When a government shutdown halted work in the Arlington House Kitchen Garden, I was reminded how fragile urban land access can be. Growing on borrowed ground means accepting uncertainty—but it also deepens our understanding of stewardship, resilience, and the shared responsibility of caring for land that sustains us all.

No yard? No problem. A single 5-gallon bucket can handle watering, growing, composting, and even pickling. See how Friends of Urban Agriculture used this simple tool to demonstrate small-scale growing systems during Arlington’s Urban Agriculture Month — and how you can build your own.

The new Grow Zone at Rosslyn’s NOW Park transforms an underused terrace into a living example of long-term urban food production — showing how community partners can turn short-term activations into lasting nourishment.

Photo credit: Alex Sakes @alexsakes and @alexsakesphotography.