Greener Partners Connecting communities through food, farms & education
Annual Report 2012
Greener Partners Board of Directors 2012 Board Chair: Mark Ward, Janney, Montgomery, Scott Treasurer: Cristina Hug, Goldman Sachs Secretary: Elisabeth Carrillo Cooke, SAP Americas Directors: Banny Ackerman, Radnor Middle School Stephen Bowen, Kalmar Investments Patrick Feury, Nectar Restaurant Colleen Philbin Eilise Rouse Michael Tierney, Esq., Dilworth Paxson
Farm Hubs: Hillside Farm at Elwyn Delaware County 111 Elwyn Road, Media, PA 19063 The Longview Center for Agriculture Montgomery County 3215 Stump Hall Road, Collegeville, PA 19426 SOL Food Project Philadelphia County (Girard College) 2101 S. College Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19121
Our Work: Founded in 2007 and incorporated as a non-profit in 2008, Greener Partners has quickly become a leader in sustainable farming in the greater Philadelphia region. We actively steward over 150 acres of sustainable, organic farmland on two farm hubs in Delaware and Montgomery counties and a school-based garden in Philadelphia. Our farms are the platform to fulfill our education programs, environmental conservation initiatives and connect over 25,000 individuals each year to healthy, locally grown food. We reach over 7,000 young people annually through our award winning farm-toschool initiatives Seed to Snack速, SOL Food, Community Food Project (CFP), and Farmer Apprenticeship Training (CRAFT).
2009 Launched Hillside Farm at 2007 Elwyn & Skunk Hollow Greener Partners Community Farm in Radnor plants its first seeds in a Township with a combined 1/4 acre organic farm 80 CSA Members
2008 Established its first CSA at Waterloo Mills with 16 families on 2 acres
2009 Founded the ESF Dream Garden to work with K-12 students at Girard College (SOL Food)
2009 The Seed to Snack速 program is launched, a farm-to-school initiative providing hands-on experiences with our local food system
2010 CSAs expand to over 150 families across the Philadelphia area
2010 Greener Partners Farm Camp launches to give kids the chance to dig in and experience the wonders of growing
2009 2010 Developed Lost Arts educational Farm Tours & workshop series, delivering Corporate Service knowledge about the"lost arts" Days begin from our agricultural, culinary and cultural past
2011 Hillside Farm expands to 15 acres
Message from the Executive Director Greener Partners dreams big. In 2007, our first seeds were sown on a ¼-acre plot, managed by a small but committed group of volunteers who had a vision for how to put better food on our family’s table. As with many grassroots movements, we were concerned by the deleterious impact conventional farming was having on our planet, as well as our family’s health. Six years later, we’re a team of 30 talented and passionate farmers, educators and apprentices-in-training, who are working with a unified focus to reshape our landscapes and inspire our communities to help us build a better food system. Our original inspiration was to create not just one farm, but rather, a network of organic farms that wrapped around the urban center of Philadelphia. The farms would be used as a tool for educating and engaging children, families and communities about the power of farm-fresh, healthy food. In 2012, this concept came closer to being a reality. Our farm hubs are the center of our energy, which radiates out into the community to inspire children in schools to eat healthier, to engage communities-in-need by providing access to healthy food and to train a new generation of farmers. The farms also provide an outdoor classroom to share and inspire people about the wonders of growing and eating farm-fresh food. Will Allen, a noted urban farmer, said in his recent book, The Good Food Revolution: “My father taught me that the fate of a seed can be predicted by the health of the soil where it takes root. It can be true, in another sense of people. We all need a healthy environment and a community that lets us fulfill our potential.” This powerful sentiment reminds us that our work is much more than farming; much bigger than even the beautiful fruits and vegetables we grow that make their way to hundreds of kitchen tables each day in the region. It’s about community and building a healthy environment that makes this all possible. For this, we thank all of our supporters, from small to large, and from our first donors to our newest supporters in 2012. We thank you for trusting us to invest your contributions into building the foundation for a better food system; to plant this seed, that is centered upon real farmers growing healthy food on vibrant farms that has a powerful, direct impact on our children, our communities, and our planet. Thank you again for your support,
Jason W. Ingle, Founder & Executive Director
2011 Greener Partners lauches 2011 Seed to Snack® expands Community Supported Shares (CSS) program, providing to over 30 schools in subsidized CSA shares to 15 Chester, Montgomery and low-income families, alongside Delaware County the 220 CSA families
2011 Greener Partners adds 90 acres of land in Collegeville, Montgomery County, reviving a critical organic farm
2011 First Annual World's Greatest Farmer Showdown™ which highlights the talents of our region’s farmers
2012 2012 Tri-State CRAFT launched, a Completed a collaborative effort with 3-year Strategic regional farms to enhance Master Plan with educational and peer-to-peer Fairmount training opportunities for farm Ventures apprentices
2012 2012 Hillside Farm expands to 32 CSA Expands to over acres and Longview Farm 450 families in expands to 120 acres, for a Montgomery County & total of 152 acres of active Delaware County land stewardship
2012 First Farm to Table Dinner at Longview Farm with Chef Daniel Stern
2012 Conceptualization begins for a mobile farm, to engage school students about growing, cooking & eating healthy food!
In 2012 we completed our first comprehensive 3-year Strategic Master Plan with Fairmount Ventures. This helped us establish our four core pillars of programmatic focus: S.E.E.D.
STEWARD EDUCATE Practicing the highest standards of environmental stewardship
Educating youth and families about healthy food through hands-on learning
• Ecological & organic practices •Biodiversity, habitat & soil protection •Water conservation •Waste stream mitigation
•On-farm, in-classroom & community-based programming •Connection to the land • Experiential learning •Awareness of food systems
ENGAGE DEVELOP Engaging communities in need with direct access to fresh food
Developing the next generation of farmers
•Teaching skills to inspire healthy eating •Food distribution & increased affordability •Food sovereignty •Community building
•Local economy stimulation •Green jobs creation •On-farm job training •Mentorship & peer support •Land & capital access
Steward In 2012, our farm-based operations expanded in acreage and production, going from 15 acres at Hillside Farm and 90 acres at Longview, to 32 acres at Hillside Farm and 120 acres at Longview. We began our first-year of season extension at both of our farm hubs, providing weekly fresh produce through our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program to over 600 families in 3 counties,
Highlights • We received two distinguished awards: The Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence, and the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy Award for our land use and conservation initiatives at our Longview Farm in Collegeville. • With a $7,000 grant from TreeVitalize, we planted over 100 trees and native shrubs and restored a 5-acre riparian buffer in the woodland perimeter, an important Ridley Creek watersehd at our Hillside Farm in Media. • With the use of high tunnels, we extended our CSA to include year-round production, providing 46 weeks of farm-fresh produce to over 600 members in 3 counties. • We began the first installation of our Longview Heritage Breed program, welcoming 5 varieties of heritage chickens, and drew up plans for the expansion of the program in 2013, including heritage and rare breeds of sheep, goats and pigs.
Above: Hillside Farmer preparing for the season
Longview Farm 2012 CSA Member Testimonial “It was the first time we signed up for a full share (CSA). It took a few weeks to adjust but by the end, my husband was looking forward to fresh salads, and my 4 year old daughter was wanting basil so we can prepare “green pasta,” because it was her favorite. I can’t wait to bring fresh flowers again... we will undoubtably join for every year.” Above: Longview Farmer, Rick Fonda, sorting potatoes Jessica Visher, family of 5+
Educate
In 2012, we increased our youth education program offerings a connection to seasonal food and authentic on-farm experiences. We continued to provide Seed to Snack® to over 40 schools in Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. We also expanded our SOL Food teen-leadership program at Girard College, where teens worked year-round in the schoolbased community garden, and provided mentorship and support at a community garden at Guild House West Senior Center, and launched the SOL Food program at STEM High School in Chester.
Highlights: • Our Seed to Snack® program reached over 1,029 students in 5 schools in Chester city, a region declared as a food desert due its lack of access to fresh food. • We expanded Seed to Snack® in Montgomery County, and continued our outreach in Delaware and Philadelphia counties, providing over 6,745 children with our award-wining farm-to-school programming. • Our SOL Food program provided 60 teens in North Philadelphia with hands-on experiential training in all aspects of the food system from growing and harvesting to cooking and sharing meals and preparing fresh produce for sale at a weekly farmers market in Philadelphia. • We expanded our on-farm educational program opportunities at our farms, providing 77 farm-tours to 1,883 children from ages 3-18. • We received 2 grants totaling $15,000 for our youth education initiatives; some of which was used to provide Seed to Snack® to children in low-income communities who would “My students eagerly participate in Seed to Snack® lessons. They pour with joyful curiosity over their tasty food samples, prodding, analyzing, tasting and describing their experience. I see Seed to Snack® as an important component of quality education, because it includes instruction in health, science, social studies and language arts.” - Brenda Millette, 2nd Grade Teacher, MES
Left: SOL Food Students preparing beds. Right: Media Elementary School Student (photo credit to MPFS)
“I like getting perspectives from different people about food. I used to just eat chicken without thinking about how it was raised or where it came from. It’s broadened my perspective on food.” -SOL Food participant
“I’ve learned that you can make food healthy and delicious. You don’t need sugar to make things sweet.” -SOL Food participant
Engage Hunger and nutrition experts are now looking to local farmers and CSAs to close the gap on hunger, and improve eating habits creating a win-win for local farmers and food insecure neighborhoods. In response, in 2012, Greener Partners established the Community Food Project, to expand our outreach in underserved communities by increasing access and affordability to fresh, healthy food grown on our farms. The Community Food Project (CFP), a food justice initiative that brings food education and fresh, local and organic produce to low-income communities in Delaware County, PA. CFP creates entry points along the food chain, so that individuals and groups can gain access to good food from seed to plate by way of: Production, Processing, Distribution and Consumption.
Highlights:
• We received a $5,500 grant from Junior League of Philadelphia to subsidize Farm Shares (CSS) to up to 30 low-income families that would not otherwise be able to afford participating in a CSA; • We began accepting SNAP/EBT cards at both our CSAs, our on-farm and off-site markets making healthy fresh food accessible to more people; • We provided over 2,500 individuals with fresh, healthy meals using ingredients sourced from our farms; • We distributed over 9,000 pounds of organically grown produce to low-income communities; • We conducted over 50 workshops and cooking classes in community centers, senior centers and after-school programs in Chester City, Upper Darby and Darby borough. • We presented our program strategy and results here in Philadelphia at the Just Food conference in New York. “The members of the Chester community have benefited greatly from the workshops offered by Greener Partners. Because of your programs, there has been a heightened awareness and behavior change around: eating and purchasing locally grown foods; alternative cooking methods; exploring other options for getting the necessary nutrients and vitamins our bodies need; and understanding our role in helping to sustain the earth. We cannot thank you enough, and wish to continue our partnership with you.” ~ Tashima Waller, Director, Beyond the Walls
Teens helping plant and weed a garden
CFP preserving the Harvest with Seniors
Develop In 2012, Greener Partners launched Tri-State CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) in response to a need for leadership in our region for a formalized, farmer-training program. Tri-State CRAFT works with over 25 participating farms and farmers to prepare a year-round schedule of immersive training sessions and workshops for farmer apprentices and interns to gain knowledge and advance their skills in sustainable farming methods. As food sovereignty continues to be a growing concern in the 100-mile food shed in the greater Philadelphia region, lowincome and food-insecure populations are especially at risk for obesity due to lack of access to healthy food, limited resources and greater exposure to obesity promoting products (Food Research and Action Center). We strive to be strong leaders in agriculture to help combat these issues.
Highlights:
Top & Bottom: Farm apprentices and farmer participate in CRAFT field days
• We established an advisory committee comprised of regional farming leaders to provide oversight and input on curriculum themes and topics. • We established a regional network of 25 participating farms in the first year of the Tri-State CRAFT program, encompasing over 75 participating farm apprentices. • We received a $6,000 grant from the Claneil Foundation towards our first-year program. • We coordinated 12 Apprentice Field Days/ Workshops at regional farms ranging in topics from soil health, cover crop and management to social entrepreneurship and business plan modeling. • We established a website: www.tristatecraft.org so participating farmers, apprentices and others can access important information about sustainable agriculture in our region, view the schedule of CRAFT workshops and have a platform for farmer peer-to-peer networking.
“In my role at Drexel University, leading food access and urban agriculture programming, the value of this program is immediately evident, and suggests opportunities to enrich collaboration between Greener Partners and Drexel University.” ~ Jennifer Britton, Food Access and Urban Agriculture Programs, Drexel University ~
Special Gifts & Grants
2012 Financial Reports 2012 Income (see chart) Individual Contributions Institutional Contributions Program Revenue Other Total 2012 Expenses (see chart) Program Services - Farm stewardship, production and CSA - On farm programs and outreach - School and community-based programming Program Services Total General & Administrative Fundraising & Communications Total
Below is a summary of a few special gifts and grants received in 2012. For a full list of contributors, please see the Honor Roll List of Donors on page 10.
640,627 56,260 269,458 The J.R. Albert Foundation $10,000 171,332 Farm-to-School Youth Education Programs 1,137,677 Greener Partners was awarded a grant from The J.R. Albert
567,947 397,424 76,870 1,042,241 138,247 195,798 1,376,286
Operating deficit reflects our expansion of programs and services in 2012
Sources
Uses
12%
12%
10%
10%
78%
78%
Our focus is to develop diversified and sustainable revenue sources. We look to minimize balance sheet aquisitions and mazimize our program service investment so all contributions make an tangible impact in our community and mission-based initiatives.
Our Growth Program Income Grants Total Assets
2011 2012 % Increase 387,015 700,478 82% 15,500 52,400 238% 59,174 74,765 26%
Foundation for our farm-to-school initiatives, including Seed to Snack®. The J.R. Albert Foundation is a private foundation established in 2007, in Kansas City, Missouri, which offers grants in the United States to support health and nutrition. The Claneil Foundation $6,000 Tri-State CRAFT Program Greener Partners was awarded a grant from the Claneil Foundation towards our Tri-State CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training). The Claneil Foundation works to create healthy communities by supporting non-profit organizations making an impact in the areas of hunger and nutrition/food system, health and human services, education and the environment. The Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc., $21,500 CSS Program & High Tunnel at Hillside Farm Greener Partners was awarded two grants from the Junior League of Philadelphia in 2012; a $16,000 grant for the purchase of a high tunnel for season extension at Hillside Farm, and a $5,500 grant for our Farm Share (Community Supported Share) program, a subsidized CSA share program for low-income families, providing weekly fresh, fruits and vegetables grown on our farms. Junior League of Philadelphia is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
Abby’s Ride for Real Food, $11,400 Youth Education Programs & Sustainable Farming Operations Abby Andrews, a Sophmore at the Baldwin School, raised $11,400 towards Greener Partners’ youth education programs and sustainable farming operations. Aptly called Abby’s Ride for Real Food, Abby used her 3,000 bicycle ride across country with Overland as a platform to raise awareness and funding for Greener Partners’ healthy, fresh food initiatives.
Honor Roll List of Donors* Greener Partners gratefully acknowledges the generous contributions received January 1 - December 31, 2012. $50,000 + Sarah & Jason Ingle $20,000 + Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc. $10,000 + John & Josephine Ingle J.R. Albert Foundation $5,000 + The Claniel Foundation The Oaklawn Foundation The Scheil Family Foundation TreeVitalize Watersheds program (PHS/PA DEP) $2,500 + John & Eleanor Sullivan $1,000 + Banny Ackerman Chester County Community Foundation (donor assigned funds) Michael & Bonnie Copeland Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation Alfred Douglass, III Alfred Douglass, IV Louise & Harry Hill, III Cristina & Blake Hug Robert E. Killen The Lily Foundation Colleen Philbin & Phil Barnett William & Eilise Rouse Robert Whitman $500- $999 Salvatore & Suzann Ambrosio Robert Bluestein Jack Bourger Brenda Blythe Trust Emily Coplon & Arthur Sauerhaft Patrick Coyne Girard College Goldman Sachs & Co. Robert & Leanne McMenamin Merz Family Foundation Martha Morse Saturday Club Swarthmore Co-Op TD Bank Victory Brewing Company Wegman’s Food Markets
$250- $499 Heather & Peter Andrews Jacklin Baik Dexter F. Baker Glen & Marian Bressner Judith & Jack Cameron Robert Cohen & Deborah Peikes Martin J. Coyne, Jr. Jennifer & Marc Demaree Graham Partners, Inc. Stuart & Suzanne Grant Hands Creating Change Heritage Coach Company Rich & Holly Hoffmann Iron Hill Brewery, Media Lynda & Anthony Hitschler Marc Lederman Scott & Tara Levensten Victoria Mars & David Spina Joanne McGeoch & Stephen Needs Stockton Illoway & Eleanor Morris Michael & Margaret Tierney Villanova University $100- $249 Brian & Lucy Andrews Matthew & Stephanie Austin Erica Barnes Jane N. Beatty Frederick J. Beaste III Brent Beerley Nadia Bilig Amara & Jason Biggs Stephen & Kimberly Brodovicz Adam & Janet Bronstein Julie & Michael Chladek Citizen’s Bank Matching Gift Program Daniel & Nancy Cohen Nadia Daniel Kent & Shannon Davidson David & Maureen Decker Thomas & Cynthia Donley Middy Dorrance Christine Durst Roberto Fischmann Bob Gadomski Gregory Gephart Lisa & Matt Gillin Yvonne Gisler Cindy Grinenko Kimberly Harrar Lianne Hartman John W. Ingle, III Charles & Charlotte Johnson Mimi B. Johnson
Williard Jones Sandra Karlson Chuck & Joanne Kelly Mary Jane Kirkpatrick Stephen & Rita Kusner Julie Lim Tina Lipsky Kathleen Howard McCambridge Karen & Kevin Meloney Holly McLain Arthur E. Newbold, IV Merck Partnership for Giving Jeanne & Tom Ohm Li-Teck & Shawna Ong Ellen Panofsky Daniel Park Jeffrey & Alicia Payne Jane G. Pepper Anne Poulin W.H. Rheiner Linda Richardson Brian & Jean Rushton Adam & Sara Samuel John Savitch Samuel Saxton John & Kathleen Scanlan Bennett & Susan Scauzzo Elaine & John Schaefer Lisa Scheller John Schlesinger Molly & Daniel Scott Jan Smith Charles & Diane Somerdyk Patton Steuber William & Judith Strine Myra & Tony St. John William D. Surkis John Van Deen Elzen Jean Wallace Eli Zeserson Under $100 Caren Anastasi Lucille & June Balukjian Valisity Beal John Beaudry Benjamin Berger & Debra Morton Talyana Bromberg Leanne Brown Luther R. Campbell, Jr., CPA Richard & Catherine Colbert Jenny & Matt Czaplicki Mary Debus Emily Elenback William Gibson Struant Grant & Birgit Splitt Jill Hahn
Robert Howard Danielle & Vincent Jounne Paula J. Kaiser Nick Kaplinsky & Jennifer Pfluger Janice Kirkwood Michael & Marchelle Leonard Job & Cathie Lippincott Henry Lyons Ted Lyons Meg MacCurtin Dorothy McGrane David & Mary McKee Holly McLain Jack McNairy Richard Meer James Nevels Jean Olinik Linda Orff Donald M. Pachence TTEE Christie Parry Andrew & Debbie Pennington Amy Rodriguez & Paul Miller Suzanne Roose Alexander Rozin & Wendy Voet Catherine W. Samson John & Barbara Shafer Andrew & Becky Shapren William & Susan Sherry Beth & William Shimer Jeffrey & Jayma Sitton Beatrice Smith Megan Smith Steven & Ann Sparks Mary Spiers & Sean Duffy Curt & Monica Stevenson James Sugarman Carolyn & Philip Wallis Diana Zilka Gifts-In-Kind Anna Doyle Banner Farms Burlap & Bean Chef Daniel Stern, R2L Jason & Sarah Ingle Johnny’s Select Seed Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Victory Brewing Company Wegman’s Food Markets *This report was prepared with great care but if errors have occurred, please contact: Joanne McGeoch, Director of Development, 610.584.6580. Thank you.
Our Partnership Approach In just 5 years as a non-profit organization, Greener Partners has sustained incredible growth due to the tremendous outpouring of supportive individuals, organizations, and other like-minded groups that see how local agriculture can not only transform our food system, but also positively impact our health, our communities, and our planet. We would like to acknowledge a few of the many partners we worked with in 2012, who helped us magnify our impact: ACT Academy Cyber Charter School Agnes Irwin Beyond the Walls, Chester PA Chester Community Charter School Chester Education Foundation /STEM High School Chester Housing Authority Chester Senior Center Chester-Ridley Crum Creek Watershed Chester-Upland Schools Crozier Keystone-Healthy Start Program Drexel University
Elwyn Institute Family & Community Services of Delaware County Francisville Neighborhood Association Friendship Circle Senior Center Girard College Guild House West Haverford School Interagency Council of Norristown Patrician Society ~ Norristown Miller Hall (Elwyn) Miquon School
What’s to Come... Our commitment going forward into 2013 will be to track to our ambitious strategic plan using our 4 Core Pillars of programmatic focus: to steward, to educate, to engage, and to develop as our framework. In particular, the launch of the Farm Explorer™, the first mobile farm of its kind, will complement our already successful farm-to school program, Seed to Snack®, by inspiring children to get their hands dirty and to grow, cook and eat delicious, healthy foods. Through the Farm Explorer™ we will increase our outreach in underserved communites as well as schools in the five county greater Philadelphia region. Greener Partners will also leverage our diverse and scaled farm stewardship plan by expanding our Heritage Breed Program to build awareness about the threat of breed extinction among our farm animals and celebrate diversity as a key component of agricultural stewardship.
Top right: Hillside Farm apprentices & weeding volunteers; Middle: Farm Educator, Jonathan, teaching children about all the different vegetables on the Farm Explorer™; Bottom: Education Director, Meg MacCurtin
PASA Penn State Master Gardeners Rose Tree Media School District Swarthmore Co-Op Swarthmore College The Hill School Transition Town Media Upper Darby Watkins Senior Center Ursinus College Valley View Senior Facility (Elwyn) Villanova University Welcome House (Elwyn) Widener University
Photography Credit: BCM Notes
Connecting communities through food, farms and education. Cultivating a better food system means rolling up our sleeves and getting our hands dirty. At Greener Partners, we’re dedicated to building community through sustainable farming and farm-based education, and our highest aim is to inspire individuals and families in greater Philadelphia to connect with farmers, the environment and each other. By linking our natural and social ecosystems, we seek to improve the health of our bodies, our neighborhoods and the earth, all while making delicious, locally grown food accessible to all. Corporate Office 260 Spring Road Malvern, PA 19355 Phone: 610-584-6580 / Fax 610-584-6581 / contact@greenerpartners.org www.greenerpartners.org
Greener Partners is a registered 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization
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