For the past three years, Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum has been leading a collaborative Smithsonian project on Urban Waterways.  The project comes out of a desire to explore the various issues facing urban communities and document the diverse responses to such challenges.  Rivers, typically imagined in the context of a wild, natural landscape, are often “forgotten” yet integral parts of cityscapes.  What are the consequences of allowing the neglect of our urban waterways? Who pays the price?  What are the various efforts being made to reclaim urban rivers and who enjoys these benefits?

The desire to create healthy, sustainable communities is not relegated to waterways, and as the Urban Waterways project has grown, it has made room for the various ways residents are trying to improve their quality of life. Garden Stories grew out of a community forum on green gardening in DC schools.  It invites local gardeners to share their gardening stories from their own perspective in the hopes residents can play a role in documenting life in their community and provide a starting point for a more in-depth discussion about our connection to the natural world and the role we can play in creating healthy communities.

Gail of Three Part Harmony Farm was interviewed in Washington, D.C. in 2013 by Bread for the City. Gail got her start in farming as a volunteer at Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. She later became a member of the seasonal crew. Founded in 2012, Three Part Harmony Farm is a small-scale urban farm operation in Washington, D.C. It is the first commercial farm to operate in Washington, D.C. in recent memory. Vegetables, fruit, and flowers are grown on multiple small plots throughout the city and the mission of the farm is to grow, sell, and promote local and healthy food in the community.

Watch the video clips to hear more about Gail’s story.