Brennan and Gwendolyn Washington | Phoenix Gardens

Phoenix Gardens

Brennan and Gwendolyn Washington

City of Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County

When we last shared Brennan and Gwendolyn Washington’s story, they’d just filled their new hoop house with 30 cubic yards of compost delivered by Food Well Alliance. Since then, their Phoenix Gardens farm in Lawrenceville has continued to produce healthy harvests. “We’ve grown broccoli, collards, kale, heirloom tomatoes, and peppers. Right now, heading into fall, we have beets, fava beans, and swiss chard. Had we not received that donation of compost, we wouldn’t have been able to get the yield we did.”

More recently, Food Well Alliance provided mechanical support from “Small Farmer at Large” Chris Theal, who cleared an additional half acre of growing space with his tractor. “All of those were blessings,” said Brennan. “If you truly want to support local farms and farmers and build our local food system, a donation to Food Well Alliance is an integral part of doing that.”

The Washingtons are as passionate about growing the local food movement as they are about growing food. Whether giving a demonstration to the Gullah Geechee Farm Cooperative in St. Helena Island or holding a workshop at Phoenix Gardens, educating other growers is the couple’s ultimate priority. “We always have an open door for people who want to learn,” said Brennan.