Grid Magazine November 2023 [#174]

NOVEMBER 2023 / ISSUE 174 / GRIDPHILLY.COM

T O W A R D A S U S TA I N A B L E P H I L A D E L P H I A

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Another look at the urban crabapple

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EDI TOR ’S NOTES

by bernard brown

A History of Erasure

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publisher Alex Mulcahy managing editor Bernard Brown associate editor & distribution Timothy Mulcahy tim@gridphilly.com deputy editor Katherine Rapin art director Michael Wohlberg writers Kiersten Adams Kyle Bagenstose Bernard Brown Constance Garcia-Barrio Rachel Klein Heidi Krull Alex Mulcahy Ben Seal photographers Chris Baker Evens Troy Bynum Rachael Warriner published by Red Flag Media 1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.625.9850 G R I D P H I L LY. C O M

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GR ID P H IL LY.CO M

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he head of the Wampanoag sachem Metacomet (aka King Philip) sat on a spike at the entrance to Plymouth, Massachusetts, for two decades after his failed uprising against the English colonists was crushed in 1676. The colonists sent his family into slavery in the Caribbean. Metacomet was the son of Ousamequin (aka Massasoit), who rescued the starving Pilgrims in 1621.

The version we learned in school painted Ousamequin as a kind neighbor who took pity on the Pilgrims. This generous act kicked off a friendship marked by a thanksgiving feast that we still celebrate today. Everyone lived happily ever after.

The reality is much messier. Illnesses brought by Europeans who had visited to trade, fish, and enslave Indians had nearly wiped out the Wampanoags, who were native to what is now Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, by the time the Pilgrims showed up on their doorstep. The Wampanoags were at risk of being overwhelmed by neighboring groups that so far had been spared the European plagues. The Pilgrims might have had no clue how to survive on the rocky coast of New England, but they had guns, and the Wampanoags, led by the savvy Ousamequin, chose to spare the hapless newcomers in exchange for a military alliance. This gamble worked in the short term, but in the century that followed, it was a disaster for the Wampanoags. Thus from the American Indian perspective, Thanksgiving is also a day of mourning.

We victors tend to tidy up the story to suit ourselves. We would rather not focus on the violent and sordid ways that created the United States, but framing the story with the Pilgrims as the main characters and the feast as the conclusion erases the savvy Wampanoag and their tragic fate.

In this issue we take a look at another act of erasure, this one in our own city, where the University of Pennsylvania expanded its campus into a neighborhood called Black Bottom, pushing thousands of Black residents out. Today, archaeologists from the university are leading an excavation to re-

veal the lives of the people who used to live there, and former Black Bottom residents are telling their stories in the process.

Our histories are never set in stone and they can’t be buried underground. Every generation takes a look at the same events with new insights. Do we stop the Thanksgiving story in 1621 as a comforting parable, in 1676 as a genocide, or in 2023 as a survival story starring today’s Wampanoags?

Anyone reading the news can see how these changes to how we tell our history don’t go uncontested. The struggles rage in school board meetings, libraries and state houses. South Carolina went as far as to pass a law saying that schools can’t teach anything that causes students to “feel shame, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress because of his or her race, color, ethnicity, biological sex, national origin, heritage, culture, religion or political belief.”

The focus of such laws is all wrong. The point of honestly telling the stories of our country isn’t to make anyone feel bad. The point is to confront and work to resolve the very real legacy of those actions.

And if the first version of history is told in the news, we can practice inclusive storytelling in these pages, a process that is likewise a struggle against powerful interests. Is it an exciting new golf course, or a boondoggle that degrades the environment for neighbors and everyone living downstream? Is it a job-creating stadium or neighborhood-crippling gamble by suburban billionaires? Is the bounty on our tables something to be celebrated, or should we be doing our best to protect the people, animals and land that produce it?

Sitting down to a feast with family and friends of diverse perspectives can be challenging enough without tackling the injustices of the last 400 years, but don’t give up.

Some stories need to be told.

b e r na r d b r ow n , Managing Editor

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urban naturalist

Beech tree leaves show evidence of disease caused by a nematode.

Another Farewell?

A new pathogen threatens to wipe out yet another native tree by bernard brown

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ventured into the Wissahickon along with Grid photographer Rachael Warriner on an unseasonably warm October afternoon to take a look at some beech trees infected by beech leaf disease (BLD).

They were easy to spot. The veins of a beech leaf run out diagonally from a line down the center, dividing the leaf into narrow, parallel sections. The miniscule worms that cause the disease feed on the middle-layer of the leaves, causing the sections between the veins to darken to differing degrees. Sunlight filtering through the leaf 4 GR ID P H IL LY.CO M NOVEM B E R 2023

from above creates the look of stained glass.

The BLD damage might be easy to spot, but you can’t easily see the worms, a type of nematode named Litylenchus crenatae mccannii. Nonetheless, in six to 10 years, the nematodes can kill a tree. Since it was first discovered in Ohio in 2012, the disease has spread into neighboring states and New England. It’s now found in every county in Pennsylvania, according to Penn State University nematologist Mihail Kantor.

The infectious nematodes appear to be a variety of a species recently identified in Japan, says Kantor. There is a lot we don’t know

about them, including how they spread from tree to tree, as well as over longer distances.

“That’s the million-dollar question,” Kantor says. “Given the small size, ranging from 750 to 900 microns [or micrometers, about ten times the width of a human hair], it could be anything.” Wind, rain, insects or even birds could transport the worms.

The nematodes that cause BLD seemed to come out of nowhere, but that’s because microscopic creatures tend to escape notice until they cause problems. Scientists have described only about 30,000 nematode species out of a total that is likely closer to one million.

We will miss beech trees if BLD indeed wipes them out. The nut-like seeds of beeches are important for forest creatures like blue jays, squirrels and deer. Their wood is useful as lumber. Beeches spread their branches over countless yards and park benches.

P HOTO G RAP HY BY RACHAE L WARRI NER

Survivors could be the nucleus of future resistant forests, whether they spread naturally or are planted by humans.

And likely for as long as humans have lived around these trees, we have carved into their smooth, gray bark. What starts as a small cut spreads over the years into a broader stroke on the growing canvas of the trunk. The initials of countless teen lovers, united by a

heart, endure on beeches long after most of them have surely broken up.

For a tree hugger like me, a walk through the Wissahickon can be like flipping through an old photo album of now-ailing and deceased loved ones. Hemlocks — tall,

dark and handsome conifers that form quiet groves along streams — are afflicted by the hemlock woolly adelgid, a tiny insect pest native to East Asia that forms little cottony balls where the tree’s needles meet the stems. The adelgid has wiped out hemlocks in the southern part of the tree’s range. To the north, cold winters have kept the bug at bay, with Philadelphia sitting roughly at the northern edge of where adelgids can survive well enough to kill trees. As global warming dulls our winters, the adelgids are expected to kill more hemlocks.

Ash trees stand dead in the forest, killed by the emerald ash borer beetle, another critter from the other side of the Pacific.

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is treating some larger trees with insecticide to keep them alive and has cut down other dead or moribund ash trees that could have threatened park visitors by dropping branches or falling over.

A fungal blight wiped out chestnut trees in the early 20th Century. The roots of some of those chestnuts still survive and send up shoots, which can reach into the air fifteen feet or so before the blight knocks them back again.

We probably won’t live long enough to see these tree species recover. Scientists have identified and begun to release Asian species of wasps and flies that eat emerald ash borers and hemlock woolly adelgids.

Since the 1980s, the American Chestnut Foundation has pursued selective breeding to produce blight-resistant trees. More recently, scientists have worked to genetically engineer resistant chestnut trees and to identify viruses and other diseases of the blight fungus. It will take decades for any of these methods to succeed.

It is too early to say what could mitigate BLD. Trials are underway to determine which chemicals could control the nematodes on individual trees in parks or gardens, but those methods would be impossible to apply on the scale of a forest. Kantor notes that some beeches seem to suffer less damage than others, implying that they have some natural resistance. Survivors could be the nucleus of future resistant forests, whether they spread naturally or are planted by humans. It would take a long time, but, as Kantor says, “There is always hope. You always have to look at the bright side.” ◆ N OV E M B E R 20 23 G R I DP HILLY.COM 5

sponsored content

Alicia Short, Alicia’s Pies

Short Cakes — And Pies Machinist-turned-baker puts her heart and soul into her desserts — and it shows

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licia short, the founder of Alicia’s Pies, laughs when she thinks about the personal and professional transformation that led to her launching a business devoted to baking. “Growing up, I couldn’t even hardly boil water,” she says. Even into her adult life, she was largely indifferent to making food. “I was married before, and I honestly could not cook then and I laugh and I say, ‘Boy, if he could see me now!’”

The evolution began with a professional setback. Short’s position at Xerox, where she had worked 18 years as a machinist and customer service representative, was eliminated.

She had a severance package and unemployment to provide some comfort, but that ran out, and with her 50th birthday in sight, she began to wonder, “Who will hire me?”

Slowly, an idea began to emerge. In her thirties, an aunt had taught her to make sweet potato pie, and with abundant free time, she began to experiment with the 6 GRID P H IL LY.CO M NOVEM B E R 2023 20 23

recipe. Soon, her pies didn’t resemble at all the ones her aunt had taught her. Gone were the crusts made from dough (“I use dough only for diabetics.”) and replaced them with graham cracker. “You got to be part scientist,” she says.

And like a good scientist, she expanded upon her experiments. Short began infusing her sweet potato pies with all kinds of flavors, including french vanilla, eggnog, cream cheese, chocolate chips, pineapple, cherry, hazelnut and even mango. When she would bring her creations to holiday meals, her family and friends were blown away. Happily remarried for 25 years, her husband began encouraging her to consider doing something for herself and chart her own course instead of looking for a job. “If it weren’t for him,” Short says, “I would probably be working for someone else.”

Short decided to get serious about this possibility and went to Fox School of Business at Temple University to learn the fun-

The Weavers Way Vendor Diversity Initiative provides assistance, support and shelf space for makers and artisans who are people of color.

damentals of being an entrepreneur. She says that the key question they ask students, often people with a passion and a talent, is: “Is this a business or a hobby?” Short was committed to making it a business.

Despite the education and the determination to launch her business, Short struggled.

She couldn’t find anyone who was willing to tell her what licenses she needed to sell her food to the public. But then a fortuitous connection in an unexpected place put the business on track.

Candy Bermea-Hasan, who was just starting a vendor diversity initiative at Weavers Way Co-op, was telling her new hairdresser about the program, and that she was looking for Black-owned businesses that the co-op could help develop and support. The hairdresser also happened to have Short as a client, and passed her information on to Bermea-Hassan.

Bermea-Hassan directed Short to the Enterprise Center in West Philly, which provided Short with not only a commercial kitchen to bake her pies and cakes, but also the know-how to help her navigate all the paperwork.

Once she was properly certified, she was able to sell directly at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, which is the anchor of her business. She also maintains strong ties to Weavers Way, where, during the holiday season, she sells sweet potato pies and pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes.

“She’s a hard worker, and her product is great,” says Bermea-Hasan. “And I really, really like her as a person.”

People who eat her pies seem to agree with that assessment of her food — and her, too. “One lady told me last week, ‘I think you put your soul in that sweet potato pie,’” says a laughing Short.

But that’s ultimately how she sees it, too.

“It’s like a ministry to me. The first bite should taste like the last bite. And if I can’t do that, I won’t do it.” ◆ For more information, visit thegourmetsweetpotatopiesfactory.com P HOTO G RAP H BY CHRIS BAKER EVENS

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water

A River Ran Through It Manayunk Canal reopening will improve water quality but prevent people’s access by kyle bagenstose

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n 2021, Ken Conly, director at large for the Philadelphia Canoe Club, was paddling a stretch of the Schuylkill River near the Flat Rock Dam north of Manayunk when he noticed something afoot.

A resident of nearby Andorra, Conly says that section of the river has traditionally been “neglected,” with trash accumulating along the river and people vandalizing aging brick and concrete structures that once made up the headworks of the Manayunk Canal.

“It’s an area that gets abused a lot and we’d paddle right through it,” Conly says.

But during this particular paddle, he saw that much of the area had been fenced off.

It was evident something major was underway. Conly called around and eventually reached someone at the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) who let him know what was up: the canal was coming back.

Last year, buoyed by $15 million in funding, PWD broke ground on a project to return flow to the two-mile-long canal for the first time since its closure in the 1940s.

Those who’ve spent time on Manayunk’s Main Street know the consequences of that closure well. In sweltering summer months, the canal’s now stagnant waters can fill with algae and other materials, forming a stinky spine that runs alongside the otherwise tourist-friendly business district.

And to the north along a wooded stretch of the Schuylkill River Trail, generations of mischief-makers have plodded their way across a muddy valley to graffiti the historic remains of the old canal works and engage in other activities best performed away from prying eyes.

Peter Reilly, an engineer for PWD, says the department has long dreamed of something better for the site. As a professional, he knew the water quality in the canal often 8 GRID P H I L LY.CO M NOVEM B E R 2023

drops, posing some risk to a drinking water intake just downstream in the Schuylkill.

And personally, Reilly grew up in Mount Airy and admits to paying a visit to the dilapidated ruins now and then as a kid.

“When they really started to fall apart it became a safety hazard,” Reilly says. “At which point the real impetus arrived to kind of take the bull by the horns.”

Previously strapped for financing, Reilly and other PWD staff say an opportunity presented itself after the department was able to secure funding from PennVEST, a state-run low interest loan program.

The linchpin in the deal is improved water quality. A decade ago, the department spent $45 million without any state assistance to build a gigantic underground storage basin on nearby Venice Island to help control stormwater and sewage from running off into the Schuylkill. Now, the new state assistance will help PWD finish the job.

A breath of fresh water Even after completion of the Venice Island project, water quality concerns remained for the canal, according to a public presentation delivered by PWD watershed scientist Luke Butler in February. Algal blooms “occur frequently” in the summer months, which have both “profound impact on water quality and aquatic organisms,” and also present taste and odor concerns for the city’s drinking water, Butler reported.

Data from 2016 show extreme swings in the canal water’s oxygen levels; on a daily basis in the summer, levels drop below a critical threshold that can stress wildlife and even lead to fish kills.

According to PWD staff, restoration of the canal will lead to dramatic improvements. Contractors have already been at work clearing sediment from the old ca-

Ken Conly, of the Philadelphia Canoe Club, stands at the top of the Manayunk Canal. He has mixed feelings about the lack of access for its planned renovation.

nal’s headworks, renovating a concrete wall channeling river water into the canal, and installing a new intake structure to pump water back into the canal. Once operational in the fall of 2024, the PWD says flow rates will increase from one to five cubic feet per second to 50 to 100.

“A molecule of water will flow through the canal in its entirety in six hours … not three days,” Butler calculated.

The resulting infusion of oxygen will lower algal blooms, lessen stress on aquatic species and even allow for the potential reintroduction of freshwater mussels, which were historically abundant in the canal works peppering the length of the Schuylkill into central Pennsylvania.

The department is also taking the opportunity to honor the canal’s history, preserving some of the walls of an old sluice house and large metal gears, while adding signage to instruct passersby on the ways of the past.

P HOTO G RAP H BY CHRIS BAKER EVENS

Short falls?

While PWD is touting the canal project’s benefits to humans and animals alike, the plan also comes with muddier elements.

Asked about whether the project will have an impact on aquatic species like the redbellied turtle — a species listed as threatened by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission — Reilly says a herpetologist has been on-site during construction to “manage the turtles.”

“We also have restrictions on when we can work because of their dormant seasons,” Reilly says.

In a permit application and approval materials issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has jurisdiction over the waters of the Schuylkill, potential ecological impacts were noted. Those included the “dewatering” of up to 0.8 acres of open water and emergent wetland in and around the canal, as well as 0.38 acres that will be “impacted” by new structures. However,

Philly really limits people [from] having access to the water … I’d think you’d want people to go down and see the water and be a little more friendly with nature, but instead they’re fencing it off.”

— ken conly, Philadelphia Canoe Club

the Corps did not state what subsequent impacts to aquatic life were expected. Other available materials do indicate there will be a “plunge pool” created at the outlet of the canal to assist the passage of migratory fish.

Conly, with the canoe club, laments the lack of public access to the area. PWD staff, citing liability concerns, say fencing around the new canal headworks will keep visitors restricted to the Schuylkill River Trail.

That doesn’t sit well with Conly, who

wishes the City was doing more to use the opportunity to build in access to the river, especially to launch watercraft — perhaps even into the canal as well.

“I understand they don’t want people to spray graffiti … but at the same time I find it silly,” Conly says. “Philly really limits people [from] having access to the water … I’d think you’d want people to go down and see the water and be a little more friendly with nature, but instead they’re fencing it off.” ◆ N OV E M B E R 20 23 G R I DP H ILLY.COM 9

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healing city

Out of the Dust An archaeological dig helps re-envision West Philadelphia’s demolished Black neighborhood by constance garcia-barrio

T

he small light-brown button excavated in broiling August heat rests in the palm of Megan C. Kassabaum, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and Weingarten Associate Curator for North America at the Penn Museum. Dug up from one of three small sites in the parking lot behind the Community Education Center (CEC) at 3500 Lancaster Avenue, the button, made of bone, probably from the early twentieth century, could have belonged to Stonewall or Mary Jones.

The Joneses, born in Virginia in the 1880s, archival records say, reared four children in a wooden house at 32 North 35th Street, once part of West Philly’s Black Bottom — a neighborhood that stretched from 33rd to 40th streets and from Lancaster to University avenues.

Then again, the button might have fallen off one of the jazzy dresses of a woman nicknamed “Buttons and Bows” by residents of the Black Bottom, according to Walter Palmer, a lawyer and adjunct professor at Penn’s Graduate School of Social Policy and Practice who also grew up in the Black Bottom.

“Her real name was Laura Walker,” Palmer says of “Buttons and Bows.” “She dressed up every day, especially on Sundays, and walked with a straight back and switching hips. The Black Bottom had its share of characters.”

Palmer grew up in two rooms at 3625 Market Street with his mother, father and eleven siblings. Palmer’s mother, a seamstress, could have lost such a button.

Thanks to the button, a 1927 penny, shards of glass and other objects recovered during Heritage West: West Philadelphia Community Archaeological Project, the Joneses, “Buttons and Bows,” and other residents 12 GR ID P H IL LY.CO M NOVEM B E R 2023

of the old Black Bottom come to life beyond the ink and paper of census entries, insurance records and other documents. Objects found as the excavation continues may also help call into question the label of “slum,” slapped on the area by the developer, West Philadelphia Corporation (WPC). The “higher eds and meds” — including Penn, Drexel, Presbyterian Hospital and other institutions — formed the WPC to clear out Black residents and build University City, according to West Philadelphia Collaborative History, whose website provides resources on the history of West Philadelphia in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The excavated items, small though they are, not only establish details of the daily life buried when bulldozers rolled in, but also acknowledge the violence of the community’s destruction, the project’s website says. “… Heritage West recognizes the need to start the process of righting the wrongs done to the Black Bottom …”

Partners on the project include HopePHL, the Black Bottom Tribe, University City Arts League, Penn, the Penn Museum and the CEC. The team has consulted the community from the early stages in 2020, says Kassabaum, head archaeologist of Heritage West.

Community members have even wielded shovels during the Black Bottom’s excavation.

The term “bottom” often referred to low-lying land, but was also used in many parts of the U.S. to refer to areas with a high proportion of Black residents, according to landscape architect Ujijji Davis Williams of Detroit in her essay, “The Bottom: The Emergence and Erasure of Black American Urban Landscapes,” in the Avery Review.

Black Bottoms across the country gave their residents a solid start. America’s first Black doctors, lawyers, teachers, small manu-

facturers and others scrambling to make something of themselves and their communities grew up there, Williams writes. The bottoms in places like Chicago and Harlem also nurtured the arts, becoming the birthplaces of soul, blues and ground-breaking literary works.

African Americans arrived in Philly’s Black Bottom as early as 1861, according to Palmer. The number swelled after the Civil War, he says. The area’s population jumped in the first decades of the Great Migration from 1910 into the 1930s, according to Kassabaum.

Palmer recalls the vitality of Philly’s Black Bottom.

“It was a vibrant community of workingclass and middle-class people,” he says. “Elders involved themselves in keeping some sanity, some peace. People often left their doors and windows open. When Joe Lewis was fighting, my father would put the radio on the porch banister so everyone could hear it.” Even the number writers, who ran illegal gambling operations, had Palmer’s respect because they were generous, buying turkeys and coal for poor families at Christmas.

Former Black Bottom resident Aaron Wise recalls a tight-knit neighborhood.

“You knew everyone’s family here,” he says. “The [area] was a hub … where Black people owned their own businesses. You could see Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald at the clubs here.”

Trouble began when Penn made plans to grow. In 1950, Penn, Drexel and Presbyterian Hospital began looking to expand, according to Palmer. Penn used several strategies to gain a foothold in the Black Bottom, he says.

The university bought up buildings and let them deteriorate and used eminent domain P HOTO G RAP HY BY CHRIS BAKER EVENS

Walter Palmer is a native son of Black Bottom, a West Philadelphia neighborhood that was razed at the behest of powerful interests. Palmer was part of the organized resistance, but by the late 1960s the area was destroyed.

People were crying as they watched their community being destroyed. When you take a neighborhood down, you don’t just take down brick and mortar. You lose security, safety, the continuity of life. It was criminal.”

— walter palmer, lawyer, University of Pennsylvania professor and former Black Bottom resident

and cash to acquire some properties.

When Penn needed legal leverage to raze the area, it turned to City Council, says John L. Puckett, a professor emeritus of education at Penn and a member of West Philadelphia Collaborative History. Penn had “ … no legal writ for urban renewal in the Market Street corridor,” Puckett writes, so the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, an agency which “focuses on the city’s redevelopment while creating balanced mixed-use communities,” its website says, created Unit 3, a renewal zone that went from Powelton and Lancaster avenues south to Chestnut Street between 34th and 40th streets. The zone, which included much of the Black Bottom, was declared “blighted,” setting it up for demolition.

Since Palmer had gained prominence in the Black Power Movement in the 1960s, Black Bottom residents looked to him to organize resistance to the area’s destruction, he says. He brought in leaders from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Congress on Racial Equality as allies in the fight.

The resistance went beyond talk.

“I put barbed wire across 40th Street so cars couldn’t pass,” Palmer says. “We overturned and fire-bombed a few cars. Hit and run. Guerilla warfare.”

Nevertheless, by the late 1960s, bulldozers had reduced the Black Bottom to rubble.

Palmer and several other sources estimate that the number of people displaced was 3,000 to 5,000.

N OV E M B E R 20 23 G R I DP HI LLY.COM 13

healing city

“People were crying as they watched their community being destroyed,” Palmer says. “When you take a neighborhood down, you don’t just take down brick and mortar. You lose security, safety, the continuity of life. It was criminal.” A mural representing the scene was on the wall of University City High School, a structure now itself demolished.

Such obliteration fits a national pattern, according to the Heritage West website. Under the guise of urban renewal, city planning departments targeted Black Bottoms as prime locations for redevelopment. That stance destroyed many Black communities.

‘A time capsule’ The parking lot behind the CEC proved an ideal site to excavate and retrieve buried bits of the Black Bottom. The CEC still stands, but many of the other structures were lost, Kassabaum says.

“The parking lot is one of the least disturbed sites in the Black Bottom where development has not yet happened,” says Sarah Linn, Ph.D., Penn Museum research liaison and a member of the archaeological team. “An old Quaker meeting house was built on this site in the 1840s. Then the CEC was built in 1901. There were also two wooden houses and three brick houses here, according to insurance records.”

Heritage West staff used groundpenetrating radar and other techniques to find out what remained below the parking lot’s surface.

“We found Wissahickon schist [a kind of rock] one meter down that was probably part of a cellar wall,” Kassabaum says, adding that the excavation team put the dirt through fine screens to capture very small objects. “One of the coolest things we’ve found is a bunch of pencils made of soapstone sharpened into a pencil shape.” She associates the pencils and a lice comb the team unearthed with the school that once stood on the grounds. “We’ve found a fair amount of glass and ceramic pieces. We’ve also found a lot of clam shells. Clams were definitely consumed here.”

The team also discovered bricks that were part of a privy.

“Archaeologically speaking, privies are amazing,” Linn says. “Besides waste, all 14 GRID P H I L LY.CO M NOVEM BE R 20 23

Archaeologically speaking, privies are amazing. Besides waste, all kinds of things go into them. They’re like a time capsule.”

— sarah linn, Penn Museum kinds of things go into them. They’re like a time capsule.”

Palmer considers the excavation “a great idea” because it means that a small piece of the community will be salvaged. It will help keep the memory alive.

In addition to the Heritage West project, a range of people and groups have sought ways to honor the once-thriving community. The Black Bottom Tribe, whose members are former Black Bottom neighbors or their descendants, consists of 200 to 300 people.

Events like a commemorative celebration on October 13 honored the group’s elders.

Plays by Billy Yalowitz — “Black Bottom

Sketches” (1997) and “Taking a Stand” (1998) — also capture stories from the neighborhood. Yalowitz, a theater artist, former Penn professor and current Temple University Tyler School of Arts and Architecture professor, began work on the plays when he arrived at Penn as an adjunct in 1996.

“I was doing large scale oral history-based performances about Philadelphia neighborhoods … affected by institutional racism,” he says. “The plays were based on a series of story circles and oral history interviews that I did. The elders of the neighborhood were warm and generous in sharing their stories.”

Left: Penn doctoral student Autumn Melby (left) and archaeologist Sarah Linn are working with students and community groups to uncover the Black Bottom’s buried past.

Below, left to right: Melby, Linn, Palmer and Mary Fincato-Palmer stand in the Lancaster Avenue parking lot-turned-excavation site.

Glen Muschio, associate professor in the Digital Media program at Drexel is creating a virtual reality tour of the Black Bottom.

The tour is part of the Black Bottom Community Commemorative & Celebratory Project, which aims to raise awareness of the once-thriving Black Bottom, and to promote economic development, especially among the local African American community, Muschio says. The Black Bottom Tribe, Drexel and the University City Science Center are working together to develop the free GPS self-guided walking tour, accessible on personal cell phones.

Members of the Black Bottom Tribe also seek another form of recognition: a Pennsylvania historical marker at the corner of 36th and Market streets, Palmer says. But the planned plaque has sparked controversy.

“We want the marker to say, in part: ‘The West Philadelphia Corporation, at the request of the University of Pennsylvania, had the Black Bottom bulldozed,’” Palmer says.

In addition, former residents of the Black Bottom and their descendants seek reparations for the destruction of their homes.

Their change.org petition, which has 1,035 signatures, asks Penn for an apology as well as assistance with housing, healthcare, education, employment and other measures.

Meanwhile, the excavation begun in August will continue into November.

More work on the project will take place next spring in Penn Museum’s North American archaeology lab. The archaeology team will wash the items found and create a digital catalog of them. Community partners

helped with excavating, screening dirt and finding objects, Kassabaum says, and the team and the community will work together toward a co-curated public display.

“It may include an exhibition at the Penn Museum and one in the community,” Kassabaum says. “Physical objects make you think about the Black Bottom in a different way.” ◆ On November 3, 2023, the excavation site located behind the CEC will be open to the public. For more information about the Black Bottom, visit heritagewestphl.org and blackbottomtribe.org N OV E M B E R 20 23 G R I DP HI LLY.COM 1 5

Activists & Athletes & Artists.

We prepare students for the whole of life.

OPEN HOUSES

Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 8:45 a.m.

Grades PreK–4 Friday, Nov. 10 at 8:45 a.m.

Grades 5–12 The Only Pre-K to 12 Quaker School in Center City.

The Learning Never Stops Discover new K-12 education opportunities waiting for you at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School!

Call 724.643.1180 or visit pacyber.org

16 GRID P H IL LY.CO M NOVEM BE R 20 23

It all begins here.

Join us for our complimentary parent education series!

School Day and All Day Montessori Toddler through Third Grade 55 N. 22nd Street, Center City, Philadelphia www.gtms.org info@gtms.org American Montessori Society Accredited Tuition Assistance Available

51 Local Makers.

Hundreds of Great Gifts!

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#nextfabmade ------------

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Holiday

GIFT GUIDE 2023

Monique Disu-Casey of M Casey Designs

NextFab 2024 Workshops

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Explore the NextFab makerspace through these open-to-the-public three-month Maker Series and weekend workshops. Gift card options are available for the perfect present for aspiring makers. Purchase at nextfab.com.

Sew Your Own Jeans Workshop

Make Your Own Hoop Earrings

Sew your own jeans in this 2 ½ day workshop, where you’ll work with premium denim, professional hardware, and tools for workwear and denim, resulting in a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted pair of new blue jeans just for you! Sew on NextFab’s straight-stitch machines and sergers and have access to all the single-use machines (like the rivet press, bar tack, and buttonholer). Great for enthusiastic jeans-making newbies and accomplished jeans-sewists alike.

Learn jewelry-making by crafting your own custom hoop earrings. Learn the foundational skills of jewelry making with a focus on refining your jewelry bench skills and torchwork. Fabricate using the flex shaft rotary tool, and hand tools, such as the jeweler’s saw, stamps, and files. Gain confidence using the torches to solder and anneal metal. You will then complete a pair of custom hoops to finish off the class series.

PRICE: $700

All materials are included in the price.

PRICE: $999 Includes 3 months of membership and 5 classes.

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Book, Paper, Lasers: Make Your Own Coptic Bound Leather Journal Workshop

Designing Leather Accessories: Tooling, Dying, Hand-stitching and Pattern Making

In this 4-hour workshop, learn how to laser engrave leather journal covers, cut and prep paper signatures, and hand sew your own Coptic-bound leather journals.

Learn how to work with leather through these project-based classes!

Through a combination of formal classes and group sessions working through design and fabrication techniques, you’ll come away with a finished leather bag, a laser-cut acrylic template for making multiples, and the skills to continue the craft on your own!

All materials are included in the price.

PRICE: $265

All materials are included in the price.

PRICE: $999 Includes 3 months of membership and 5 classes.

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we believe that lasting memories start with the handmade. With an abundance of massproduced goods stocking the shelves this holiday season, instead choose gifts that have that extra special touch. By shopping small and local you’re not only giving back to small businesses in your neighborhood but giving an everlasting gift made with love.

Create memories around the kitchen table, cooking up food and celebrations, with kitchen goods and products, such as Rachel Kedinger’s metal forged spoons and plates, or by cutting Grandma’s apple pie using Ken Holiday’s cutting board. Or find these memories adorned in the tiny details of Virginia Caccavella’s jewelry that Mom will wear every day, making her think of you. Or wrapped up in upcycled quilt coats made by Paige Soto. Or even in the cherry blanket chest handcrafted by Matt Blackburn, where you’ll keep generations of blankets.

Exchange cheeky gifts with your best friend, like Sharif Pendleton’s Thicc candles. Each of these products in our Gift Guide is crafted by the makers, artists, and tinkerers around you.

Shop local and handmade, and create core family and friend memories, while giving back this holiday season.

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Have a Holly, Jawny Holiday

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For the LOVE of Philly

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Spruce Up Your Home

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Stocking Stuffers

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WFH Style

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Luxury Lifestyle

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Seasoned Greetings from the Kitchen

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Local Fine Art

About NextFab

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The products in this Gift Guide are all made from the NextFab makerspaces in Philadelphia, from the hands of one of our members that make up our diverse community.

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NextFab is a network of membership-based makerspaces, providing shared workshops and education in the areas of woodworking, metalworking, laser cutting, 3D printing, textiles, jewelry making, and digital manufacturing tools for over 600 members.

A membership unlocks access to classes, educational resources, and tools needed to build products, transform ideas into solutions, and a chance to explore making as a professional pathway.

Stylish & Sustainable Everyday Jewelry

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Pining For You

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For The Nature Lover

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Support a BlackOwned Business

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

At NextFab,

Table of Contents

H AV E A H O L LY, JAW N Y H O L I DAY Deck the halls with handmade holiday decor, straight from the NextFab North Pole to your homes.

Rustic Metal Christmas Star

Vivian Rowe of Compass Rose Spatial Design

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Top your tree with hand-welded tree toppers and ornaments.

Various prices at compassrose-sd.com.

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Christmas Ornaments

Lauren and Kevin Kelley of Girl Holding a Pen Calligraphy-based design company consisting of a wife and husband team focuses on Christmas ornaments, as well as custom wedding invitations and signage.

Choose your Philly favorite: Love Pretzel Ornament, Independence Hall Ornament, or Yo Philly! Rocky Ornament. $30 at girlholdingapen.com.

Laser-Cut Snowflakes

Kevin Huang of Kevin B Huang Studio Art Inspired by the photography of Wilson Bently, these snowflakes are the perfect holiday decor. $8.80 each at kevinbhuang.com.

“Gravity” Oversized Home Ornament Stephanie Daniels of Soula Arts

A fusion of modern aesthetics and statement-worthy design in her home collections. Add a touch of warmth to your space with these home ornaments.

Various prices at soulaarts.myshopify.com.

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Michelle Kwiecien of MDK Studio Taking a contemporary take on the Hanukkiah are these hand-forged brass and steel candlesticks from one, three, and six-tapered candles. $35-$110 at mdk-studio.com.

Handmade Holiday Ornaments and Dioramas Brian and Jill Binovsky of Mr. and Mrs. Claus

Husband and wife duo celebrate the simple history of holiday crafting and cheer with their holiday homeware.

Shadow & Light Boxes Noel Garingan of The Jaunty Octopus

Laser-cut worlds for your home, with everything from classic Christmas, Kissing Santa, to pop culture moments of the weird and wonderful. $45+ at thejauntyoctopus.com.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Kin Candlesticks

FO R T H E LOV E O F P H I L LY Even Gritty would approve of these Philly-centric gifts. Perfect for those missing the city of Brotherly Love or screaming your Philly pride!

JAWNS Gritty Sticker & Magnets

Zip Code Keychains

Offbeat goods celebrating Philly and other pop culture phenomena, including keychains, ornaments, stickers, and magnets. $5+ at whiskeysuitcase.com.

Forget generic souvenirs - these keychains are the ultimate love letter to your locale. Whether you’re a city slicker or a small-town heartthrob, keep your roots close and your keys closer. $8 at laserphilly.com.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Hannah Litvin of Whiskey Suitcase

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Sharif Pendleton of LaserPhilly

Manhole Cover Wall Art

Standard Shad Fish

Decorate your walls with what’s beneath your feet — manhole covers from the city of Brother Love, or from one of the 375+ designs laser-cut from sustainable Baltic Birch. $140 at tombino.shop.

Local fishmonger Troy helps make your Fishtown house a home with his handmade fish signs, each complete with a customizable hanging number plate. Available in blue and turquoise, salt and pepper, and more. $150 at fishtownsigns.com.

Jason Lempieri of Tombino

Troy Musto of Fishtown Signs

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

PPA Parking Ticket Jawnament Susan Murphy of Jawnaments

Adorn your tree with the only parking ticket you’ll want this year. Choose from all your Philly favorites — Gritty, Scrapple, and more. $15 at jawnaments.com.

Variety Combo Vegan Jerky Ben Doar of Philly Jerk

Vegan Jerky in three different flavors - environmentally sustainable and harm-free jerky as a pantry staple prepared in kitchens across Philly. $27 at phillyjerk.com.

East and West of the Schuylkill Prints

Maria Schneider of Maria Schneider Arte Digital print on Hahnemuhle Photo Matt Fibre showcasing the history of the place and the spaces we inhabit. Various prices at mariarschneider.com.

S P R U C E U P YO U R H O M E These evergreen home goods and decor are perfect for your new apartment, dorm room or to turn any house into a home.

Node Wall Planters and Vases

David Rozek of Pandemic Design Studio

Ralston Coat Rack

Modern and modular ceramic wall planters and vases, or the perfect wall-mounted installation for your home. $39–$816 at nodewallplanter.com.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Cody Hughes of Untitled_Co Made from beefy powdercoated steel and Pennsylvania Ash and Walnut, this super simple design is meant to elevate your space while still being a super functional piece of home furniture. $77 at untitledco.design.

Coasters

Monique Disu Casey of M Casey Designs Elevate your home decor with these coasters and transform your space into an art gallery with every sip. $25 at mcaseydesigns.com.

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Jason Lempieri of Tombino

Made from sustainable Portuguese cork, coasters come in a 4-pack with reminders of your favorite city in the form of manholes. $25–$35 at tombino.shop.

Customizable Bookshelves

Andrew Brzozowski of adhdloops Customizable bookshelves for modern, natural, and utilitarian aesthetics for the perfect complement for records or bookshelves. $200 at adhdloops.com.

Dreamy MiniAlley Khai Van of MiniAlley

Immersive bookshelf inserts/booknooks, transport readers to whimsical worlds, right on their shelves. Different scenes include: Dreamy, Italy, CyberPunk, and Medieval MiniAlley. $199 at minialley.com.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Manhole Cover Coasters and Trivets

STO C K I N G ST U F F E R S Give Santa a helping hand this year by stocking your loved ones with something handmade and wonderful.

Infinity Puzzle Joy London of Project Joy

Use washable markers to color your puzzle, then let it dry. After you have had your fun with that design, erase your image and do it all over again! Various prices at projectjoystudio.com.

Earth Candy Vegan Jerky Ben Doar of Philly Jerk

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Vegan jerky with notes of cacao, Rival Bros. coffee, and cayenne create a sweet and savory flavor profile. Comes in Togarashi 3 PACK as well. $27 at phillyjerk.com.

Shower Steamers Ray Daly of Ray’s Reusables

Aromatic essential oils transform your shower into your own personal spa. $3 at raysreusables.com.

Project JOY Puddle Painting Party Box Joy London of Project Joy

The newest kit to help you create the most gorgeous detailed paintings with the magic of science and the wonders of nature. Various prices at projectjoystudio.com.

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

MAKER PROFILE

Laura Kao of Moodio I’ve spent years building my career in Graphic and Interactive Design, but I always felt that I had other unexplored talents and untapped potential. I’ve enjoyed the past 12 years staring at a blue screen, but I decided it was time to get back to making with my hands again. Moodio is my big leap into the unknown where I am leading my life by first doing the things I love and asking questions later.”

P H OTO G R A P H BY A L B E R T Y E E

W F H ST Y L E Just because you’re stuck at a desk doesn’t mean you can’t work in style. Make it over the afternoon slump with these cheery gifts.

Desk Clock

Scott Cunningham of scrapyard aesthetics Countdown the minutes with this desk clock made from automotive parts. Also available as a Fan Motor desk clock. $45 at scrapyardaesthetics.etsy.com.

Handmade Glass Bud Vase Isaac Feuerman of Feuerman Design

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Blown using centuries-old Venetian techniques, these are light and airy, and delicately support a single bud. $55 at feuermandesign.com.

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Family Charging Station Ken Holiday of Loma Living

Charge your entire household’s devices in one place and transform the mundane task of charging into a sleek, organized affair. $265 at lomaliving.com.

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Thicc Candles

Sharif Pendleton of LaserPhilly Thick thighs save lives...and now they can add warmth and whimsy to your space. Also makes for great bookends and shelf décor. $30 at laserphilly.com.

Desk Plates

Sharif Pendleton of LaserPhilly Unleash your inner mogul with the sleek desk plates engraved with cheeky mantras. $25 at laserphilly.com.

Mini Cinder Blocks Laura Kao of Moodio

Bring a bit of whimsy with these mini cinder blocks, as part of life and home design studio, Moodio. $10 at moodiostudio.com.

LU X U RY L I F EST Y L E Skip the Ikea trip and furnish your forever home with forever pieces, including handbuilt furniture, home goods, and instruments.

Contemporary Birch Bedroom Set Matt Blackburn of M. Blackburn Furniture Maker

Contemporary birch bedroom set with floating nightstands with wall paneling above the headboard. Various prices at blackburnfurniture.com.

Family Jewels Chandeliers

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Kevin Huang of Kevin B Huang Studio Art A series of chandeliers made from reclaimed objects including mattress springs and jewelry, with new light fixtures to enhance the nature of the specific objects. Various prices at kevinbhuang.com.

White Oak Furniture

“The Kira” Dog-Crate End Table

Modern, rift-sawn white oak bespoke furniture completes your home. Choose from a king-sized headboard and bedframe, or vanity cabinet. Various prices at wrweeks.com.

Create a safe space for your dog, with a fine hardwood end table for you. Various prices at castlebrothersworkshop.com/shop.

Bill Weeks of WRWeeks Custom Fabrication

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John Castellaneta of Castle Brothers Workshop

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Arched Steel Candlestick Trio Isaac Feuerman of Feuerman Design

Hand-forged modular candelabras, blackened and hot waxed to give the surface a natural and durable patina. $365 at feuermandesign.com.

Curly Cherry Blanket Chest Matt Blackburn of M. Blackburn Furniture Maker

Curly cherry blanket chest with hand-forged strap hinges.

Hand-cut dovetails complete the case, drawers, and base molding. Various prices at blackburnfurniture.com.

Soul Machine Bass Guitar Ryan Hyde of R.Hyde Custom Guitars

Boutique electric guitars and basses of exceptional tonality and functionality, using the highest quality materials and craftsmanship possible. $2,800 at rhydeguitars.com.

LU X U RY L I F EST Y L E Skip the Ikea trip and furnish your forever home with forever pieces, including handbuilt furniture, home goods, and instruments.

Walnut Dressing Table

Matt Blackburn of M. Blackburn Furniture Maker Specializing in built-to-order furniture, walnut dressing table with walnut burl veneer, with herringbone borders around the book-matched top. Various prices at blackburnfurniture.com.

Burnt Cherry Night Stand Bill Russell of Bill Russell Studio

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

This circa 1950 nightstand has a lustrous deep red finish accented with deeper borders. $900 at billrussellstudio.com.

Live-Edge Coffee Table

Bill Weeks of WRWeeks Custom Fabrication Live-edge black walnut coffee table with modern legs provides a natural, yet elegant feel.

Various prices at wrweeks.com.

Walnut Dining Room Table

Bill Weeks of WRWeeks Custom Fabrication A modern black walnut table with a natural penetrating oil finish will add style to any dining room. Various prices at wrweeks.com.

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Bill Russell of Bill Russell Studio

A sweet small stand with a simple and dignified harkening back to the Federal period. Layered with subtle warm tones and double linear detail. $850 at billrussellstudio.com.

Rest in Repose Zero Gravity Rocker Nnennia Mazagwu of N’u. lo. Adaeze

A unique and comfortable seating experience that will distribute body weight evenly and reduce pressure on the spine. $2,000 at nnennia.wixsite.com/nuloadaeze

Dyed-Wood Team Logos and Slogans John Castellaneta of Castle Brothers Workshop

Perfect décor for a home bar or sports cave - these framed signs will display a custom team logo or slogan in vividly dyed wood. $99 at castlebrothersworkshop.com/shop.

Custom Race Medal Framing John Castellaneta of Castle Brothers Workshop

Show off your PR from that special marathon, 5k, or ultra with a professional hardwood framing for your or your loved one’s most prized race medals. $99 at castlebrothersworkshop.com/shop.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Classy Chassis” Side Table

S E AS O N E D G R E E T I N G S F R O M T H E K I TC H E N The best memories are made around the kitchen table — while we can’t guarantee your food will taste better, your presentation will be A+.

Foliage Wares Collection Michelle Kwiecien of MDK Studio

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

An assortment of spoons, spatulas, and pie servers with etched brass and forged steel handles. $65+ at mdk-studio.com.

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Eco-Friendly Cutting Board Ken Holiday of Loma Living

Eco-friendly cutting board made from Richlite paper — durable enough for everyday slicing and attractive enough for serving. $64 at lomaliving.com.

Enameled Plate Sets

Rachel Kedinger of Rachel Kedinger Design Using a technique to press sheet steel and apply enamel to the surface, adds a durable and nostalgic quality of the design. This set comes with four 10” plates. $320 at rachelkedinger.com.

“Aunt Margaret” Buffet Bill Russell of Bill Russell Studio

A late Victorian piece that was made to hold a pitcher and water bowl for washing up, now the burnt sienna-mottled finish pulls it all together. $800 at billrussellstudio.com.

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Enameled Lunch Tray

Rachel Kedinger of Rachel Kedinger Design Steel and enameled tray - comes in a wide range of colors, perfect for breakfast in bed or having a fun display for snacks while entertaining. $250 at rachelkedinger.com.

8 Bottle Wine Rack Michelle Kwiecien of MDK Studio

Blackened steel is paired with red oak dowels in this industrial yet contemporary take on a countertop wine rack. $275+ at mdk-studio.com.

Yayoi Cutting Board

Brass Spoons

Great for serving, and the daily grind - just flip the board over to chop on. When not in use, hang this masterpiece on the wall and enjoy the view. $210 at untitledco.design.

Hand-forged brass spoons are perfect for scooping a mouthful of ice cream out of your favorite bowl or serving a dollop of jam on a piece of toast. $95 at rachelkedinger.com.

Cody Hughes of Untitled_Co

Rachel Kedinger of Rachel Kedinger Design

LO CA L F I N E A RT Look no further for local artists to adorn your home — gift fine art from around the corner.

Kimono Series

Kevin Huang of Kevin B Huang Studio Art

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Fused glass inspired by a 1950s-era pre-dyed woven silk kimono in the pop art style, mounted on a wall. $800 to $3,000 at kevinbhuang.com.

Winterthur Oak Laser Engraved Wall Art Eric Zippe of Eric Zippe Fine Art

Laser engraved relief silhouette of the Browns meadow white oak tree at Winterthur Museum and Gardens. $575 at ezippe.art.

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Handmade Paper with Embedded Photographs Lia Huntington of Brick & Wire

Handmade paper sheets in various colors, formed from older paper. Photographs of the urban landscape are split into strips and embedded into the paper. @brick.and.wire on Instagram.

The Rite of Spring

Garden of Cherry Blossoms and Walking One City Wall Art Maria Schneider of Maria Schneider Arte

The history of places and the spaces juxtaposed using layers of laser-etched plexiglass and LEDs. $600-700+ at mariarschneider.com.

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

MAKER PROFILE

Bill Russell of Bill Russell Studio Starting in high school I began working for antique dealers learning the processes of furniture refinishing and restoration. As I gained exposure to early furniture I found myself attracted to painted furniture in all its iterations, and earned my MFA in painting in 1973. As I gained expertise in decorative finishing techniques I realized that I could use them to revivify certain styles of cast-off 20th century furniture.

Not only am I artistically engaged by the process and excited by the results but I may also be saving objects of intrinsic value from the landfill.”

P H OTO G R A P H BY A L B E R T Y E E

ST Y L I S H & S U STA I N A B L E Gift something “green” by choosing products made from sustainable materials or reducing waste, and make more than one impact this holiday season.

Paperless Towels Ray Daly of Ray’s Reusables

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Stylish and durable 100% cotton flannel cloths that will last you through years as napkins at meal time, cleaning cloths, and spill clean up. $35 at raysreusables.com.

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Quilt Baby Bibs Paige Sato of m.a.b.e.l

Bibs fashioned from a vintage quilt are perfect for catching spills. 100% cotton and lined in cotton muslin. $25 at mabelstyle.com.

Quilt Coats

Paige Sato of m.a.b.e.l One-of-a-kind coats and popovers are created from upcycled quilts to keep you cozy and warm while making an impact. $225-$300 at mabelstyle.com.

Ocean Jasper Cuff

Shelly Rabuse of no. 27 collection Set in oxidized sterling silver, this piece sits atop repurposed vintage belt leather. $128 at no27collection.com.

MAKER PROFILE

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Paige Soto of m.a.b.e.l

P H OTO G R A P H BY A L B E R T Y E E

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

I made that first coat because I wanted that lovely quilt to see the light of day. I thought it was such a shame that an item, handsewn and meant to be utilitarian, was so often relegated to a decorative pile on a chair, or worse, hidden away in the back of a closet. There’s so much to be appreciated about a quilt — the time and effort that went into it, but also, the creativity — from color choices to manipulating the fabric pieces into patterns to decisions about the stitching lines. Sometimes we don’t see the forest for the trees, and by taking a large quilt and cutting it into smaller pieces that are handled and used regularly, all that work is more obvious, more tangible.”

E V E RY DAY J E W E L RY Elevate your every day with these sparkling accessories.

From simple sterling silver rings to more bold pieces.

Arm Candy Earrings and Bracelets Soroya Cunningham of SONAO

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Earrings and bracelets filled with colorful beaded gemstone goodness and more. $65+ at soroyanaomi.co.

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Jewelry Display Laura Kao of Moodio

Show off your entire jewelry collection by turning your pieces into wall art. $35 at moodiostudio.com.

Kinetic Necklaces Lia Huntington of Brick & Wire

Colorful glass enamel coats a pair of copper beads. These can be positioned to sit anywhere along the stainless steel cable–giving you a playful way to adjust your adornments as you move through the day. $40 at liahuntington.com.

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Shelly Rabuse of no. 27 collection These sweet little hearts were carved from wax and then cast in sterling using the lost wax process. $42 at no27collection.com.

Garnet Bib Necklace Shelly Rabuse of no. 27 collection

Tiny cascading garnets make this necklace a showstopper. $88 at no27collection.com.

Manipura Solar Plexus Elizabeth Karasek of Livetodream

A representation of the solar plexus lotus symbolizes willpower, determination, self-confidence, and sun energy, this piece includes personally-cut gemstones. $100 at etsy.com/shop/ekarasek.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Heart Earrings

P I N I N G FO R YO U If you’re pining for someone special, skip the mistletoe this year and adorn them with one-of-a-kind statement pieces handcrafted out of the NextFab jewelry studios.

Cast Hinge Bracelet with Tanzanites

Single-leaf earrings with Enamel Inlay

Carved with an intricate pattern, this sterling silver hinged bracelet has 28 flush-set Tanzanites. $598 at virginiadenalejewelry.com.

Single leaf with enamel inlay. Also available as Double-Leaf Earrings. @barbaraschumer on Instagram.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Virginia Caccavella of Virginia DeNale Jewelry

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Barbara Schumer Enamel Jewelry

Slider Bracelets

Deanna McLaughlin of Cartrageous Capture the rhapsody of your friends and strangers’ admiration and envy while wearing this sterling silver slider bracelet. Optional black diamond or black onyx wheels are available. $425 Also comes as a slider ring ($425) or necklace ($150.00) at cartrageous.com.

Sterling Silver Ring Niki Leist

This handcrafted sterling silver ring is topped with an amethyst stone. Various prices at nikileist.com.

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14-karat Gold Wedding Band with Engraved Starbursts Niki Leist

Mars Cufflinks

Machele Nettles of Idol Light Sterling silver and the reddest red your eyes can see. $212 at idol-light.com.

Twinkle Necklace Machele Nettles of Idol Light

Made from repurposed scientific glass, this wearable art jewelry comes with magical color-changing glass charms.

Choose from Twinkle Necklaces ($131), or tiny, but mighty, Twinkle Threaders ($101) at idol-light.com.

3-Stone Ring with Citrine and Garnets

Virginia Caccavella of Virginia DeNale Jewelry 3-stone ring featuring an emerald cut citrine with emerald cut rhodolite garnets flanking the central stone and fabricated in sterling silver. $535 at virginiadenalejewelry.com.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Capture keepsake moments with the unique and bespoke jewelry of Niki Leist. Every piece is carefully created to capture individual stories and emotions.

Various prices at nikileist.com.

FO R T H E N AT U R E LOV E R Even if you can’t find time to go outdoors, bring a bit of nature inside your home with these blossoming gifts for nature lovers.

Plant Stands Laura Kao of Moodio

Acrylic laser-cut plant stands of various shapes, sizes, and colors. $20 at moodiostudio.com.

Laser-Engraved Flower Patterned Earrings Linda Celestian

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Laser engraved flower patterned earrings. $30 at lindacelestian.com.

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Amphi Fins

Ginger Kuczowicz of Amphi Americas A new way of enjoying the ocean, this bionic fin comes with a propeller that you strap on your feet. When you flex the fin, it starts the motor, and it pushes you as you swim freely, like an ocean creature. $2,600 at amphiamericas.com/shop.

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David Rozek of Pandemic Design Studio Pandemic Design Studio creates modern and modular ceramic wall planters and vases for your walls, desks, and home. $39-$816 at nodewallplanter.com.

Screen-Printed Enamel Pins Lia Huntington of Brick & Wire

Miniature scenes from Philadelphia’s built and natural environments adorn these copper pins. $35 at liahuntington.com.

Flower Power Cross-Body Handbag Elizabeth Karasek of Livetodream

Fine craftsmanship embedding flower petals into epoxy perfectly sewn Italian pink and gray flowered leather and pink suede. $300 at etsy.com/shop/ekarasek.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Node Wall Planter

S U P P O RT A B L AC K- OW N E D B U S I N ES S Support your favorite Black-owned businesses this holiday season with an assortment of fashion, jewelry, and lifestyle finds.

Harper Hoop Earrings Cherne Jean-Louis of Cherne Altovise

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

Stainless hoops and wire in signature wire work.

Adds just the right amount of edge to any look, while still being lightweight. $42+ at chernealtovise.com.

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Harriet Tubman Rose Gold Ring Nina Grier of Historical Dream

Wearing this ring instills sisterly solidarity and the richness of a woman who knew right and did “right” when she could. $1,550 at historicaldream.com.

Wall Art

Monique Disu Casey of M Casey Designs Perfect for any occasion - add something new to your collection or for the perfect gift for that special someone. $75–$175 at mcaseydesigns.com.

Silk Knotted Necklaces Soroya Cunningham of SONAO

An everlasting favorite known for its classy look and its unlikeliness to break. Various prices at soroyanaomi.co.

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Sharif Pendleton of LaserPhilly

A celestial statement that’s both edgy and elegant. $52 at laserphilly.com.

Crown Me Serena Clutch Cherne Jean-Louis of Cherne Altovise

Made of acrylic with removable chain strap and crown logo. $64+ at chernealtovise.com.

Batik Clothing Yemisi Ajayi of Yemisi Art

Producing hand-printed fabric art, wearable art clothing, and women's accessories such as silk and cotton scarves. @yemisi_art on Instagram.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2023

The Zodiac Collection Wall Art

THE FOOD ISSUE

Dig In. P

lants can harness the energy of the sun all on their own, but we animals must steal it from them, either directly or indirectly, in the form of food. And up until very recently in our human and pre-human history, producing food has been the central focus of our lives. The majority of the workers in the United States labored in farming (this doesn’t even count the food industry or the household labor force, mostly unpaid women, who actually cooked the food people ate) up to the 1880s, and while that percentage is down to 1.3% today, we still devote more than half the land in the United States to agriculture.

The incredible increase in agricultural productivity over the last two centuries has freed most of us from having to think about where our next meal will come from. For something so fundamental to our bodies, our cultures and our planet, we devote surprisingly little attention to what we eat. So often the work of feeding ourselves and our families boils down to hurried moments: wolfing down a bowl of cereal before we run out the door, grabbing a sandwich at lunch or rushing to get dinner on the table after work.

This month, we enter a season of fall and winter holidays and Grid figured this was a good occasion to slow down and take a closer look at how we eat food and its impact.

While there are certainly plenty of ways we can improve our food system — say by cutting our shamefully high rate of food waste — we find plenty to celebrate as well, from holiday dishes that will make every eater feel welcome to ways that preparing food can inspire us to fight hunger and provide disabled people with meaningful work.

So sit down and dig in (and save the leftovers for lunch tomorrow).

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THE FOOD ISSUE

A Very Veggie Holiday

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Simple tips for a vegan-friendly feast

tuffing ourselves so full we can’t walk is a tradition of the autumn and winter holidays. But taking part in the festive gluttony is always a little harder for diners who don’t eat animal products for ethical, environmental or health reasons. ¶ That turkey, honey-glazed ham or braised brisket in the center of the table is for everyone else — and the challenges of filling a plate don’t stop with the pièce de résistance. Otherwise-veg sides can become off limits when unaware cooks add butter, chicken stock or conventional marshmallows. And most

Rachel Klein is the owner of Miss Rachel’s Pantry, a vegan restaurant in South Philadelphia.

of the marquee desserts are confections of eggs, cream and butter. ¶ It doesn’t have to be this way. Grid reached out to Rachel Klein, chef and owner of the vegan restaurant Miss Rachel’s Pantry, for her advice on how to make this holiday sea� son as vegan-friendly as possible. Here are some of her tips.

Default to vegan side dishes to reduce your workload. Roasted root vegetables, dinner rolls without dairy, stuffed mushrooms, on-the-stove bread stuffing made with vegetable stock — there are so many great plant-based sides that can be enjoyed by everyone. Creating tasty, familiar dishes that are suitable for all the guests in your group will reduce the amount of cooking time and oven space you need. You don’t have to make a big thing about it or even call out the fact it’s vegan — except to alert your plant-based pals that it’s safe to eat.

Make swaps, not sacrifices. Taste the ingredients you’re swapping in for the standards to make sure you like them, and to ensure that they are adequately replacing their meat and dairy counterparts and doing your cooking justice. For example, some plant milks have vanilla in them, or a ton of sugar, or taste like Play-Doh for no reason. Adding them to your mashed potatoes could sabotage your hard work and kitchen skills. Consider a full-fat coconut milk in exchange for the cream or milk you’d typically add in your mash.

And this brings me to my next point …

Make more portions than guests. If you have two vegan/vegetarian people coming to your home for dinner, consider making five to six portions for those who will be curious to try. And if you have a crowd of vegans and vegetarians coming, you can make all of the vegetarian food vegan.

That way everyone gets to eat and you’ve got less prep to do. ◆

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P H OTO G R A P H Y BY R AC H A E L WA R R I N E R

Go all the way. If you go through the trouble of swapping out the milk in your mash or other dairy-dependent foods, remember to swap the butter, too! It’s very nice of you to make the effort, but it only counts if people are actually able to eat the food.

Klein’s cranberry bread stuffing is something everyone can enjoy.

Cranberry Bread Stuffing 4-8 servings

2 quarts of bread, cubed 1 1/2 cups onions, diced 1 cup celery, diced 1/2 cup carrots, diced 7 cups water 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup cranberries 1 tablespoon granulated garlic 2 tablespoons granulated onion 1 tablespoon granulated sage 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 2-3 teaspoons salt (to taste) 1 tablespoon black pepper 1/3 cup plain oil or nondairy butter 1 tablespoon minced rosemary 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (optional) Dry out the bread cubes on a nongreased baking sheet at 300 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until the bread is no longer squishy. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Raise your oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Next, in a pot, add all hot tip ingredients from onions Sometimes, casserole pans

through salt and place over medium heat on the stove.

Cook until onions, carrots and celery are tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat once finished, and carefully pour or ladle the mixture over the bread cubes. Use a spoon to mix well so that the bread cubes soak up the liquids evenly and easily. Once cubes are thoroughly soaked, let them sit a minute before transferring to a casserole dish. Spread out evenly in your pan. Ideally, the stuffing will be piled about 1/2-2” high. Not too tall so you don’t have a squishy middle, and not too low so you don’t have dry stuffing. Drizzle a bit of plain oil, or dot the top with some nondairy butter before setting in the oven for about 20 minutes, checking at 15 minutes to see how things are going. You’re looking for a lightly golden top with some firmness when you press down with a spoon. Depending on the size and material of the pan you use, you may be baking for up to 30 minutes. Once ready, garnish with fresh herbs.

are difficult to remove from the oven. I set mine on a baking sheet for ease.

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THE FOOD ISSUE

Serving People, Serving Food Riverfront café fosters confidence, cooperation and skill building for employees with disabilities

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story by constance garcia-barrio • photography by rachael warriner

sim king hopped off the 32 bus, beat the red light crossing Kelly Drive and fast-walked to the Cosmic Café at 1 Boathouse Row. “Got to be on time,” King said at the café, a bright place that brims with enticing aromas. Like 20 of the café’s 30 employees, King has a developmental disability.

Disabled employees usually begin as dishwashers; then owner and chef Peg Botto identifies their strengths and gives them new tasks. King, who started out cleaning two years ago, now makes bottled drinks and espresso and “does anything related to customer service,” he says.

Employees’ capabilities determine their schedules.

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“I have people who work full-time and others work just two hours a week because that’s what they can do,” Botto says. “I couldn’t run the café without some of them.” She explained that some employees have job counselors who help them succeed, but Botto and other staffers do 90% of the training.

Besides helping employees learn job skills, Botto encourages them to grow.

Amelia Wells, who has special needs, has cleaned restrooms at the café for three years.

“I’d like to go to school, and I’d like to work in daycare,” says Wells, who works five days a week.

Tyheed Roane, who has autism and anxiety, has stretched his horizons during

his seven-plus years at the café. From washing dishes, he’s progressed to making fresh beverages and lattes, breakfast and lunch prep, handling the cash register, serving food and more.

“The café is not like a traditional restaurant,” Roane says. “We all work together to get everything done. I’d like to be an assistant manager one day.”

Besides jobs, Botto finds other ways to support employees.

“She’s given baby showers and paid for haircuts,” says Lois Tate, an employment specialist with People Employing People (PEP), one of the agencies that refers potential employees to Botto. “She’s also taken employees on vacation with her because some of them had never seen the ocean.”

Opposite: Chef Dorell Parker is one of the 20 employees with disabilities at Cosmic Café.

The café is situated on the iconic Boathouse Row.

The café is not like a traditional restaurant. We all work together to get everything done. I’d like to be an assistant manager one day.” // TYHEED ROANE, Cosmic Café

Work can mean not only money to achieve goals like having an apartment, but development in other respects. Tate finds that besides mastering food service tasks, King is more confident and outgoing. In addition to PEP, Horizon House and SPIN, organizations that support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, also send job seekers to Botto.

The café’s staff reflects one of Botto’s passions. A Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP) with a degree in human services administration, Botto used to manage group homes for people with developmental challenges in Philadelphia, her hometown, and later in Florida. But she found that paperwork stole time from caring for residents.

Botto also loves to cook. After she and her husband, Jerome, returned to Philly she earned a chef’s certificate from the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in 1990. She worked for several corporations before the Bottos began offering healthy food alternatives at local street festivals.

“Everything else was fried!” she says.

In 2000, in addition to the festivals, Botto and two developmentally disabled employees started selling organic dishes three days a week at the Chestnut Hill Farmers’ Market. Then an unusual opportunity came along during the Fishtown Shad Festival in 2008. The Bottos learned of the opening at their current location, Lloyd Hall, a site managed by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. They

landed the café contract there in 2009.

“It was a risk,” Botto says. The previous concessionaire had sold hot dogs and soda. After a bumpy first year, the café’s from-scratch menu caught on. Runners, rowers, cyclists and tourists began dropping in for dishes like the breakfast burrito — three cage-free scrambled eggs, potatoes, peppers, onions, cheddar cheese and black bean salsa wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.

“I like the egg salad sandwich,” says Kieran, a regular who walks to the café from Brewerytown. “It tastes so fresh. I buy it every day.” The Ciderhouse on the café’s patio — serving cider, beer, wine and spirits — is popular, too.

Botto runs a low-waste business.

“We donate extra food to St. John’s Hospice” says bookkeeper Darlene Martin.

“We use real plates and utensils so there’s no waste there. We also compost and pay to have our cardboard recycled.”

For efficiency, café hours “follow the sun,” with longer workdays in spring and summer and shorter ones in winter.

“I save in summer so I can pay my employees in winter,” says Botto, who also donates 10% of her profits to Parks & Recreation.

In the last decade-plus, Botto has built a thriving business that gives back; recently, she’s been getting more recognition for her work. 6 ABC profiled her in June.

In September, she received an award from Philadelphia Family, an organization that connects parents with local resources.

Horizon House also honored her at its recent Brighter Future Awards ceremony.

At 65, Botto would like to shift gears.

In 2018, she launched the Cosmic Foundation to help special needs employees advance into other companies. She envisions “a health-conscious establishment with upstairs apartments” that not only teaches marketable knowhow but life skills. ◆

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THE FOOD ISSUE

Are You Gonna Eat That?

Students and research chefs cook up solutions to waste at university food lab

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story by bernard brown • photography by chris baker evens

onathan deut sch, the head of Drexel University’s Food Lab, likes to challenge his culinary arts students with cauliflower stems and other trimmings they too-hastily discard. “I’ll pull things out of the compost bin and I’ll say, ‘Look at this. What could we do with

this?’” Deutsch asks the students what they could make with the rescued cauliflower bits. Could they be stir fried? Could they be puréed to form the base of a soup?

Avoiding food waste doesn’t come naturally to most Americans; since 2015, the food lab has been working to change that.

The lab’s work on the waste problem

started as a collaboration with the regional EPA office, which was trying to get excess food to people experiencing food insecurity. According to Deutsch, the program “was very efficient at moving food … from people who had too much of it to people who needed it,” he says. “It was much less efficient at making sure that

At the Drexel Food Lab, chef Rachel Sherman (left) works with student Zae’Onah Howell to make the most of ingredients and reduce waste.

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people who got that food actually used that food.” The lab stepped in to provide technical assistance to soup kitchens and food pantries receiving the donated food — work that continues today.

Much of the lab’s education for households boils down to teaching people to think like a chef. Someone who runs a commercial kitchen might look at a pile of kitchen scraps and see the foundation of a stew or a stir fry, while the typical consumer might just see garbage. “Our project is to help these groups skill up … around these issues,” Deutsch says.

The scraps in the compost bin or the expired milk that gets poured down the drain might not seem like much waste on its own, but these items add up. Americans waste 133 billion pounds of food annually, according to the USDA. That’s between 30 and 40% of all the food the United States produces.

All that waste takes up space in landfills and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. And it’s a waste of the land, water, pesticides and energy that went into producing it — and the money spent purchasing it.

“The average household of four people is throwing away $1,500 a year on wasted food,” says Roni Neff, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. In the

Scrappy Tips for the Home Cook

1

Cook What you Have

“A lot of people start with ‘what do I want to make for dinner tonight?’ and they feel like making a roast chicken, mashed potatoes and broccoli. So they go to the store and buy all those things,” Deutsch says. But they buy more potatoes than they need and the rest end up sprouting in the pantry. The chicken carcass, which could have been saved for stock, ends up in the trash. Instead of shopping to cook whatever dish you just saw someone make on social media, base your meal on the ingredients already you have in your kitchen.

2

Bulk Isn’t Always Best

It can be tempting to snag a great deal by buying a large quantity of ingredients at the bulk grocery store. The giant tub of cheese curls is way cheaper than if you bought the same amount in multiple smaller containers, right? But will you get to the bottom before they get stale and lose their crunch? “One of the reasons people have what they think is expired food in their pantry or in their fridge is that they’re over-buying,” Deutsch says.

“A good technique is not to do the giant stock-up missions and over-buy, but to look at what you need.”

3

Strawberry Top Jam 1 cup strawberry tops (leaves included) 3 to 6 apple cores (peels optional but recommended) 1 cup water 3/4 cups sugar 4 tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 lemons) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional) In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except for the chia seeds. Stir everything together. Heat on medium until the mixture begins to bubble. Give it a good stir and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 1 hour until the apple cores begin to break down. Strain the mixture into a bowl.

Add chia seeds, if using. Let cool before closing the lid.

Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Ignore the Dates

Those dates printed on food packages look official. It can take some courage to drink the milk when it might be “expired,” but if it smells good and tastes good, it’s almost certainly fine to consume. Neff says that the dates printed on food packages aren’t about safety. “The labels, generally speaking, … are the date when quality might decline by a level that would be imperceptible to a lot of people,” she says. There are some exceptions for which safety could be a concern, like soft cheeses or deli meats, she says, but “people are throwing out amazing quantities of food based on misperceptions of the date labels.”

4

Cook Mindfully

Do you stop and think about what you put in your body? Is it healthy? Was it produced sustainably? You can do the same when you cook, Deutsch says. “You might cook just the cauliflower florets, but you look at that core and at those leaves and say, from a mindfulness perspective, ‘What can be done with these? What is the potentiality of these ingredients? Can I steam them? Can I boil them and mash them? Can I fry them? Can I sauté them?’”

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THE FOOD ISSUE

Digging into French ravioli.

meantime, about 10% of U.S. households are food insecure.

Of course plenty of food hits the dumpster before it gets to the consumer. The lab is educating chefs taking part in the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia’s Food Saver Challenge, in which restaurants, markets, bakeries and other food businesses compete to cut their waste.

Supermarkets also end up wasting food as they try to lure shoppers with the appearance of abundance. For example, at seafood counters, most of the fish on display arrives frozen but is thawed out to look fresh. “People still want to see these huge abundant displays of fish,” Deutsch says. Much of that highly-perishable seafood — which could have lasted for months frozen — ends up getting tossed. “You will save money and have safer and better quality fish if you just buy it frozen and defrost at home.”

The food lab recently developed recipes using what consumers typically think of as food scraps for the South Philadelphia Food Co-op. According to the lab’s research chef Rachel Sherman, their innovations include jam made with

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The average household of four people is throwing away $1,500 a year on wasted food.” // RONI NEFF, associate professor, Johns Hopkins University strawberry tops and a citrus salt made from lemon or orange peels. The lab is also collaborating with Neff at Johns Hopkins and a Drexel nutritionist to develop a video series, funded by a grant from the

EPA, to teach the skills and attitudes for households to cut food waste. “Part of the theme of this grant is the idea of building motivation, opportunity and ability to reduce waste,” Neff says. ◆

Citrus Salt 1/4 cup coarse sea salt 2 tablespoons citrus zest — or — 2 tablespoons finely chopped herb stems (basil, parsley, cilantro) In a small bowl, mix zest or herb stems with the salt. Spread the salt mixture on a plate and let it dry overnight. Store the salt in an airtight glass container. Note: Citrus salt can be stored at room temp; however the herb stem salt needs to go in the fridge because the stems hold more water. Both versions will last up to 6 months.

THE FOOD ISSUE

The Last Mile

Hunger relief nonprofit builds delivery service to get food from pantry to people story by

ben seal photography by

chris baker evens

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argaret isn’t as mobile as she used to be. At 79 and still recovering from a car accident that forced her to learn how to walk again, she relies on her walker and cane to get around. Some days she doesn’t descend the stairs from the second floor of her North Philadelphia home because the pain is too much.

Still, she needs to eat, which can quickly become a burden.

“To go out shopping to a market, I’d have to stand in a long line and walk up and down the aisles to get whatever I need to take me through the month,” Margaret says. “That’s not good for me.”

Instead, she relies on a box of food delivered right to her doorstep each month

by Share Food Program, an organization fighting food insecurity in the Philadelphia region, from its warehouse just a mile away from her home. As part of a state-funded program, Share delivers groceries to more than 3,000 seniors each month. They’re part of a broader group of 5,000-plus Philadelphia-area residents who receive a box of food that can make the difference between eating and not.

“It’s not easy to age gracefully in place,” says Camille Carr, Share’s home delivery program coordinator. “Adding food insecurity to that, there’s a storm of things that can go wrong.”

Share didn’t always do home deliveries,

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but the pandemic required the organization to make radical changes to its model as families sheltered-in-place and vulnerable community members sought to avoid the risk of a face-to-face pickup.

“We had no choice,” says John Sudolsky, Share’s director of senior programs. “We had to spring into action.”

The organization rallied its roster of volunteers and began sending out as many as 50 drivers at a time to get food to seniors and others who rely on their monthly food boxes, which are packed with milk, juice, oats, cereal, rice, pasta, dried beans, canned fruits, vegetables and meats. The food is purchased by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and available

to anyone over the age of 60 whose household income is at or below 130% of the U.S. poverty level, as well as other community members who seek assistance.

Pennsylvania recently became the first state to put funds for the Senior Food Box Program into its state budget, setting aside $1 million for the effort, which helps Share and other organizations, including Philabundance, reach its goals. As inflation makes it harder for many people to afford food, the program has become all the more important.

“The senior food box was never meant to be someone’s life-sustaining food,” Sudolsky says. “The unfortunate part is that, for a lot of people, it is.”

Share Food Program volunteers assemble food boxes destined for home delivery. Share now delivers to over 5,000 households in the Philadelphia region.

By the middle of 2021, DoorDash had signed on to support the program, taking over the delivery component so Share’s volunteers could focus on packing boxes at its North Philly warehouse. In early 2022, Share was delivering around 1,500 boxes of food each month to seniors, recently settled refugees and people with disabilities. In the last year-and-a-half, that number has more than tripled, reaching over 5,000 households each month.

The majority of the boxes are picked up and delivered right from Share’s warehouse, but it also partners with food pantries and churches to expand its reach to 19 sites across the region where deliveries can be picked up.

At Sharon Hill Medical, a Delaware County clinic serving patients who are HIV-positive or otherwise immunocompromised, Share’s delivery program has allowed staff to focus their attention on patients’ varied needs, according to Lupe Diaz, food director at the clinic. Most of the clinic’s patients live in Chester, a food desert where anyone without a car — more than 30% of the city’s population, according to U.S. Census data — would have to take multiple buses just to reach a grocery store.

“I can’t imagine what it would take some of our patients to have to catch two or three buses one way,” Diaz says.

Instead, they get what they need without being over-extended or put in harm’s way.

“For the people that I’m serving, it doesn’t just bring them less food insecurity,” Diaz says. “It also brings some dignity to their lives to be able to have that food and not have to call around or ask people to help them get that food.”

For food pantries seeking to meet the needs of as many people as possible, delivery — as simple as it might seem — offers a powerful tool in the fight against food insecurity. Meeting people where they are is among the most impactful ways to ensure they have enough to eat, Share’s chief communications officer Jessica Bautista says.

“Home delivery is the future of fixing food insecurity, as far as we’re concerned,” she says.

In a city where more than 15% of people face food insecurity — a number that is significantly higher for children, as well as for Black and Hispanic residents — demand for Share’s boxes continues to rise.

Share is working with partner organizations like Nationalities Service Center, which serves immigrants and refugees, and Liberty Resources, which serves the disabled community, to reach more people. It’s also continuing to expand its staff, which has already tripled in the past three years, to accommodate the increased demand for its services.

In addition to the staff, it takes more than 600 volunteers each month to operate the assembly line that packs up all the food — every bit of effort worth it for recipients like Margaret, who says she recently made a tasty rice pilaf with some of the box’s contents.

“I admire them,” she says. “I applaud them for their time, their patience, their love and kindness and compassion.” ◆

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THE FOOD ISSUE

There Are No Bad Apples

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Foraging wild fruit can build a connection to nature, even in the city

story by kiersten adams • photography by troy bynum

t’s said that Isaac Newton was inspired to develop his theory of gravity when an apple fell on his head. But what happened to the apple after it hit him? Did he leave it there, uninterested in its value, and start working on his theory? Or did he pick it up, gather a few more apples, and make some jam?

While this may seem like a trivial question, the historic pastime of gleaning local fruits is still relevant.

On October 16, the Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP) hosted a crabapple gleaning class at The Woodlands, a historic landmark district on the west bank of the Schuylkill River that includes an arboretum of over 1,000 trees. Led by Domenic Vitiello, associate professor of city and regional planning at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, students of the University of Pennsylvania set out to learn how to

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forage for crabapples and make their own delectables, like cider and jam.

“It’s just such an easy and fun thing you can do with rather instant gratification,” Vitiello says. He also sees the process as an opportunity to reconnect people to their environment in ways they might not have imagined.

“So many of us are very divorced from nature. Gleaning and foraging are ways to get people back in touch with the fact that, even in cities, we’re living in more

biodiverse environments than most of the U.S. countryside.”

For urban foresters like Kim Jordan and Phil Forsyth, co-executive directors at POP, the real joy of this class is being able to pass along information on how to utilize Philly’s food forest.

“Crabapples are commonly planted as street trees and park trees all over Philly, primarily for their beautiful spring flowers — but few realize that they can be harvested and made into cider, jelly and other fall treats,” says Forsyth.

Crabapples, a versatile fruit growing throughout Philadelphia and in season late summer through the fall, are about two inches smaller in diameter than cultivated apples. They’re also mouthpuckeringly tart.

Crabapples are typically green before ripening to red and yellow. Two varieties produce the best crabapples for cooking: whitney and chestnut. The fruit can be harvested easily by pulling them off of

Crabapples are commonly planted as street trees and park trees all over Philly, primarily for their beautiful spring flowers — but few realize that they can be harvested and made into cider, jelly and other fall treats.” // PHIL FORSYTH, Philadelphia Orchard Project

philadelphia orchard project ’ s

Crabapple Butter Recipe 4 & 1/4 cup chopped crabapples 1 & 3/4 cup water 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 cup dark brown sugar Place all ingredients in a saucepan except the brown sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Beat the apples into a thick pulp and then push the pulp through a vegetable mill or sieve. Return the pulp to the pan and add in the sugar. Bring to a boil and stir until the butter is very thick. Place in a jar and serve when cooled.

Opposite: The Philadelphia Orchard Project’s Phil Forsyth reaches high to harvest an underestimated crop — the crabapple.

low-hanging branches by hand, or if a ladder is available, climbing for higher fruits — crabapple trees can grow 15 to 20 feet tall.

The fruits can be used in a variety of dishes. While cakes and jams are popular choices, West Philly’s POP orchards encourage people to think outside the box.

“Some people have made crabapple jelly or dried crabapples. We had a couple of people work together last year and made rose petal jelly,” Vitiello says about his students’ sweet concoctions.

Jena Harris, POP board member and COO of Riverwards Produce, shares that their favorite food to make with crabapples is butter — a simple-to-make spread with a long shelf-life and a perfect holiday gift bag filler.

“It’s a really great way to put the season in a jar,” Harris says. “I like to say, you’re really capturing the fall.”

They use spiced crabapple butter to add depth of flavor and texture to cakes. They recommend flavoring your apple butter to fit your preferences. “You can put it on pancakes, you can put sage in — what’s great about apples is how easy it is to change or enhance the flavor,” Harris says.

Vitiello and Harris agree that cooking with crabapples is a fun and relatively simple activity, but it requires a large quantity of crabapples, specific tools (hand mill or food processor), and of course the physical capacity to forage, glean and process. Additionally, the prep can take several hours if done alone. That’s why Harris believes

crabapple butter making is better done with your community.

“It’s a great project if you get some people together. It’s not like making tamales, but if everyone has a task it goes much faster,” Harris says.

A relaxing, messy and festive activity that can be done with family and friends, making crabapple desserts and beverages is a great way to develop an appreciation and richer knowledge of Philadelphia’s bursting food forest.

“Extending the range of things that people can do in urban orchards and gardens and farms helps us work together — in mostly small, but sometimes bigger ways — to address a wider range of food system learning,” Vitiello says. ◆

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THE FOOD ISSUE

Dan Berger poses with chicken machboos, the national dish of Bahrain, an island nation in the Persian Gulf.

Around the World in 197 Meals

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Philly resident completes epic culinary journey, donates $100,000 to fight global hunger

story by alex mulcahy • photography by rachael warriner

t was matoke, a Ugandan spicy beef and banana stew, that inspired Dan Berger’s world spanning culinary exploration and a project that raised more than $250,000 to combat world hunger.

Berger, 38, who works for global investment bank RBC Capital Markets in

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Center City, made the dish during the early lockdown stages of the pandemic at the behest of his world-traveling brother, Matt. Globetrotting was no longer on the table, but Berger discovered you could appreciate a variety of cultures from the safety of your kitchen.

By his own admission, Berger was not

an adventurous cook, but upon tasting the matoke, he remembers saying,“This is the best thing I’ve ever made for myself.”

It was a transformative moment.

This culinary revelation sparked the beginning of a very productive (and very pandemic) project — documented with pictures and recipes on the website 197plates.com — where Berger undertook to cook the national dish of every country in the world. (For the record, not all countries have an official “national dish,” so Berger did some research to determine what dish he believed best reflected each nation.) He made dishes such as feijoada, a Brazilian black bean stew with smoked pork and beef and nasi lemak, a Malaysian coconut rice with anchovy and hot chile sauce that’s topped with fried anchovies, fried peanuts, sliced cucumber and hard-boiled egg.

That Dan, who Matt describes as “tenacious” and “passionate,” would undertake — and finish— such a Herculean endeavor was not a surprise to him. “[H]e had cooked fewer than five of them and I could tell he was going to continue with it until he did one for every single country.”

An unintended and perhaps ironic consequence of the 197 Plates project is that his global exploration connected him much more deeply to Philadelphia.

To find the wide variety of ingredients he needed for his recipes, he shopped locally, which took him to stores and neighborhoods he had never before visited. He found himself in Rieker’s Prime Meats in Fox Chase in search of spätzle; Jumbo Meat Market and Bullboi Meat Supermarket in Northeast Philly for carne seca and paio sausage; Walnut Supermarket in West Philly for pig tails and scotch bonnet chili peppers; and the H Mart in Upper Darby to secure gochugaru, a Korean chili powder you may know from kimchi.

About half way through the three years Berger spent preparing the meals, he began to wonder if he could find a way to parlay his personal quest into a mechanism that would help address an issue he was passionate about: fighting world hunger.

His interest in the topic began in 2008 when Berger was working for a company that encouraged employees to donate money to one of two charities: the Red Cross or CARE International, a human-

itarian organization that combats world hunger. Berger began to read about CARE and became enamored with their work.

Through the years he began to donate more money and became involved in advocacy. “I just really got immersed in the organization,” Berger says.

According to the 2022 Global Report on Food Crises, every four seconds someone succumbs to starvation globally. The ongoing pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine have exacerbated the situation, plunging an additional 200 million individuals into acute food insecurity since 2019.

According to CARE’s website, their programs impact nearly 100 million people across approximately 100 countries annually. The organization has launched a comprehensive food security response with a particular emphasis on the 17 countries most deeply affected by the crisis, which include Afghanistan, Haiti, Nigeria, Somalia and war-torn countries Burkina Faso and Mali.

Berger’s advocacy for CARE has taken him to Guatemala to see how the organization works on the ground, as well as to the U.S. Capitol where, while advocating for the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Economic Empowerment Act of 2018, he struck up a conversation with Senator Bob Corker in the men’s room, making a pitch for the legislation — which did eventually pass.

“All the cool stories I have in my life are because of CARE,” says Berger.

To further this idea of merging his cooking quest with fundraising, he called Bekah Dickstein, CARE’s director of philanthropy for the Northeast region, who he had been working with since 2017.

She was floored by the concept.

“I think I was in disbelief at first — it was such a lofty and laborious undertaking,” Dickstein says via email. “Dan has a full time job, a vibrant social life, and is involved in countless local initiatives in addition to CARE. And the 197plates.com initiative requires persistence, resourcefulness — the lengths he went to get certain ingredients is mind-boggling — and patience. But he just made it all look so easy.”

They created the #cooklikeyouCARE challenge, inviting individuals worldwide to join the cause by voting (while mak-

All the cool stories I have in my life are because of CARE.” // DAN BERGER ing a donation) on what country makes the best rice dish. Additional funds were raised through the fundraising apparatus of CARE, and were aided by Berger’s decision to match donations up to $100,000.

This was his “go big or go home” moment, he decided. When asked about what it’s like to part with such a large sum of money, Berger demurs, and tries to contextualize his generosity by expressing how profoundly lucky he feels.

“I have lived a life of nauseating privilege. [I] went to a private high school, my parents paid for college. I don’t think you can really look at my life and say that I sacrificed. If I have to wait another couple years [to buy] a house, so be it.”

Though Berger’s job pays well, he says he isn’t a millionaire, which makes a donation that size both significant and proportionally extraordinary. He admits that there were butterflies in his stomach as he signed a check with so many zeros on it, and that he felt some anxiety. But after the shock of parting with the money wore off, he noticed that his life afterward remained pretty much the same as it had been before writing the check.

“I have a job with a good income, I have the security of [knowing that] if my world collapses, I still have my family to support me. So there’s those fixtures in place, and perhaps those are the most important things at the end of the day.”

His actions certainly would qualify him as a citizen of the world, but he’s also deeply invested in Philadelphia. He serves on the board of several nonprofits, including SEAMAAC, AchieveABILITY and the Wyss Wellness Center. He credits the board memberships with his love of the city, and “getting me out of my Center City bubble.”

While his post-six figure donation dayto-day life has remained virtually the same, he hopes that the fundraising on behalf of CARE he spearheaded, which raised in excess of $250,000, will dramatically improve the quality of life for people around the world who are suffering from hunger.

“The thing about Dan,” Dickstein says, “is that he shows his commitment to CARE in so many different ways — through his financial support, advocacy, time (oh my God, so much time), guidance, wisdom. He is a phenomenal human being.” ◆

N OV E M B E R 20 23 G R I DP HI L LY.COM 63

THE FOOD ISSUE

Bird Next Door

Top local farms producing turkeys for this holiday season story by heidi krull

W

ith thanksgiving right around the corner, many Philadelphia residents are beginning to plan where to buy ingredients for the big meal. Of course, turkey is a top priority, especially for those looking to buy local. Here’s a list of regional farms and how to get your hands on their turkeys.

Lindenhof Farm Kirkwood, PA • lindenhoffarm.com Lindenhof Farm specializes in all-natural, pasture raised turkeys. This third-generation family farm sits on 85 acres of land where turkeys, geese, chickens and more are free to roam. Their holiday turkeys are fed a natural diet of bugs, seeds, grubs and worms that they forage, as the farm emphasizes the importance of keeping their natural omnivore diet. As the turkeys grow, they are given portable pastures that

keep them safe from the elements.

Lindenhof Farm turkeys are available at four select farmers markets in the area: West Chester Growers Market on November 18; Kennett Square Farmers Market on November 20; Eagleview Farmers Market on November 21; and Oakmont Farmers Market on November 22. Turkeys can also be picked up at North Star Orchard on November 21 or directly at the farm November 20 through November 22.

Canter Hill Farm Malvern, PA • canterhillfarm.org Canter Hill Farm began in 2008 with the goal of promoting healthier eating and helping their community know exactly where their food comes from. In contrast with the norm on conventional farms, the founders raise a variety of animals, including cows, pigs and sheep. According to their website, each animal forages freely

on the farm. The turkeys are fed a 100% chemical-free diet that promotes healthy growth. They describe their products as “beyond organic,” and highly value a humane and natural existence for their turkeys.

Pickups can be arranged in Chestnut Hill in front of the Mermaid Inn and in the Bryn Mawr Train Station parking lot.

Email the farm to join their drop-off email list; drop-offs are available in Kennett Square and Media. Customers can also go directly to the farm in Malvern Fridays between 12 and 4p.m, or order on Canter Hill Farm’s website above.

Esbenshade Turkey Farm Ronks, PA • esbenshadeturkey.com Esbenshade Turkey Farm was founded in 1858 — it’s the oldest operating turkey farm in the country. Bob Esbenshade, who passed away in 2020, was the family’s rock and patriarch according to their website, and his legacy carries on through several generations of Esbenshades that make it their goal to provide fresh turkeys to their community each holiday season.

The turkeys are cage-free and raised without growth hormones or antibiotics; they’re available between the sizes of 10 and 35 pounds.

Get Esbenshade’s fresh turkeys at Weavers Way Co-op during the holiday season or order online at Esbenshade Farm’s website above.

Koch’s Family Turkey Farm Tamaqua, PA • kochsturkey.com Founded in 1939 in Tamaqua, Schuylkill County, Koch offers multiple turkey breeds — some larger, smaller or leaner. Koch started using humane practices eight years ago and became the first turkey farm to be “Certified Humane” by the Certified Humane organization, according to their website. Not only are Koch turkeys fed an antibiotic-free diet, but they are also given 12 to 20 square feet of space, which is twice the amount of space typical for a turkey farm. Additionally, they are certified non-GMO by Pennsylvania Certified Organic.

Find Koch turkeys at Weavers Way Co-op in Philadelphia or order from Koch Farm’s website above. ◆

64 GR ID PH IL LY.CO M NOV E M BE R 2023

L A T B E R A E S H BLENDED FOR REST, PLEASURE AND DAILY RITUAL

G RO W N W I T H H E A RT I N PA

POUR A CUP OF PLANT MAGIC WITH US! VISIT THE TEA TENT SATURDAYS AT THE RITTENHOUSE SQUARE AND CLARK PARK FARMERS MARKETS SHOP ONLINE WWW.KATYDIDHILL.COM

Teaching the hard facts and soft skills for careers in sustainability As an instructor in Penn’s Master of Environmental Studies program, Linda Froelich brings her corporate experience to the classroom, preparing students for sustainability careers and beyond.

In the course Sustainable Agriculture and Product Stewardship, Linda draws on her years working with FMC, a Philadelphia-based global agricultural sciences company, to cover global food production and related challenges, like food security.

In Corporate Sustainability Strategies, she shares her experience helping develop— and later manage—the company-wide sustainability program.

Linda Froelich Instructor, MES

Virtual Café Join the MES program team from 12-1 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for an online chat about your interests and goals.

Log in with us.

www.facebook.com/UPennEES @Penn_MES_MSAG

In addition to covering current industry practices and environmental topics, Linda’s courses stress essential soft skills. “All of my students are very intelligent, very technical people,” she says, “and I explain to them that’s the basis for what you need to get in the door.” But to get your seat at the table and persuade leadership to make real change, she explains, “you also have to be able to work on a team, communicate, negotiate, and be flexible.” Assignments like group projects, presentations, and class discussions help sharpen these skills.

The courses attract students with diverse professional interests, from urban farming to marketing to fashion. They all leave sharing a stronger sense of agency to implement sustainable solutions in their careers. “I tell my students if they’re told ‘no’ the first time, go do more research and come back again,” she says. “Don’t give up. Persevere. Because people’s opinions on sustainability start to change; they get more educated. And you can educate them.”

To learn more about Linda’s sustainability courses in the MES program, visit:

www.upenn.edu/grid