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On a Rooftop in the City, Grows Hope

Posted by Aaron Lavallee, Office of Communications, USDA in Food and Nutrition
May 06, 2011
Rooftop vegetable garden is ready for planting at Bread for the City in Northwest Washington, DC, on Friday, April 29, 2011.
Rooftop vegetable garden is ready for planting at Bread for the City in Northwest Washington, DC, on Friday, April 29, 2011.

Last week, Secretary Vilsack stopped by Bread for the City and joined National and Community Service CEO Patrick Corvington and Bread for the City President George Jones to underscore the administration’s commitments to ending hunger in America.

The event took place at an organization that is on the frontlines of helping the most vulnerable Americans.  From a food distribution center and medical facilities for those in need to the rooftop garden designed to teach people about healthy eating, Bread for the City, is sowing the seeds of hope.

The photos below show Bread for the City’s rooftop vegetable garden, the largest of its kind in the Washington, D.C. Metro area. The produce grown here provides the surrounding community with fresh foods that would otherwise be hard to access and places a strong emphasis on the benefits of educational gardening. For the whole set, please visit our Flickr site.

Rooftop vegetable garden is ready for planting at Bread for the City in Northwest Washington, DC, on Friday, April 29, 2011. The garden features specialized soil made of organic and inorganic material for rooftop gardens.
Rooftop vegetable garden is ready for planting at Bread for the City in Northwest Washington, DC, on Friday, April 29, 2011. The garden features specialized soil made of organic and inorganic material for rooftop gardens.
 The 30 wooden planters are about 4 inches tall but are not separate from the soil covering the roof, so there is a 10" depth to the plant in the boxes.
The 30 wooden planters are about 4 inches tall but are not separate from the soil covering the roof, so there is a 10" depth to the plant in the boxes.
Ground cover plants are already on site and await a team of volunteers to plant them in the walkways to retain moisture and help keep the soil temperature stable.
Ground cover plants are already on site and await a team of volunteers to plant them in the walkways to retain moisture and help keep the soil temperature stable.
Bread for the City in northwest Washington, DC, on Friday, April 29, 2011. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Bread for the City in northwest Washington, DC, on Friday, April 29, 2011. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Category/Topic: Food and Nutrition