655 K Street Garden Spring ‘26 Update
The rooftop garden at 655 K is off to a lush and green start this spring! The kale, collards, and rainbow chard are growing by leaps and bounds, and their leaves are beginning to form the vibrant canopies we love to see every season. The perennial herbs and pollinator-attracting flowers are already showing their lovely blooms, and the ladybugs and bees are as delighted as we are. The heat-loving crops, including cucumbers, sweet peppers, and eggplant, were just planted too. We look forward to sharing them with you at the Harvest Tables this growing season!
Meet Your 2026 Farmers-
Nadine & James!
Nadine is originally from western New York state and started farming in 2016. She has been hooked ever since! After working on a variety of small organic farms over the last decade, she found her way to Up Top Acres in 2025 and thoroughly enjoys her work growing food on the rooftops of DC. Her favorite crop to grow is rainbow chard, and she is looking forward to sharing their juicy and colorful leaves with you this season.
James grew up just outside D.C. and has long been interested in sustainable food systems and building community ever since his first job as a farm stand attendant. He attended the University of Vermont and graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Studies focusing on sustainable agriculture and food policy. He has been farming for 5 years, the last three of which have been on roofs throughout the region with Up Top Acres. His current obsessions are our basil which he makes into pesto all season long, and the bees that he keeps on our rooftop apiaries throughout the city!
In This Spring
KALE
One of the most beloved crops in our gardens, kale thrives in cool weather and is planted before the last frost, giving it a head start on the season and making it one of the first crops ready for harvest.
Fun Facts About Kale
Taste & Texture: Flavor ranges from mild and sweet in young leaves to earthy and slightly bitter in mature ones- a quick massage with olive oil softens both the leaves and the bite.
Nutrition & Calories: Just one cup of raw kale delivers over 100% of the daily value for Vitamins K, A, and C, all for around 33 calories. It's also a surprising plant-based source of calcium.
Culinary Uses: Very versatile- can be eaten raw in salads, blended into smoothies, roasted into chips, or sautéed as a side. It holds up better to heat than most leafy greens.
Harvest: Kale is a "cut and come again" crop meaning that harvesting outer leaves regularly actually encourages the plant to keep producing all season long!
