Please join us for music, food, games and other merriment at USDA’s Harvest Festival this Friday, October 29th, from 10 am to 2 pm in the People’s Garden and Farmers Market at USDA Headquarters on the corner of Jefferson Drive and 12 Street, SW in Washington, DC.
This season, we worked hard to plant, raise, harvest, and donate 836 lbs. of fresh produce to help our neighbors in need. Nationally, USDA People’s Gardens have donated over 98,000 lbs of produce to local food banks and pantries across the county.
Through our Healthy Garden Workshops, we taught over a thousand kids and adults about sustainable agriculture. We also met and shared gardening stories with thousands of visitors from communities around our country and the world.
As our growing season comes to an end, join us to celebrate the fall harvest with squash bowling, pumpkin carving, face painting, arts and crafts, and healthy treats. Get up close to livestock and small animals like Stretch the llama, Dorset and Suffolk sheep, a Jersey calf, Bourbon Red turkeys, and baby chicks from Fields of Athenry Farm.
Schedule of Events:
- Noted children’s book author and illustrator Mark Ludy will read from The Farmer and speak about The Flower Man at 10 am and 1 pm.
- Create gourd shaker necklaces with the Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra at 10:45 am and hear how they planted a seed and grew an orchestra when they play music on handmade instruments made from locally grown gourds at 12:15 pm.
- Learn seed saving techniques and the benefits of planting heirlooms at Heirloom Seeds – Sow, Savor, Save with Ira Wallace from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange at 11 am.
Hope to see you Friday, and remember to wear your Halloween costume!