"Grow what you can, where you can."
Transforming vacant lots in DC's Ward 7 into thriving urban farms — growing fresh food, creating local jobs, and building community resilience one harvest at a time.
Sennel Gardens is a volunteer-led, community-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Washington, DC. We utilize no-till and low-till farming practices to transform vacant, neglected lots into productive communal farms.
"One should grow what you can, where you can. Whether it is 1,000 acres or 1 square foot, nutritious produce can be grown in all spaces."
Vacant land doesn't generate tax revenue. It doesn't create jobs. It collects litter and drains community pride. We see every empty lot as an opportunity to feed families, employ neighbors, and restore dignity.
Every Sennel Gardens site starts the same way — an abandoned, blighted lot that nobody sees potential in. We see a farm.
Everything we do is rooted in three principles that drive lasting change.
Self-growth through cultivation. Whether it's 1,000 acres or 1 square foot, we believe in growing where you are. Every volunteer leaves with new skills and deeper roots in their community.
Reducing the distance residents travel to access fresh, nutritious food. We increase community resilience and improve health outcomes by putting farms where food deserts used to be.
Each location creates employment and revenue opportunities in the DC metro area. Volunteers and employees gain professional and personal development skills that extend far beyond the garden.
Two active sites in DC's Ward 7, with plans to expand through the city's Urban Farm Tax Abatement Program.
520 45th St NE, Washington, DC 20019
Our original site since 2023. What began as a vacant lot is now a productive communal farm with cultivated rows, composting, row covers, and seasonal harvests serving the surrounding neighborhood.
4419 Foote St NE, Washington, DC 20019
Our second location, expanding Sennel Gardens' reach deeper into Ward 7. Features mulched beds, no-till practices, and a growing variety of produce for the local community.
Emmanuel Euphrates McDaniel
Founder • Sennel Gardens
Emmanuel "Manny" McDaniel founded Sennel Gardens in 2023 with a simple conviction: every vacant lot is a missed opportunity to feed a family. A graduate of ECO City Farm's Beginner Farmer Training Program, Manny brought hands-on agricultural training together with deep community ties to build something lasting.
Under his leadership, Sennel Gardens has grown from a single vacant lot to multiple sites across DC, all operated through volunteer power and community partnerships. His vision extends beyond food — he's growing economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, and neighborhood pride.
A short film on the work: the lots, the growers, the food, the community.
Behind the Scenes
Story production by New Take Films. Nonprofit or impact organization who needs help connecting your story? Reach out to johntel@goodgov.ai.
Two and a half years of transformation — season by season, row by row. Every photo tells a piece of the story.
Spring • March
An empty, overgrown vacant lot in Ward 7. Nothing but grass, bare trees, and potential.
Spring • April
Wooden stakes mark where rows will go. The first physical imprint of Sennel Gardens on the land.
Spring • Late April
Breaking ground. The first rows are carved into the soil — the lot is becoming a farm.
Summer • July
Just four months later — lush, full rows of produce. The vacant lot is unrecognizable.
Fall • October
The garden keeps producing into autumn. Multiple beds in varying stages of growth and harvest.
Fall • October
Mulched rows and composting practices build soil health for the next season.
Winter • January
The hard, unglamorous work. The team clears years of debris, bags trash, and preps the land for year two.
Spring • May
Year two brings real infrastructure — IBC water tanks, tools, compost, and a growing operation.
Summer • June
Cardboard sheet mulching smothers weeds naturally. New beds expand the farm's footprint.
Winter • December
Heavy mulch, straw bales, and grow bags protect plants through the cold months. The farm never stops.
Spring • April
Low tunnel row covers extend the growing season and protect young crops. The farm is getting more sophisticated.
Spring • May
Lush greens thrive under row covers. The mulched pathways show a well-organized, productive operation.
Summer • June
Crates full of fresh produce. Volunteers working together. This is what Sennel Gardens is all about.
Summer • August
Full summer glory. Row covers, sunflowers, tomatoes, brassicas — the farm is at its most abundant.
Fall • October
Massive kale, broccoli, and companion-planted marigolds. Two and a half years in, the soil is rich and the harvests keep coming.
Sennel Gardens is volunteer-led and community-driven. There are many ways to be part of the harvest.
Join us at one of our garden sites. No experience needed, just a willingness to get your hands in the soil and learn.
Tax-deductible donations fund tools, seeds, soil, and site development. Partnerships with land grant universities, USDA programs, foundations, and community groups grow our impact. The Food Access Coalition sets up farm stands in DC food deserts — organizations and community groups welcome. One message, one inbox.
Email Sennel Gardens →Recent Volunteer Day
Interested in urban farming? Here are the organizations and programs that helped us.
Recognition from state agencies and invitations to speak at the region's urban agriculture gatherings.
2026 NourishMD Grantee
Sennel Gardens was named one of 44 organizations to receive a share of nearly $4 million in NourishMD grants announced by Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to expand fresh food access in Maryland food deserts.
Legislative Advocacy
Manny met with Maryland legislators in Annapolis on incentivizing urban farming through the tax code — making it easier for growers to turn vacant land into productive community farms.
As Presented At
Presented at the District's annual urban agriculture conference, hosted by the DC Department of Energy and Environment. Our session covered utilizing vacant lots for gardening and farming.