At the University of the District of Columbia’s Lamond-Riggs Food Hub, education and practice come together in a unique garden space including a native plant nursery, aquaponic and hydroponic systems, demonstration kitchen, and raised garden beds. The Food Hub teaches skills like greenhouse management and plant production all while serving the DC community.
One standout initiative is the Native Tree Nursery and Orphan Tree Project, started by DC Master Naturalist Liz Crafford with the support of site coordinator Kyra Moore. The project rescues native saplings and nurtures them in a mix of topsoil and Bloom, a nutrient-rich soil amendment that helps the young trees develop. Once the trees are strong enough, they’re replanted across DC, filling bare spots and contributing to the city’s native landscape.
Liz shared, “The trees seem to be thriving! We built a large bin to store the Bloom, making it easy to grab and mix with topsoil whenever we’re planting. The results speak for themselves—you can see how healthy the trees are!” Some trees were planted in Rock Creek Park to restore areas cleared of invasive species, while others were donated to community members. They also started a new crop this fall that they plan to share in 2025.
