Growing Community at the NOW: A Q&A with Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture

As part of the vibrant new community space at the NOW Pop‑Up Park, Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture (FOUA) has helped bring urban gardening and food production to the heart of Rosslyn, VA. The pop-up park, which launched last fall, features a “Grow Zone” with native plants, pollinator beds, and garden plots that cultivate produce donations for those in need.

We spoke with Lynda Ramirez-Blust, President of FOUA, about the organization’s work, the importance of urban agriculture, and how the gardens at the NOW are connecting people with food and nature in the middle of Arlington’s Skyline District. 

Q&A with FOUA

Q: For readers who may not already be aware of your organization, can you tell us about Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture? 

A: FOUA builds a strong, community-powered urban agriculture network that grows healthy, sustainable food for everyone in Arlington. We expand growing spaces, strengthen local skills, and make it easier for all residents to participate while increasing food production and donation. Through this work, we connect people, improve well-being, and position urban agriculture as essential climate infrastructure.

Q: The “Grow Zone” at the NOW has introduced urban gardening to Rosslyn. What role does your organization play in maintaining and activating this space? 

A: FOUA recruits and organize volunteers, develops planting plans, provides hands-on opportunities to plant, tend, and harvest, shares agricultural knowledge, and demonstrates the big impact small spaces can have on community and food insecurity.

Q: Why is urban agriculture important in a dense, urban neighborhood like Rosslyn? 

A: It brings food production closer to where people live. In a neighborhood dominated by offices, apartments, and limited retail, growing food locally—on rooftops, terraces, and small plots—adds fresh, nutrient-dense options and reduces reliance on long supply chains.

It turns underused space into productive, living infrastructure. Urban agriculture can activate rooftops, setbacks, plazas, and edges—converting passive space into places that grow food, support pollinators, and manage stormwater.

It strengthens climate resilience. Plants cool buildings and streets, improve air quality, absorb rainwater, and build soil—all critical in high-density areas with heat island effects and limited green space.

It builds community. Gardens create opportunities for connection, stewardship, and a shared sense of place.

It supports health and well-being. Access to green space—even small, productive landscapes—reduces stress, encourages physical activity, and improves mental health.

It makes sustainability visible and tangible. Urban agriculture shows how food, waste, water, and climate are connected—turning abstract sustainability goals into everyday, hands-on experiences.

Q: What can visitors expect to see or learn when they stop by the garden plots at the NOW? 

A: They'll see a mix of seasonal crops, demonstration beds, and small-scale systems that show what's possible in limited space—along with techniques like companion planting, succession planting, crop rotation, soil building, composting, and simple irrigation. The garden is designed to be working examples they can try at home.

Q: What is typically grown or planted in these garden beds and what happens to the produce once it’s harvested? 

A: We grow a mix of seasonal crops that work with each other to provide the greatest yield. Harvested produce is delivered to Pathforward, where their chef incorporates the produce into meals served to its clients.

Q: How can Rosslyn residents and businesses get involved with the gardens or your broader work in the Arlington area? 

A: Join us during our regular work sessions at the NOW - Sundays at 1:30 p.m. or Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. They can also volunteer in any of our public demonstration gardens, join us for gleaning, or help at our produce bagging locations.

Q: Do you have a favorite memory or event you’ve attended at the NOW since its opening last fall? 

A: Our favorite event was our first harvest! Just a few weeks after the garden officially opened we harvested 12 pounds of produce.