The Livability22202 Open Space Working Group and Friends of Urban Agriculture (FOUA) hosted a small ceremony and media event July 26 to inaugurate the Highlands Urban Garden (HUG) in Virginia Highlands Park and to thank our donors, volunteers, and the County for their support. We’ve been in operation at the HUG now for going on a year and have already donated more than 100 pounds of produce to various charities, with the goal of reaching 250 by the end of the year. The pilot project has been very successful. There were 3 speakers: Carol Fuller, the Open Space Coordinator for Livability, David Sachs for FOUA, and County Board member Libby Garvey. This was followed by a harvest of produce available in the garden on that date: peppers, cherry tomatoes, beans, parsley, and basil. Previously, harvests included red and green lettuce, Swiss chard, bok choy, beans, cucumbers, and herbs. National Landing BID President and CEO Tracy Gabriel represented the largest financial donor and also gave words of thanks. The Sustainable Scoop videotaped the event.
But none of this would be possible without our wonderful donors who contributed funding and in-kind donations. As of mid-July, volunteers had donated 433 hours of service to the HUG, the equivalent of $11,690 in labor hours. We invited all of our donors, volunteers, and County coordinators. A copy of the invitation letter is attached here. The July 2021 progress report is here. To learn more about the HUG and volunteer opportunities, please visit https://arlingtonurbanag.org/project-hug