Green Scheme‘s Director of Urban Agriculture.

Zachari Curtis

Heal our Hood’s primary goal is to eradicate food deserts (areas with limited access to healthy foods) through community organizing, social justice initiatives, nutritional education, and community gardening. The Green Scheme is an organization designed to educate people of diverse cultural backgrounds about their role in the environmental movement. Zachari Curtis added additional information about the history of agriculture in Washington, DC.

Bustin’ Loose also featured a live performance by DC artist Sitali Siyolwe, a DC-based singer, songwriter, and guitarist, who spent his childhood crisscrossing the globe with stops in Egypt, Russia and England. At the age of 13, Sitali had his first recording session with veteran producer Glynn Johns (of Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones fame). After stints in New York and Seattle, Sitali settled in Washington DC, where he formed the band christened with his name in 2005.

Watch a short video of some of the presentations during Bustin’ Loose:

Performance by Sitali Siyolwe

Community BBQ, Speak Out and Dance Party in support of autonomous urban agriculture projects in DC

Click here to for more photos from Bustin’ Loose.

“Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul.”
- Dorothy Day

One of the plots where Three Part Harmony Farm is currently growing fresh vegetables is part of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House (DDCWH) in the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, DC. For thirty years the DDCW has served as a house of hospitality for mostly single moms and their children from D.C., the U.S. and around the world. It has also been a school where those, inspired by the Catholic Worker vision, have learned about community, solidarity, Gospel nonviolence, resistance, patience, compassion, forgiveness and so much more.

The farming efforts on the DDCWH plot have been undertaken by Amanda, Gail, Hendrik, Holly, Jennifer, JJ, Katie, Layne, Michael, Novella, Selina, Zachari, and others. We have planted artichokes, spinach, cabbage, kale, collards, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, squash, peas, celery, eggplants, beans and more. Some of the produce that has been harvested was distributed to low income families and individuals in the neighborhood through the food pantry that the Catholic Workers are operating. Three Part Harmony also supported the Solidarity Cyclers 2012 with fresh vegetables during their bike ride.

For more photos of the Three Part Harmony Farm plot at the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker House, click here.