Awareness about the need for healthy food is on the rise in our fair city, thanks in part to the unflagging efforts of the First Lady. In my mind, though, the “good food revolution” is not just about healthier eating habits, it’s just as much about building community around food – though admittedly with rising rates of diabetes and obesity, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables is certainly a key component.

Quite a number of programs have been working on feeding and empowering communities around our nation’s capital for years, much of the world still doesn’t know about the amazing farms, gardens, and food education programs in their own back yards. (I am not one to point fingers, mind you: about 13 months into a cross-country bike trip researching food communities around the States, I stumbled upon Friendship Trays in Charlotte, NC. I was instantly enamored with this program that supported an interconnected soup kitchen, culinary school, catering program, and community garden… that it turns out is directly based on DC Central Kitchen. Yep, right in my own back yard.)

There is a lot going on here, but aside from the rare celebrity visit – as Prince Charles highlighted Common Good City Farm last month — much of the food-based community work has been happening below the mainstream radar. DC has the potential to serve as a model of local food security and community for the rest of the country. Most folks I have encountered, some of whom have lived in the District for many years, are unaware that DC has not one but two urban farms in Northwest DC: Common Good City Farm and The Farm at Walker Jones. Both are devoted to providing food education along with supplies and growing space for community gardeners. These two farms are not focused on intensive production, but they beautify neighborhoods and provide much-needed learning spaces.

Being the political town that it is, DC has groups focusing on food policy – like Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) – and others focusing on outreach and food access – like DC Hunger Solutions, Thrive DC, and the Capital Area Food Bank. But there are many other grassroots efforts on the ground that are working to foster community development around food.

One of the first groups I encountered when I decided I would devote myself to food education and community building was the DC Farm to School Network. This small but far-reaching nonprofit works to get healthier food into dozens of schools around the city through hands-on, food-based activities in schools and ongoing collaboration with cafeteria staff and teachers. With annual events like DC Farm to School Week and Strawberries and Salad Greens, Farm to School is answering a call to action: “DC parents want their kids to eat more fresh produce, schools want to serve it, and farmers are eager to sell it. What are we waiting for?”

Other groups are focused on cultivating a future generation that works together to build a stronger community food system. You can join them. Consider the Neighborhood Farm Initiative, whose primary educational site in Fort Totten is part of the Mamie D. Lee garden – the District’s oldest community garden. It was here that I weeded beds of spinach and taught high-school students enrolled in the Green Summer Jobs program, how to make tabbouleh from items harvested from their garden.

Or wander over to the National Arboretum (one of DC’s best kept secrets), where tucked away on the southern end of the lush green space in Northeast you will find the Washington Youth Garden, a plot where students and families can come for a dose of environmental education and learn about the full cycle of food from germinating seeds to pollinating bees and composting worms.

City Blossoms is a bilingual, garden-based nonprofit that has been cultivating community engagement and beautifying lots around DC and Baltimore for nearly a decade. Youth, neighbors, and volunteers from around the city congregate weekly to plan and develop gardens bursting with fresh herbs, flowers, and vegetables. DC Greens, another small, local nonprofit, is also working to green schoolyards and get more fresh food into schools.

If mentoring youth through cooking is more your speed, check out programs like Brainfood (where I’ve spent every Tuesday evening since November working with high school students from around the District), Common Threads (a Chicago-based program that explores community and diversity through experiential culinary lessons with elementary school students), and Kids Cook (a program of the Capital Area Food Bank that makes healthy after school snacks with children).

Nearby farms like Clagett Farm, in Upper Marlboro, MD, offer an educational component but are more heavily focused on food production and donate a generous portion of food to various nonprofits in the area. , There are also organizations specifically working to support the next generation of sustainable food growers in the region, so that as we build demand for fresh, local food, there is adequate supply. ECO City Farms in nearby Edmonston, MD trains aspiring urban and immigrant farmers, and the new Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture, based in Alexandria, VA has hopes to begin a young farmer incubation program within the next few years.

Want to get involved with community food groups in the nation’s capital? All of the groups mentioned above readily accept volunteers. And in addition to the organizations highlighted in this issue, you can find a list of community workdays and special events on the collaborative Field to Fork Network website. Sign up, get engaged – let’s build this food community together!