Grid Magazine April 2013 [#048]

Susta i n abl e Ph i l a d elp hi a

take one!

spear me! pf3 2013 the navy yard

Asparagus in our gardens, farms and kitchens

Your official guide to Philly Farm & Food Fest

april 2 0 13 / i ssu e 48 g r i d p h i lly.co m

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Kindergarten is no place for pressure tactics.

It’s for nurturing that leads to real growth.

Is there such a thing as an urban oasis for preserving childhood? At the Waldorf School of Philadelphia, there is. Our curriculum nurtures your child’s body, mind and spirit in a playful environment that grows her capacity for learning, thinking and doing. Life long.

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10 Boundless Energy: The Navy Yard finds sustainable solutions to meeting growing energy demands 12 Steal This Idea: Chicago unveils the “greenest street in America”

From Germantown to Lancaster, people discover the incredible value of Equal Dollars • page 17

gaining

by brian rademaekers

currency

13 Spring Cleaning: Make your own window cleaner 14 The Whole Food: Asparagus

38 Urban Naturalist John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge: Deer make their mark in the local Refuge 40 Events Spend your spring, taking nature walks, volunteering outside and even learning how to brew your own beer!

46 Dispatch Wealth of Opportunities: An alternative currency founder talks community dollars

philly farm & food fest — 24-page Event Guide inside! p hoto by al b e rt y e e / cov e r il lustratio n by m e l issa mc feeters

Growing with the Community since 1943!

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publisher

Compounding Interest How to keep our money in our city

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s our friends at the sustainable

Business Network will tell you, there’s an important concept in the local economy known as “the multiplier effect.” The multiplier effect is the benefit a local economy experiences when locally-owned independent businesses, owners and employees spend business revenue within the region. Money from local businesses tends to ricochet around the neighborhood, generating greater community wealth along the way.

Different businesses have different multiplier effects. Let’s look at Queen Village. If the food at Kennett Restaurant or Southwark isn’t reason enough (it is) to lure you in, consider this: locally owned independent restaurants return twice as much per dollar of revenue to our local economy than chain restaurants. Shop at Cohen and Co. Hardware, Head House Books or any other independent retailer, and the return is more than three times the per dollar equivalent of their chain competitors.

When we shop at chain stores, the majority of our money skips town, never to return. And after vacuuming cash from communities, corporations essentially take our greenbacks out of circulation. Apple has hoarded an astonishing $137.1 billion dollars. I wonder what piece of that came from Philadelphia. I wonder what piece of that came from me.

In a global economy, U.S. dollars speed around the world, but local currencies are designed to stay at home. When there is so much need, and so much opportunity, the promise of local currencies is incredible, and really exciting. All it takes is a little belief. Most of us believe in the pieces of paper with our celebrated presidents on them, but as any gold enthusiast will tell you, U.S. dollars aren’t backed by anything except faith.

Alex Mulcahy 215.625.9850 ext. 102 alex@gridphilly.com managing editor

Liz Pacheco liz@gridphilly.com art director

Jamie Leary jamie@gridphilly.com designer

Danni Sinisi danni@gridphilly.com distribution

Jesse Kerns 215.625.9850 ext. 100 jesse@gridphilly.com marketing

Morgan Berman morgan@gridphilly.com copy editor

Andrew Bonazelli writers

Alon Abramson Bernard Brown Grace Dickinson Paul Glover Marisa McClellan Brian Rademaekers Jenn Rezeli intern

Alex Jacobs Alternative currencies, on the other had, are backed by community. Equal Dollars, our cover story, has discovered a myriad of undervalued and overlooked resources, including food and human labor. This is just the beginning. According to Equal Dollars Director Deneene Brockington, they’re averaging 20 new members a week, which is significant momentum. And the more Equal Dollars that are used in everyday transactions, the more valuable they become. Sounds like the multiplier effect strikes again.

volunteers

Sarah Adams Whitney DiTaranto Corey Jameson Keysha Taylor Meredith Thomas Rick Way Jessica Zuzack photographers

Neal Santos Gene Smirnov Emily Wren Albert Yee illustrators

Melissa McFeeters Justin Rentzel alex j. mulcahy, Publisher alex@gridphilly.com

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Alex Mulcahy 215.625.9850 ext. 102 alex@gridphilly.com published by

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Energy

Boundless Energy Equipped with its own grid, The Navy Yard has a unique energy plan by alon abramson

D

espite its remote location just beyond the sprawling stadium parking lots at the south terminus of Broad Street, the Philadelphia Navy Yard’s steady development is hard to ignore. In fact, the campus, which has been managed by the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) since the Navy transferred about 1,000 acres to the City in 2000, just celebrated a major milestone of 10,000 employees — an employment level greater than at the height of Navy operations on the site. Amid celebrations of the Navy Yard’s resurgence and the release of an updated Master Plan, another type of planning has been taking place with little fanfare.

Early in its planning, PIDC decided to position the Navy Yard as a sustainable campus. This is clearly visible in the revised Master Plan renderings, which show large park spaces, green roofs and canals for stormwater management.

What isn’t seen in the renderings is the energy system that will enable the campus to operate independently with an unregulated electricity grid (leftover from the Navy’s occupancy) and reach new heights of energy efficiency.

PIDC is an economic development agency 10

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so its primary purpose is to draw businesses to the Navy Yard. The Master Plan outlines the extensive growth to come, while the separate Energy Master Plan tackles the challenge of providing competitively priced energy during and beyond this expansion. “The Navy Yard’s energy solution must provide reliable, safe power at a competitive cost, to a rapidly growing and diverse community, while lowering the carbon footprint,” explains Rudy Terry, director of the smart grid at the Navy Yard.

As more businesses move to the Navy Yard, the demand for energy is expected to rise at a rate that will make it difficult for PIDC to continue supplying affordable energy. PIDC, realizing that they needed to take some drastic measures, created a strategy that would help reduce the growing demand while also increasing the campus’ energy-making capacity and ability to power new buildings. It’s similar to Philadelphia’s innovative Green City, Clean Waters program, which is applying green stormwater tools to help the city’s currently overburdened sewer system. Instead of spending billions to expand the system’s capacity to meet demand, the Water Department has found sustainable ways to reduce demand.

The Navy Yard’s energy solution “will come in the form of an increase in traditional capacity, mitigated by adding various forms of clean, onsite energy resources,” says Terry. Conservation will also play an important role.

To implement this solution, the Navy Yard is investing in smart building-to-grid technology, explains Terry, and is taking a collaborative approach to energy resource management. For example, making buildings at the Navy Yard more energy efficient will reduce overall energy demand. Equally important, PIDC will identify the maximum amount of electricity needed at any one time. This peak demand happens on hot summer days when business as usual is

“The Navy Yard’s energy solution must provide reliable, safe power at a competitive cost, to a rapidly growing and diverse community, while lowering the carbon footprint.” —Rudy Terry combined with intensive air conditioning. Reducing demand on those days will mean a lower overall energy supply is needed. For PIDC, this will mean paying less for electricity year-round under their purchasing agreement with PECO. Reducing peak time energy use begins with laying out a sophisticated system for tracking energy use in Navy Yard facilities. Smart energy meters will be installed in buildings and are tied to a central network operating center where energy usage can be tracked in real time. With this new smart metering, PIDC can give its tenants

electricity bills that don’t just show how much electricity is used, but also when it’s being used.

PIDC can then offer owners rebates for cutting energy use during peak demand times. This system enables two key parts of the energy plan: efficiency and conservation.

Even with increased efficiency and conservation, the Navy Yard is certain to see an increase in energy demand. To offset this demand PIDC is encouraging on-site energy generation through large-scale and individual building (“behindthe-meter”) installations. PIDC has already

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released plans to develop a 1.5-megawatt solar facility (enough energy to power 200 homes) on a former brownfield site that is unsuitable for new building construction. PIDC is also considering the installation of a natural gas generation facility to help offset the high demand periods, which would reduce the electricity costs to PECO. Some behind-the-meter installations are already happening. Last December, a 600-kilowatt fuel cell was put in at the Urban Outfitters headquarters. The cell is expected to cover 60 percent of the headquarter’s electrical usage. PIDC will encourage other power generation investments through payment plans and leveraging available government rebates. By implementing these various measures, PIDC hopes to curb the Navy Yard’s greenhouse gas emissions, so that while energy use continues to rise, more renewable energy will be available to offset that demand.

The result: a more sustainable, secure and reliable energy grid that is able to support the Navy Yard’s steady development.

Alon Abramson is project manager at the Penn Institute for Urban Research (penniur.upenn.edu ) and a researcher at the Energy Efficient Buildings Hub (eebhub.org ).

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design Cermak Road, Chicago IL

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Steal this Idea Chicago Street Cleans the Air!

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by jenn rezeli

n october, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) unveiled the first phase of their “greenest street in America” project. Located on a 1.5-mile stretch of Cermak Road in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, the street is made with air pollution-eating materials and features solar panels, native plants and stormwatersucking pavement, among other impressive technology.

The street’s success has since launched the city into the national limelight for innovative planning. Of course we’re happy for Chicago, but it leaves us wanting to know — who in Philadelphia will steal this idea?

So what makes Cermak Road the greenest street in America?

First, the materials used are sci-fi caliber in their innovation. According to CDOT, this is the first commercial roadway application of photocatalytic cement. Imagine putting the air-cleaning power of a little pine forest into a road surface — the cement’s nanotechnology absorbs nitrogen oxide (i.e. car exhaust) from the air and cleans the road’s surface through a sunlight-powered reaction. The process uses titanium dioxide, so it’s not all roses — mining and chemical processing are needed to get titanium dioxide — but it’s a great application of the pigment. The sidewalk concrete uses more than 30 percent recycled content, and the cement’s reflectivity reduces the urban heat island effect.

Then there are the water and energy conservation benefits. The street diverts close to 80 percent of rainfall from the sewer system through permeable surfaces, rain gardens and street trees. As a result of the excellent storm12

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water management, there’s no need for potable irrigation water. And guess how they’re powering streetlights? A wind and solar-powered lighting system with LEDs! Add to these environmental benefits a half-mile of bike lanes and features to keep pedestrians safe, including a pedestrian refuge island — which separates crossing pedestrians from motor vehicles — and curb-corner extensions — which allocates more street space to pedestrians.

CDOT also created educational signage and a walking tour brochure.

Of course the greenest street in America comes with a hefty price tag: close to $14 million for the mile-and-a-halfproject. Funding came from Tax Increment Financing and assorted grants from the Federal Highway Administration, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and Midwest Generation.

Nice work, Chicago. We’re jealous. While we’re already improving our streets in a variety of ways, including a growing bike lane network, TreePhilly’s seasonal tree giveaways, and the Philadelphia Water Department’s innovative Soak It Up! design competition for stormwater management, we want someone in Philadelphia to steal this idea. (We’re talking to you, Streets Department, Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities, and the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.) The street doesn’t have to be “the greenest in America,” but we’d be happy to settle for some air-cleaning cement on Spring Garden. jenn rezeli is co-founder and managing principal at Re:Vision Architecture (revisionarch.com ).

1 Bike lane adjacent to parking lane 2 Bike rack 3 Bioswale planter (removes silt and pollution from surface runoff water) 4 Solar bus shelter 5 White light lamp (40% more energy efficient) 6 100% postconsumer recycled content used for sub-pavement levels 7 Light-colored pavement (39% of hardscape is reflective pavement) 8 Reflective pavement lane to mitigate urban heat island effect 9 Pervious parking and bike lanes with detention area made from recycled materials

Green living

Windows 2.0

Non-toxic window cleaner so you can see clearly by leah r. troiano

A

s april nears, I’m always looking for the first signs of spring: crocus breaching the soil, warmer weather and abundant sunshine. But what I most look forward to is replacing my storm windows with screens, so I can open the windows and let in fresh air. Doing this is always a reminder that I need to scrub the winter grime from my windows.

The first cleaning is never a quick spray-andwipe job. There’s a lot of muck that needs to be washed off before those windows can shine. It would be easy to buy a bottle of commercial window cleaner, but I’m usually not satisfied with the end result, and I’m almost never

happy with the ingredients. Many well-known cleaners contain ammonia, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol or methanol, all of which can be harmful if swallowed or inhaled in large quantities.

So I make my own. It’s so quick and easy to put together that I don’t lose my window-cleaning motivation. leah r. troiano, a certified cancer support educator, works with people who have cancer or would like to prevent cancer. Videos on how to make the products featured in this column can be found at cancerhealthandwellness.com . Contact Leah at Leah@CancerHealthandWellness.com .

Combine vinegar, soap, water and essential oils in a spray bottle. →→ Shake. For regular use, spray onto window and wipe off. →→

public transportation than $8,000 a year.

make YOUR OWN WINDOW CLEANER ¼ cup Castile liquid soap

Households that use save on average more

HOW TO

¼ cup vinegar

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2 cups water

→→

20 drops essential oil (optional)

For very dirty windows such as an outside window, spray window generously, then scrub gently with an old kitchen scrubber, removing any

Clean spray bottle

Cotton cloth recycled newspaper, or a cotton t-shirt

debris stuck to the window. →→ Wipe with a cotton cloth. →→ Spray again and wipe clean with newspaper or paper towel.

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food

The Wh ol e Foo d

Asparagus Like spe ars thr oug h our hea rts story and photos by

grace dick inso n

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Nutrition 101 One cup of asparagus contains three grams of fiber, 20 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C, 30 percent of vitamin A and 11 percent of vitamin E, all for just 30 calories. It’s also a good source of iron, folate and other essential minerals and protein.

Yes, protein. This veggie has roughly four grams of protein per one-cup serving.

for The gardener

“Strawberries and asparagus in the spring — it’s such a ridiculously joyful time,” says Deborah Rudman who, in the back corner of her garden, grows both those perennials alongside blackberries and a few longstanding herbs. When Rudman and five fellow neighbors first planted an asparagus patch in their Front and Fairmount Streets space (named the “Front Yard”), they had to strategize the vegetable’s prospective growing location. “You have to pick a spot that’s not going to get in the way of your other crops because asparagus gets big when you let it go, which can shadow other plants,” explains Rudman. “And of course because it grows back every year, you can’t just dig it up and use the space once it’s finished producing.”

Once the season ends and the spears are let go, neatly planted rows of asparagus will transform into a wild, mangy forest. Rudman advises not to cut down the extra height until just before the next season. The stalks will dry out, but will stay attached to the plant, helping the asparagus survive the winter. However, you can tie the growth back to make a little extra room for ground-level summer crops.

sparagus is a hard worker. Plant it in a field, and you’ll see. Once the stalks get growing, they don’t stop. “Keeping up with it is a chore in itself,” says Deborah Rudman, this month’s featured gardener.

“Though a good chore.”

What to look for Asparagus’s constant growth calls for a relentless (almost Bright green, firm stalks with tightly bound heads daily) picking schedule, with stalks shooting as high as 10 are all signs of fresh, inches in just 24 hours. The crop is only harvested in the young asparagus. Opt for spring, though it needs space in the garden all year. As long stalks with dark green or as you properly take care of the perennial, it will zealously do purple-hued heads versus its job for years to come. Fifteen growing seasons down the yellow-shaded tips, a sign of aging asparagus. road, don’t be surprised to see the same patch of asparagus Both thick and thin stalks sprouting just as quickly as during its first year. are adequate, but aim Asparagus also works hard in the kitchen; it’s delicious Johanna Rosen, co-ownfrom The Farm for consistency to assure raw in salads, roasted whole or in creamy, blended soups, er and director of Mill more even cooking. like the one recommended by Chef Christopher Kearse (p.

Creek Farm in West Philadelphia, agrees that site selection 15). Pair asparagus with a glass of wine (or three) and the vegetable will is essential to an asparagus patch. “It’s a choice to have a lot of prodo its best to fight a hangover. A 2009 study in the Journal of Food Science duction early in the season, and then you’re not getting anything out found that asparagus — especially its leaves — have two key enzymes that of that space later,” says Rosen who started planting asparagus at protect the liver cells against toxins and can alleviate potential hangovers.

Mill Creek back in 2006. “But it’s so worth it just to have that deliSo fill your plate (and your cup) and celebrate the arrival of the spring cious, sweet treat in the spring.” Rosen says that just-picked spears growing season with asparagus. are so sweet that kids on farm tours will eat them straight from the ground. “If you want introduce a kid to a vegetable, that’s a great grace dickinson is a food blogger, photo enthusiast and recipe creator. start.”

These passions are brought together on FoodFitnessFreshAir.com , where she Since asparagus is a perennial plant, Rosen says that site prepachronicles her experiments in the kitchen. ration is essential to planting. “You’re not going to be turning that 14

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from the kitchen of will

Mussel and Asparagus Velouté soil over once it’s planted, so it’s hard to get rid of some the perennial weeds that are better established if you don’t eliminate them beforehand,” she explains. Once planted, asparagus generally need a year or two to establish roots before reaping a harvest. Rather than seeds, Rosen says it’s easiest to start with crowns — large root masses — which will build up the plants’ strength in that first year. “If you pick them during year one when the roots aren’t yet established, they likely won’t come back the following [year],” says Rosen. Once the asparagus are ready to pick, make sure to snap or cut them at ground level.

“Cutting below the soil surface could damage part of the plant underground,” says Rosen, “but you don’t want to leave too much stem either, because that could invite rot.”

for The kitchen

Christopher Kearse loves asparagus.

“There’s just really no other vegetable that resembles it,” says Kearse, chef and owner of Will, a 30-seat, French-inspired BYOB on East Passyunk Avenue that opened in August (and shortly after was named 2012 BYOB of the year by Philadelphia Magazine). Critics have described his cooking as “fresh and unique,” and that’s in turn how he might describe asparagus.

“The fresher you get it, the more flavor it will have,” says Kearse, who sources asparagus from Green Meadow Farm in Lancaster County. This spring, expect to see traditional dishes at Will, like poached eggs and asparagus topped with a champagne sauce and caviar, as well as more unusual appetizers, like a cold asparagus salad with rich truffles, or the dish featured below: mussels in an asparagus sauce. The creamy asparagus gives this classic dish a modern edge. “Mussels have this briny, salty characteristic, and the asparagus adds a nice earthy, grassy complement,” says Kearse. At the restaurant, the soup will be accompanied by a goat milk Chantilly rather than the Greek yogurt Kearse suggests as a quick alternative for the garnish.

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onions, chopped cloves garlic, diced cup vermouth qts chicken stock bunches asparagus, ends trimmed, chopped into 1-inch pieces sprigs fresh thyme lbs mussels, rinsed thoroughly* cups spinach Olive oil Greek yogurt, to garnish *If any mussels have an open or broken shell, remove and discard.

Heat a Dutch oven over low heat and lightly coat the bottom with oil. Add half the onions and garlic. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until translucent, but not brown, stirring occasionally. Deglaze the pan with the vermouth and add chicken stock and thyme.

Bring to a simmer, add mussels and cook for 5 minutes to steam open the mussels. Remove from heat and strain liquid into a bowl to reserve. Set mussels aside.

Clean out the pot, then cook the remaining onions and garlic in a little bit of oil, using the same technique as before. Add mussel stock and simmer until reduced by 25 percent.

In a large sauté pan, lightly coat the bottom with oil and heat over medium high. Add asparagus and sauté over high heat until caramelized but still not cooked all the way through. Add asparagus to the mussel stock and simmer for five minutes.

Purée stock and asparagus in a blender with spinach until smooth, then immediately cool over an ice bath.

Reheat as needed before adding the mussels.

Garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Will, 1911 E. Passyunk Ave., willbyob.com

for The pantry

Asparagus is a terrific candidate for preservation. Because it has such a short season, get going as soon as it hits the markets. When you first bring asparagus home, trim the ends and stand the bundles up in bowls of water to maintain optimum freshness.

To pickle, trim stalks to fit your jars.

Blanch asparagus briefly and pack in jars with spices and a diluted vinegar solution.

To freeze, cut away woody ends, blanch asparagus and cool rapidly in ice water. Dry, pack into freezer bags, squeeze out air and seal. — Marisa McClellan Learn more about food preservation at McClellan’s blog foodinjars.com

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su nday, AP RIL 14, 201 3 P EN N SYLVA NI A CON V E N T I O N C E N T E R anne x

BECOME A MEMBER IN 2013!

VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE! GREENSGROW.ORG

THE NURSERY IS OPEN! spring hours: Thursday & Friday • 10am–4pm • Saturday • 10am–3pm

PI CK UP S IN KE NS IN GT ON NAVY YARD • CENTER CITY W ES T PH ILL Y • CA MD EN

UP FOR ALL THE DETAILS AND TO SIGN GO TO: GREENSGROW.ORG/CSA SEED STARTING SUPPLIES • COLD CROP & HERB STARTS • SPRING ANNUALS • AND MORE

DROP OFF YOUR WINDOW BOXES-WE’LL HAVE THEM READY BY MOTHER’S DAY! phillyfarmfest.org

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2nd Annual PHILLY FARM AND FOOD FEST

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PRESENTING SPONSOR

CONTENTS EAT, DRINK & BE LOCAL

p. 6

Smorgasbord of Philly

p. 10

EXHIBITors & map

p. 14

please support our spon sors

Making the grade

p. 16

workshops

p. 18

cooking demos

p. 20

PF3 would love to hear what you have to say!

Fdbk makes it fast and simple to give meaningful feedback from your mobile phone. Get rewarded for your feedback, and spread the love on social media. It couldn’t be easier. Just visit the website below – your fdbk makes a huge difference for PF3!

Note: This site will not be activated until the day of Fest, Sunday April 14.

about the hosts co m e v i s i t T HE

BOOT

H #65

to pickup our latest issue & learn about sustainability work in Philadelphia.

This event guide was created by Grid, Fair Food and PASA, and published

by Red Flag Media, 1032 Arch St., Third Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

Fair Food

fair food is committed to bringing healthy local food to the marketplace and promoting a humane sustainable agriculture system for the region. Since 2000, Fair Food has been uniting family farmers and food producers with businesses and consumers to expand and strengthen the local food economy. Please visit us at the Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market, our year-round all-local grocery store! For more information, visit fairfoodphilly.org , and follow us at facebook.com/pages/Fair-Food-Philadelphia

PASA

With more than 5,000 members, PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture) is one of the oldest and largest sustainable agriculture organizations in the U.S. Through business and marketing support for farmers, public advocacy and consumer education, PASA seeks to promote profitable farms that produce healthy food for all people while respecting the natural environment. PASA maintains an eastern regional office in Exton, Chester County, and hosts workshops and events open to non-members and members throughout the year and across southeastern Pennsylvania. We welcome all “eaters” to join us in support of local food and family farms. For more information, visit pasafarming.org , follow us at facebook.com/pasafarming , youtube.com/pasafarming and now @pasafarming

philly farm & food fest

Philly Farm & Food Fest brings together regional farmers, unique food producers, and sustainable businesses and organizations under one roof for a day of sampling, shopping and learning about our region’s diverse and abundant food system. A collaboration of Fair Food and PASA, PF3’s proceeds benefit these nonprofit organizations.

LOCAL FOOD, LOCAL POWER

To offset the electricity emissions of this event, Clean Currents has purchased Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) equal to the amount of power used on April 14th at PF3. RECs were developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to account for the environmental benefit of electricity generated by green sources.

Each REC represents 1,000 kilowatts per hour of renewable energy, equal to the amount of energy produced in the average single family home each month. By purchasing enough

RECs to match the electricity usage of this event, Philly Farm & Food Fest is officially wind-powered!

All RECs provided by Clean Currents are Green-e Energy Certified, ensuring that the energy purchase supports the development of new wind resources in the U.S. So, you can breathe easy knowing this event is truly sustainable.

Learn more about Clean Currents at windpowerpa.com . Learn more about Green-e Energy at green-e.org .

phillyfarmfest.org

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2nd Annual PHILLY FARM AND FOOD FEST

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philly farm & food fest

Eat, Drink & Be Local!

Local Libations Lounge The Local Libations Lounge offers the unique opportunity to sample five hand-selected premium Pennsylvania spirits. Artisan producers from Victory Brewing Company, Philadelphia Distilling, Subarashii Kudamono, Frecon Farms and Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey will conduct personal guided tastings of their products as a separate ticketed event within PF3 on Sunday, April 14.

Prepare your taste buds to savor Victory’s fantastic craft beer, Dad’s Hat award-winning rye whisky, the debut of Frecon Farms Early Man hard cider,

Six exciting additions in store for the second Philly Farm & Food Fest

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and the brilliant first-ever “Pennsylvania Martini” pairing Philadelphia Distilling’s Bluecoat Gin with Subarashii Kudamono’s Asian Pear Dessert Wine.

Scrumptious and local!

Advance tickets are available for $15 (plus handling fees) in very limited supply. Tastings will be held on the hour between 12 and 3 p.m. and are limited to groups of 40 participants. You must be 21 to purchase tickets and photo ID is required to enter the Local Libations Lounge.

Advance tickets available at phillyfarmfest.org

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LOCAL & SUSTAINABLY GROWN PRODUCE, MEAT, DAIRY, PET, AND WELLNESS PRODUCTS

Featuring fresh organic, chemical-free, and conventional produce.

HOURS: M-F 8AM—9PM SAT-SUN 9AM—9PM

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4824 BALTIMORE AVE 215.729.2121 MARIPOSA.COOP

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Mind Your Business

Workshops and Presentations

This year’s Philly Farm & Food Fest will feature a variety of workshops spanning a broad range of topics including: “Putting the Attainable in Your Sustainable Business,” presented by MidAtlantic Farm Credit and the Farmers Union, and “Super Small Batch Canning and Preserving,” led

by Marissa McClellan. PF3 workshops are meant to be interactive, bringing together experts for presentations followed by Q & A sessions to help attendees get the most out of their workshop experience. See p.18 for the workshop schedule and more information.

Bring the Kids Kids’ Activities

Philly Farm & Food Fest offers fun ways to engage your kids in learning about wholesome and delicious local foods. Kids’ activities include the opportunity to meet real agricultural royalty — like the Pennsylvania State Honey Queen and Dairy Princess — and lots of friendly farmers.

Staffers from the Please Touch Museum join PF3 presenting sponsor Whole Foods Market to entertain kids and parents with fun games and interactive exhibits. Visit them in the Atrium from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to join in the action.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, a supporting sponsor of PF3, will offer kids the opportunity to custom design organic cotton t-shirts and receive a free kids’ meal card.

Where’s the Beef?

Eat More Responsible Meat

Learn from the Experts Cooking Demos

Acclaimed farm-to-table chefs will demo dishes that incorporate sustainable, local, seasonal ingredients and products. Participating chefs include Josh Lawler, chef and owner of The Farm and Fisherman; Valerie Erwin, chef and owner of Geechee Girl Rice Café; Yun Fuentes, chef at JG Domestic; and Lynn Buono, chef and owner of Feast Your Eyes Catering.

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Meet a Legend

Judy Wicks Book signing

Judy Wicks, founder and former owner of the White Dog Cafe, will be signing and selling copies of her new book, Good Morning, Beautiful Business. The book, her memoir, is about the evolution of an entrepreneur who would not only change her neighborhood, but would also change her world — helping communities far and wide create local living economies that value people, nature and place more than money.

phillyfarmfest.org

If you have yet to experience the difference in flavor and quality of humanely and sustainably raised meat, plan on adding meat to your PF3 shopping list. Lamb, pork, chicken and grassfed beef are all available from a wide variety of family farms and local businesses.

In the Atrium, Philadelphia CowShare will be hosting a one-day sale, featuring 100 perecent grass-fed beef and pastured pork from several local farms. You can purchase individual packages of steaks, roasts, ground beef, bacon, sausage, pork chops and more at a great price. Philadelphia CowShare will also offer sampler packs including a mix of cuts, plus recipes to match.

All of the meat is individually packaged, labeled, USDA-certified and flash frozen.

EARTH

bread + brewery

Killer Wood-Fired Flatbread, Alchemic Housemade Beer, World-Class Wine

Spring Mill Café

Innovative Low Country Cooking at it’s best!

$25 Plat du Jour Tues – Thurs Evenings

Soon to be seen on

Includes Soup or Salad, Entrée, Dessert & Coffee or Tea.

The Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Handmade Soda, Microbrewed Kombucha, Zero Gigantic Flatscreen TVs Live Music every 2nd + 4th Sunday 7136 germantown ave. (mt.airy)

215.242.6666 / earthbreadbrewery.com

Country French Fare proudly prepared with Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op’s finest offerings.

Geechee Girl Catering Party at your place or at ours.

6825 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia, Pa 19119 . 215-843-8113

www.GeecheeGirl.com rtmGRID4.5x4.75_Layout 1 8/31/12 3:28 PM Page 5

springmill.com  610.828.2550 Conshohocken

Prime Time!

MIDATLANTIC WOMEN’S CONFERENCE oct 5-6

women’s health . herbal medicine gardening . plant identification yoga . drumming & more!

Godshall’s

Giunta’s

M artin’s

Smucker’s featuring Kate Gilday

redearthfarm.org/whc

L. Halteman

Reading TeRminal maRkeT

MON–SAT 8–6 & SUN 9–5 • $4 PARKING • 12Th & ARch STReeTS • 215-922-2317

www.readingterminalmarket.org

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Smorgasbord of Philly A sampling of the amazing variety of local growers and producers at this year’s Philly Farm & Food Fest

F

rom oysters to ice cream, to hummus, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, Philly Farm & Food Fest has it all. The Convention Center will be teeming with the best local growers and producers in Philadelphia. Here’s just a sampling of who you will find, so get ready to dive in and make your own delicious discoveries!

American Native Nursery

Culton Organics

American Native Nursery is an ecological restoration and sustainable landscape services firm, and one of the largest native plant nurseries in the Northeast. Their environmental stewardship mission and business model are rooted in scientific research and experimentation in plant communities, genetics and field techniques. They serve government and commercial clients, as well as individual property owners. Their mission is grounded in citizen science, green education and community building. americannativenursery.com

Culton Organics operates on 53 acres outside Lancaster on land that’s been family-owned for three generations. Today the farm is headed by Tom Culton and specializes in heirloom produce, especially rare and endangered varieties. Culton grows a wide variety of crops, such as globe artichokes, edamame and popcorn, in addition to 250 varieties of tomatoes and 100 varieties of garlic.

With such a spread, it’s no surprise that Culton has attracted the attention of chefs in New York and Philadelphia, including Marc Vetri, Daniel

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Stern and Tom Colicchio. Culton Organics can also be found at the Headhouse Farmers Market. food.visitphilly.com/culton-organics

Doe Run Dairy A grass-based dairy and farm run by husband and wife Kristian and Haesel Holbrook. Kristian oversees the dairy herds and leads the farm’s cheese making, while Haesel manages the farm’s sustainable fruit and vegetable gardening, food preservation and fermentation practices. The dairy practices rotational grazing for all animals.

The cheesemaking facility and farm are part of Doe Run Farm, the estate of Urban Outfitters’ founder, Richard Hayne.

Knob View Farm An 11-acre, family-operated farm in scenic Cherry Valley, just south of Stroudsburg, Pa., Knob View Farm specializes in hardneck gourmet garlic, shallots and varieties of baby and fingerling potatoes. Their Gourmet Garlic Sea Salts are made with solar evaporated, natural sea salts, preserving trace minerals and flavor. Enhanced with real garlic, herbs and spices, these salts are great on meats, fish, vegetables, pasta and more.

Kvfarm.com

TAP IT.

The Neighborhood’s de facto living room.

– National Geographic.

FreshaPeel Hummus!

Founded in 2009 by “common folk in the heartland of Lancaster County,” FreshaPeel Hummus! is focused on creating healthy, hummus bursting with unique, fresh flavors.

Their artisanal gourmet hummus is made in small batches and infused with all-natural ingredients sourced from local, familyowned farms. lancasterhummus.com

Local Food, Beer, and Music.

Organic Mechanics Soil Company Mark Highland started organic farming and landscaping in the 1990s when there was little organic potting soil available. So he began researching soil and how to embrace environmental sustainability in the landscape and garden world. Today, Organic Mechanics offers a 100 percent organic potting soil and planting mix made with locally sourced ingredients. The soils are used by backyard gardeners as well as professional gardeners at arboretums and botanical gardens, including Longwood Gardens and Chanticleer Gardens.

IT’S ALL GOOD. phillyfarmfest.org

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philly farm & food fest

OwowCow Creamery

ReAnimator Coffee

Stryker Farm

A premium ice cream producer in Bucks County, OwowCow Creamery uses local eggs, cream and honey to make ice cream in small batches completely from scratch. While their chocolate (a super rich ganache chocolate) and three vanilla (Madagascar, Indonesian and Tahitian) flavors are year-long staples, other offerings change with the season, depending on which fruits and herbs are available. In the spring look for flavors featuring local lavender, mint, berries and lemon, as well as new toppings and homemade syrups to create the ultimate local sundae. Stop by their stores in Ottsville and Wrightstown to try a scoop (or two!). facebook.

Founded by Drexel University graduates Mark Corpus and Mark Capriotti, ReAnimator Coffee is a locally owned and operated micro roaster based in Philadelphia. What originally began as a hobby is now a mission to provide fresh, sustainable, single-origin coffee roasted in Philadelphia. ReAnimator prides itself on not just providing a high-quality product, but also educating customers about where their coffee comes from, how it’s roasted, and even how to brew it. reanimatorcoffee.com

As a student at Drexel University, Nolan Thevenet realized he was spending more time daydreaming about a future as a livestock farmer than listening in class. So despite having no agricultural experience, he decided to move back to his family’s 47 acres in the Pocono Mountains and start farming. The rolling hills and thick overgrowth proved to be ideal for raising pigs and goats in a small, sustainable way.

Three years later, the farm is raising pigs, goats (for meat and dairy), and plans to add chickens this spring. strykerfarm.com

com/pages/OwowCow-Creamery/100461438753

Alphabetical list of exhibitors *Booth numbers in parentheses, subject to change Amaranth Gluten Free Bakery (44) Amazing Acres Goat Dairy (2) American Native Nursery (14) Artisan Exchange (10,11) Beechwood Orchards (43) Bennett Compost (78) Birchrun Hills Farm (103) Bobolink Dairy (51) Capogiro Gelato Artisans (5) Chatham University (8) Cherry Grove Farm (23) Chipotle Mexican Grill (108) Choptank Oyster Company (111) Christina Maser Co. (90) Clean Currents Wind Energy (101) Cobblestone Krautery (29) Columbia County Bread & Granola (3) Common Market Philadelphia (92) Country Time Farm (102) Culton Organics (93) Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey (109) Doe Run Dairy (91) Eberly Poultry (63) Fair Food Farmstand (89) Farm Fromage (4) Farmers Union (41) Fest Box Office & Information (A7) First Field (104) Fox School of Business (34) Frecon Farms (94)

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Frecon Farms Hard Cider (109) FreshaPeel Hummus! (55) Front Porch Family Farms (64) Gemelli Bakers (50) Gilda's Biscotti (95) GMO Free PA (49) Golden Valley Farms Coffee Roasters (9) Good Spoon Seasonal Foods (28) Green Mountain Energy Co. (86) Greensgrow Farms (105) Grid Magazine (65) Happy Cat Farm (26) Harvest Local Foods (48) Hidden Hills Dairy (13) High View Farm (57) Hillacres Pride (21) ICG International (18) Intrinsic Foods (81) Jamison Farm (20) John & Kira's (15) Judy Wicks (A1) Keystone Development Center (75) Kimberton Whole Foods (106) Knob View Farm (61) KOV (39) Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op (107) Lancaster Trading House (38) Lansdowne Farmers Market (52) Les Dames d'Escoffier/Slow Food Philadelphia (58) Little Baby's Ice Cream (36)

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Market Day Canele (35) Mayor's Office of Sustainability (1) Metropolitan Bakery (83) Mompops (110) Old School Farm (56) Organic Mechanics Soil Co. (25) OwowCow Creamery (73) Oyler's Organic Farms (37) PASA (85) Peace Tree Farm (24) Penn Environment (72) Pennypack Farm & Education Center (59) Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild (45) Philadelphia CowShare (67) Philadelphia CowShare/ Meat Market (A5) Philadelphia Distilling (109) Piper's Peck (87) PSU Extension/Master Gardeners (A3) Rainbow Farm (30) ReAnimator Coffee (96) REI (A2) Ric's Bread (54) Ridge Valley Farm (53) Rodale Institute (97) Root Mass Farm (69) Rushton Farm (80) SHARE/ Nice Roots Farm (76) Shellbark Hollow Farm (68) Sierra Club (40) Simply Ghee (16)

Small Valley Milling (82) Spotted Hill Farm (100) Stryker Farm (42) Subarashii Kudamono (79) Subarashii Kudamono Pear Wine (109) Summer Smiles Honey (22) Sweet Farm Sauerkraut (71) T M Kovacevich Produce (60) Tait Farm Foods (84) Tandi's Naturals (19) The Enterprise Center CDC (46) The Fruit Guys (27) The Reinvestment Fund (31) Three Springs Fruit Farm (32) Trinity Inspired Farms (17) Two Gander Farm (47) Upper Merion Farmers Market (77) Vera Pasta (12) Victory Brewing Company (109) Whole Foods Market (A6) Wholesome Dairy Farms (70) Wild Flour Bakery (74) Wild for Salmon (33) Williams-Sonoma (A4) WoodsEdge Wool Farm (98, 99) Wyck House Home Farm (7) Wyebrook Farm (6) Yeehaw Farm (62) Yellow Springs Farm (66) Zsa's Gourmet Ice Cream (88)

Three Springs Fruit Farm Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Three Springs Fruit Farm is now a partnership among David, John and Ben Wenk. Located between Gettysburg and Carlisle, Pa., the 450 acres are farmed with a focus on sustainability and good land stewardship. The Wenks use Integrated Pest Management practices to grow a variety of apples, peaches, cherries, apricots, pears, small fruits and vegetables, which are all sold in their farmers markets and wholesale. threespringsfruitfarm.com

Wild For Salmon After a commercial salmon fishing trip to Alaska with a friend in 2002, Steve and Jenn Kurian saw the potential to bring sustainably harvested wild Alaskan sockeye salmon back to Pennsylvania. Now each summer the couple travels to Bristol Bay, AK where they spend several weeks fishing. The salmon are filleted, flash frozen and vacuum sealed in Alaska, then shipped back to Pennsylvania where it’s sold online, at their retail store in Bloomsburg, Pa., as well as at farmers markets, natural food stores and restaurants throughout Pennsylvania. wildforsalmon.com

The Merchants Fund makes small grants to small businesses in Philadelphia.

We invested with Philly Farm & Food Fest because it is all about the best food from our

local economy. Featured above is Gilda Doganiero, board member of TMF, her extraordi-

locally and Kira Baker-Doyle is also a board member. Both companies will be exhibiting at Philly Farm & Food Fest. The photo was shot at the Fair Food Farmstand at Reading Terminal.

1528 Walnut Street, Ste. 1004 • 215-399-1339 merchantsfund.org • info@merchantsfund.org

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Exhibitors ATRIUM A1. Judy Wicks A2. REI A3. PSU Extension/Master Gardeners A4. Williams-Sonoma A5. Philadelphia CowShare/Meat Market A6. Whole Foods Market A7. Fest Box Office & Information

40. Sierra Club 41. Farmers Union 42. Stryker Farm 43. Beechwood Orchards 44. Amaranth Gluten Free Bakery 45. Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild 46. The Enterprise Center CDC 47. Two Gander Farm 48. Harvest Local Foods 49. GMO Free PA 50. Gemelli Bakers 51. Bobolink Dairy 52. Lansdowne Farmers Market 53. Ridge Valley Farm 54. Ric’s Bread 55. FreshaPeel Hummus!

56. Old School Farm 57. High View Farm 58. Les Dames d’Escoffier/Slow Food Philadelphia 59. Pennypack Farm & Education Center 60. T M Kovacevich Produce 61. Knob View Farm 62. Yeehaw Farm 63. Eberly Poultry 64. Front Porch Family Farms 65. Grid Magazine 66. Yellow Springs Farm 67. Philadelphia CowShare 68. Shellbark Hollow Farm 69. Root Mass Farm 70. Wholesome Dairy Farms 71. Sweet Farm Sauerkraut 72. Penn Environment 73. OwowCow Creamery 74. Wild Flour Bakery 75. Keystone Development Center 76. SHARE/ Nice Roots Farm 77. Upper Merion Farmers Market 78. Bennett Compost 79. Subarashii Kudamono 80. Rushton Farm 81. Intrinsic Foods 82. Small Valley Milling 83. Metropolitan Bakery 84. Tait Farm Foods 85. PASA

HALL G 1. Mayor’s Office of Sustainability 2. Amazing Acres Goat Dairy 3. Columbia County Bread & Granola 4. Farm Fromage 5. Capogiro Gelato Artisans 6. Wyebrook Farm 7. Wyck House Home Farm 8. Chatham University 9. Golden Valley Farms Coffee Roasters 10/11. Artisan Exchange 12. Vera Pasta 13. Hidden Hills Dairy 14. American Native Nursery 15. John & Kira’s 16. Simply Ghee 17. Trinity Inspired Farms 18. ICG International 19. Tandi’s Naturals 20. Jamison Farm 21. Hillacres Pride 22. Summer Smiles Honey 23. Cherry Grove Farm 24. Peace Tree Farm 25. Organic Mechanics Soil Company 26. Happy Cat Farm 27. The Fruit Guys 28. Good Spoon Seasonal Foods 29. Cobblestone Krautery 30. Rainbow Farm 31. The Reinvestment Fund 32. Three Springs Fruit Farm 33. Wild for Salmon 34. Fox School of Business 35. Market Day Canele 36. Little Baby’s Ice Cream 37. Oyler’s Organic Farms 38. Lancaster Trading House 39. KOV

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Baked Goods Dairy Dry Goods Information Meat & Fish Miscellaneous Prepared Produce

86. Green Mountain Energy Co. 87. Piper’s Peck 88. Zsa’s Gourmet Ice Cream 89. Fair Food Farmstand 90. Christina Maser Co. 91. Doe Run Dairy 92. Common Market Philadelphia 93. Culton Organics 94. Frecon Farms 95. Gilda’s Biscotti 96. ReAnimator Coffee 97. Rodale Institute 98/99. WoodsEdge Wool Farm 100. Spotted Hill Farm 101. Clean Currents Wind Energy 102. Country Time Farm 103. Birchrun Hills Farm 104. First Field 105. Greensgrow Farms 106. Kimberton Whole Foods 107. Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op 108. Chipotle Mexican Grill 109. Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey 109. Frecon Farms Hard Cider 109. Philadelphia Distilling 109. Subarashii Kudamono Pear Wine 109. Victory Brewing Company 110. Mompops 111. Choptank Oyster Company *Booth locations subject to change

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82

64

50

36

18

98

81

63

49

35

17

97

80

34

16

96

79

62

48

33

15

95

78

61

47

32

14

94

77

60

46

31

13

93

76

30

12

92

75

59

45

29

11

91

74

58

44

28

10

90

73

57

43

27

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89

72

26

8

88

71

56

42

25

7

87

70

55

41

24

6

86

69

54

40

23

5

85

68

84

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53

39

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38

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3

51

37

20

2

19

1

109 111

110 108

107

106

105

102

104

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100

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TO COOKING DEMOS & WORKSHOPS

HALL G ENTRANCE

HALL G

A7

A6

RAMP TO ATRIUM

A6

A5

A4

A3

A2

A1

BROAD STREET

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making the grade A new standard helps consumers make ethical meat decisions

E

ach year more than 60 billion land animals are raised for meat around the world, reports the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. One way farmers can help ensure the well-being of their animals is to follow the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards —a tiered rating system for animal welfare practices and conditions within farm-animal production systems.

The standards were originally implemented as a two-year pilot project at Whole Foods in 2008, but today the program is run by the Global Animal Partnership, an independent nonprofit that brings together farmers, scientists, ranchers, retailers and animal advocates with a goal of improving animal welfare in agriculture. As of fall 2012, the 5-Step program included just over 2,000 operations that are raising more than 140 million animals annually. Currently there are standards for beef, cattle, pigs and chickens.

How does it work?

Ratings are decided by independent thirdparty certifiers via auditors trained by the Global Animal Partnership. The auditors follow specific criteria to evaluate animal health and well-being, handling, living conditions and transportation.

Why is this standard important?

The standards support and recognize farmers and ranchers for their commitment to animal welfare, while identifying a pathway for incremental and meaningful improvement. Additionally, the standards provide customers with transparency on how animals are raised for the meat they’re purchasing and eating.

How can you recognize Step-rated products?

Step-rated meat is identified with colorcoded signs and stickers in the fresh meat and pre-pack cases.

How does this relate to organic certification?

An organic standard follows completely different criteria; Step-ratings relate to animal welfare only. However, Step-rated meats can also be certified organic.

T h e 5 -S t e p A n im a l W e l f are R at in g S ta n d ards No crates, no cage s Animals live with sp ace to move around and stretch their legs.

St ep 1

Enriched environ ment Animals are provid ed with enrichments that en courage behavior tha t’s natural to them — like a ba le of straw for chick ens to peck at, a bowling ball for pig s to shove around, or a sturdy object for cattle to rub against.

St ep 2

Enhanced outdoo r access Pigs, chickens and turkeys might live in buildings but the y all have access to outdoor areas.

St ep 3

Pasture centered When living outdo ors, chickens and turkeys get to forag e, pigs get to wallo w and cattle get to roam.

St ep 4

Animal centered; all physical alterations prohibi ted The well-being of the animals is the prima ry focus; efficiency and econo my are secondary.

St ep 5

Animal centered; entire life on same farm Animals raised to Ste p 5+ standards mu st be born and live their entire lives on a single far m.

St ep 5+

For more informa

glo ba lan im alp art

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tion, visit

ne rsh ip.org

2.25 x 4.75 GRID Ad

2/25/13

12:26 AM

Page 1

Fresh Local Produce • No Synthetic Chemicals “We Grow What We Sell”

CSA Shares Available!

Order online each week and receive your custom packed box at one of 20 locations around the Philadelphia area.

A wide selection of fresh, sustainably grown produce from our family farm to your table, June through November.

To learn more and register for our CSA, visit www.redearthfarm.org

Red Earth Farm 1025 Red Dale Road Orwigsburg, PA

info@redearthfarm.org OPEN 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

May 19-October 26. rain or shine

Jersey Fresh Produce Fresh Organic & Artisan Foods Fresh Flowers & More!

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please support our sponsor

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haddonfieldfarmersmarket.org

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WORKSHOPS Making & Doing (Room 121C)

Sustainable Policy & Green Business (Room 122B)

11:30 a.m.-12:10 p.m.

An Introduction to Managing Honey Bees

Presented by: Don Shump, founder of Philadelphia Bee Company Take the next step in homesteading with this workshop on beekeeping. Don Shump, manager of one of the largest urban beekeeping operations in the country, will teach best beekeeping practices and answer any of your hive-related questions.

12:30-1:10 p.m.

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Putting the Attainable in Your Sustainable Business

Presented by: MidAtlantic Farm Credit and Farmers Union Discover strategies for financial and business management of your new business. Topics discussed will include business planning, financial statement preparation, marketing strategies and industry best practices. Learn from our financial experts!

An Introduction to Philadelphia’s Food Policy Advisory Council

12:45-1:45 p.m.

Presented by: Sarah Wu, Outreach and Policy Coordinator, The Mayor’s Office of Sustainability How does the City of Philadelphia influence the regional food system? Come learn about the Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council and its work advising Mayor Nutter’s administration on food policy. Hear about the Council’s accomplishments to date, and learn about opportunities to get involved in future work.

Presented by: Clean Currents Wind Energy You go green at home, you support local and sustainable agriculture, plus organic food – but what about the places where you go out to eat? Find out what local chefs, restaurants, and cafés are doing to support sustainable food and have a lighter impact on the Earth. Hear from a panel of local food and restaurant industry experts, including local business owners, inspiring us with their stories of how they are going green and thriving in Philadelphia!

Names of panelists TBA.

1:30-2:10 p.m.

2-3 p.m.

Presented by: Marisa McClellan, canning teacher and author of Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round Local canning expert Marisa McClellan will be teaching her favorite technique for making small batches of jams, conserves and fruit-based butters. She will also talk about canning safety, fitting preserving into busy lives, and how to can at home with no special equipment. Participants will leave with treats too!

Presented by: Amy Laura Cahn, Garden Justice Legal Initiative, Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia Explore the legal, policy and informational barriers to accessing Philadelphia’s 40,000 vacant lots for community-driven projects, and discuss how these challenges affect the stability of anchor community institutions and local food security. Also learn about a new web-based toolkit and organizing campaign that’s part of the solution.

an Introduction to Super Small Batch Canning

2:30-3:10 p.m.

Attractive Alternative Crops that Everyone Can Grow

Presented by: Mark Brownlee, principal with American Native Nursery Whether you have a 25-acre farm or a small backyard, you can grow native plants. This workshop will teach you how to grow native seed crops with little effort or investment, but contribute to building a stronger environment and economy.

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How Green is your Café?

Tools & Tactics for Community Land Access

3:15-4:15 p.m.

Lessons from Thriving Food Co-ops In and Around Philadelphia

Presented by: Peggy Fogarty-Harnish, Keystone Development Center, and Bob Noble, Weaver’s Way Co-op and Mid-Atlantic Food Cooperative Alliance Find out why cooperatives are an important part of Philadelphia’s local food community at this workshop on cooperative businesses. Learn about the cooperative business model, hear from current cooperative members and leaders, and discover food co-ops that are significant contributors to Philadelphia’s foodshed.

Organic Coffee. Tastes Awesome.

Special Gift with Coffee order!

1) Take a picture of this ad and e-mail it to orders@phillyfairtrade.com 2) Go to www.phillyfairtrade.com and place an order on our online store 3) We’ll include a limited edition Dark Chocolate Coffee Bar with your order* *Limit one bar per person. Before Spring really comes, need to do this by April 30, 2013

Find our coffee online or at area cafes and markets • phillyfairtrade.com • 267.270.2563

Don’t throw it all away!

The average person throws away 1600 pounds of garbage each year.

The average Bennett Compost customer throws away less than half that.

Our weekly pick-up of food scraps and other compostable material helps you reduce your impact. Simply place our bucket outside your home or apartment, and we’ll take care of the rest.

$

15

/ month!

for residential customers

Business owners: call 215.520.2406 for a customized quote

B E N N E T T C O MP O S T

www.bennettcompost.com | 215.520.2406

BUCK RUN FARM, COATESVILLE, PA

25 years of experience in producing locally grown, grass-fed beef from our Chester County Pastures No artificial growth stimulants, hormones or antibiotics

www.buckrunfarm.com • 610.486.0789 or 610.384.6576

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from the kitchen of lynn buo no

Ro as te d He n of th e Wo od s wi th Tu sc an Ka le (serves 12 to 15)

philly farm & food fest

COOKING DEMOS Farm-to-Table (Room 122A) Supported by Slow Food Philadelphia, Les Dames d’Escoffier and Kieffer’s Appliances

3

bunches Tuscan kale 4 cloves of garlic, crushed 3 leeks, white part 8 ounces sunchokes 1 lbs Hen of the Woods mushrooms 1 Tbsp heavy cream (optional)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

11:30 a.m.-12:10 p.m.

Chef Lynn Buono Feast Your Eyes Catering

Lynn Buono has been working in kitchens since she was in high school.

In 1980, she opened her catering company Feast Your Eyes. What started in a small storefront in Northern Liberties is now headquartered in a repurposed barrel factory in South Kensington that also doubles as an events space. Buono is a founding member and chapter president of the Philadelphia Women’s Culinary Guild, as well as member and chapter president of Les Dames d’Escoffier, which educates and mentors women in the culinary field.

* Each vege table is prep ared sepa ratel y befor e assem bly. Vege table s may be roas ted ahea d of time , rehe ated sepa ratel y, and then assem bled .

Cut 3 inches off the bottom stem s and soak leaves in water to remove all dirt.

Drain and dry. Slice kale into 1-inc h-wide strips. Add 1/4 inch of olive oil to a 9-inch sauté pan over high heat. Once oil is hot, add kale and 3 cloves of crushed garli c.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saut é until kale is wilted and silken, about 3 minutes.

Slice whites of leeks and soak well in water to get rid of any sand. Like the kale, sauté leeks until soft. Salt and pepp er to taste. Add heavy cream, if using.

Wipe the sunchokes well with a damp cloth to remove excess dirt. Slice 1/4-inchthick and place in water with lemo n juice.

Drain sunchokes and sauté with 1 clove of crushed garlic in olive oil over high heat until soft.

Preheat the oven to 450º F. Slice off the bottom of the mushrooms. Pour a thin layer of olive oil in a sheet pan and place in oven. Once the oil is hot, put the mushrooms on the pan face down. Roas t until browned, but not burnt. Salt and pepper to taste.

On a serving platter, place the kale down first, top with leeks, then sunchokes and top with Hen of the Woo ds.

12:30-1:10 p.m.

Chef Valerie Erwin Geechee Girl Rice Café

Although Valerie Erwin had a lifelong love of food and cooking, she didn’t intend to enter the field professionally and majored in politics at Princeton University. But after her first restaurant job at The Commissary in 1979, she was hooked on the restaurant industry. In 2003, she opened Geechee Girl Rice Café in Mt. Airy, where she cooks Low Country cuisine of Georgia and South Carolina.

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2nd Annual PHILLY FARM AND FOOD FEST

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phillyfarmfest.org

larie erwin from the kitchen of va

B is c u it s

e bis cu its ) (m ak es 4 to 5 la rg

cups flour tsp sugar tsp baking powder tsp salt cup Crisco cup buttermilk 1 g (plus more for shapin ) biscuits

2 1 2

° F. Preheat oven to 425 ts together. Cut Mix dry ingredien re resembles in Crisco until mixtu coarse crumbs. to make a soft Fold in buttermilk buttermilk, if re mo le dough. Use a litt dough very soft. necessary, to keep the surface. to on ur Sprinkle flo ured surface flo a to on gh dou rn Tu 1 1/2-inches e cak a o int and gently pat high. ch rounds Cut dough into 3-in sely touching, clo es sid h wit ce, Pla y. tra ed lin on a parchment ether, sprintog aps scr pat y ntl Ge to keep ilk rm tte bu kling on a little t biscuits again. ou cut and t, sof gh dou minutes, until Bake for 20 to 30 . den gol are ts biscui

from the kitchen of yun fuentes

Farm Egg wit h Ber nais e

(serves 10)

* For the full recipie, includin g direction s on preparin g poached artichok e hearts, visit gridphilly.com B e r n a i s e sau c e

egg yolks quart champagne vinegar bunch chervil bunch tarragon shallots (3 chopped, 2 brunoise) cups clarified butter

5 1 1 1 5 2

Combine the chopped shallots, half a bunch of tarragon (picked leaves), half a bunch of chervil and the vinegar in a pot. Reduce until one cup of vinegar is left, strain and cool.

Combine egg yolks and vinegar. Whisk together until well combined. Season lightly with salt.

Place over double boiler and continue to whisk non-stop to prevent the egg from coagulating. Once egg mixture becomes thick, pour in one tablespoon of clarified butter at a time.

When well combined, store in a warm place.

Chop the rest of the herbs and add to the egg together with the shallots.

Toss artichokes with salt and make sure artichokes (cleaned) they are well seasoned. Put them in a heat proof container and cover them with the oil. quarts olive oil garlic cloves Add garlic and herbs. Cover with foil and put sprigs thyme in a 300° oven for 2 hours. Remove chokes and each bay leaf garlic from oil and place in a blender. Add lemTbsp salt on juice and blend until smooth. Drizzle truffle lemon (juice) oil and blend until well combined. Strain Tbsp truffle oil through a fine sieve and chill.

To serve: place artichoke purée in the bottom of a plate, then the poached artichoke.

Place a poached egg inside the cup of the artichoke and top with bernaise sauce. Garnish with truffle escabeche and fried capers.

1:30-2:10 p.m.

Chef Yun Fuentes JG Domestic

Artichoke purée

10 2 5 3 1 1 1 1

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Yun Fuentes began his culinary career in the restaurants of Old San Juan as a dishwasher. Although he had no technical training, Fuentes found himself moving up in the kitchen ranks, eventually becoming a chef.

After time in Puerto Rico and New York restaurants, Fuentes moved to Philadelphia in 2010 to work with the Garces Group at Amada, Tinto, Village Whiskey, and is currently the chef de cuisine at JG Domestic.

2:30-3:10 p.m.

from the kitchen of josh law ler

Ma ri nate d Be et s & St ra wb er ri es wi th Yo gu rt & Wate rc re ss (serves 4) 3

bunches mixed baby beets, cleaned and tops removed 2 cups plain yogurt, strained overnight in cheese cloth 2 pints ripe strawberries 1 bunch watercress

Aged balsamic

Olive oil Honey

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Drizzle the beets with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and wrap in foil. Plac e in the oven and cook until tender.

Peel the beets while they’re still warm and reserve. Take the top off the strawberries, wash and let dry. Place the halved beets in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, olive oil, balsamic and a little honey.

Remove the strained yogurt and discard the liquid.

Smear some of the yogurt on the bottom of four bowls. Carefully arra nge the beets on top of the yogurt, givi ng each person a variety of colors. Mingle in strawberry slices so each bite contains beet and strawberry.

Drizzle a small amount of balsamic around the beets. Place watercr ess on top of the beets that have been seas oned with olive oil, salt and pepper. Serv e.

Chef Josh Lawler Farm and the Fisherman

A leader in the farm-to-table movement, Josh Lawler is known for his preparation of whole animals and seasonally inspired dishes. Lawler, who has a degree in hotel and restaurant management from Drexel University, spent time in Philadelphia and New York kitchens before opening his own restaurant in spring 2011. The Farm and the Fisherman has been named Best in Philly 2012 for “Best Farm-to-Table” and given a three bells review from The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Craig LaBan.

phillyfarmfest.org

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2nd Annual PHILLY FARM AND FOOD FEST

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Learn what you can do about it.

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23

AVAILABLE APRIL 3

PRAISE for JUDY WICKS’ NEW BOOK > “Judy Wicks is one of our great leaders and visionaries, and this books makes clear why. She thinks about traditional subjects (business, economics) in fresh, practical, real, and powerful ways.

Read it and then live it yourself!”

BILL MCKIBBEN author of Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future

“Guided by her own powerful activist sensibility, Judy Wicks beautifully conveys the important influences that a restaurant, or any business, can have within a community— politically, economically, and socially.”

ALICE WATERS owner of Chez Panisse and author of The Art of Simple Food

“Judy Wicks is one of the most amazing women I have ever met.

She ran the legendary White Dog Café with passion, heart, common sense, and financial success. And she continues to blaze new paths on the road to a truly sustainable people-centered economy. This is a must-read book.”

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MEET THE AUTHOR

BOOK SIGNING at Farm and Food Fest, Saturday, April 14 • Noon-3:30 p.m. www.judywicks.com

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gridphilly.com

17

gaining

currency From Germantown to Lancaster, people discover the incredible value of Equal Dollars story by brian rademaekers • photo by albert yee

i

t’s a monday afternoon in mid-february and a half-dozen Strawberry Mansion residents gather in a building at 30th and Ridge Streets.

They stand around tables loaded with vibrant, fresh vegetables, like lettuce, mushrooms and bean sprouts.

One resident, Beth Lisby, talks excitedly about her dinner plans: chicken salad over a bed of fresh green lettuce with plump tomatoes and yellow onion. ¶ It’s a simple meal, but it’s one made with high-quality, fresh vegetables in a neighborhood where fresh vegetables can be a challenge to find. Adding to the satisfaction of the meal is how Lisby earns her bounty. During the week, she spends her time caring for elderly neighbors, making sure they are warm, well-fed and have their prescriptions filled. “I’ll even do the ladies’ hair, if they want that,” she says with a grin. [→] a pril 20 13

18

g rid p hil ly.co m

Bob Fishman (center), founder, and Deneene Brockington (right), director, oversee a purchase at the Equal Dollars consignment shop Ap ril 20 13

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19

right Equal Dollars members Manzie Daniels (left), Gwen Thomas (center) and Kaliema Ali (right) volunteer at the weekly food market in Germantown below right Monique Hales-Slaughter (right), an RHD employee, and Twanda Waymer (left), both Equal Dollars members and volunteers, outside the food market

When I started five years ago, things were kind of defunct.

Nothing was really happening. The first thing we needed to do was make it real for people, to make it possible for them to get some basic everyday things.”

Deneene Brockington 20 gridphilly.com

Part of her earnings goes toward the box of fresh produce she takes home each week. But Lisby doesn’t pay for her dinner with a few George Washingtons. Her bills feature the face of Philadelphia’s Alain Leroy Locke, the first black Rhodes Scholar. This money — known as Equal Dollars — is a local currency used by a growing group of more than 2,000 Philadelphians.

creating value The Equal Dollars story begins in 1996, when Bob Fishman — founder and CEO of the $230 million-per-year nonprofit Resources for Human Development (RHD) — encountered the idea for an alternative to the U.S. dollar. At the time, interest in community currency was heightening ,in part fueled by an experiment in Ithaca, N.Y. known as “Ithaca Hours.” The man behind that effort, Paul Glover, remembers getting a call from Fishman, who wanted to know more about how Ithaca Hours (already in circulation for five years) were benefiting the upstate community of artists, students and farmers.

“At the time, a lot of people were sitting around their kitchen tables and getting excited about the idea of starting their own currency,” remembers Glover, author of the

a p r il 2013

local currency how-to book Hometown Money, and now a Philadelphian himself. But, unlike many of those people in the 1990s, Fishman followed through on the idea, and Equal Dollars was born.

Fishman says the concept for Equal Dollars sprang from the same passion that led him to start RHD back in 1970. As one of the bigger nonprofits in the region, RHD serves communities in 14 states with programs targeting issues such as addiction, homelessness and neighborhood development.

At age 77, Fishman, a Bala Cynwyd resident with an impressively quick mind and boundless enthusiasm for new ideas, seems more inclined to add to that work than scale back.

“I’ve always been extremely bothered, from my childhood in Brooklyn on down, at the separation between the haves and the have-nots,” says Fishman, who studied social work at Columbia University. “I started to get very interested in why the system is working so that many people are left without employment — or without adequate employment — or housing or healthcare or a decent education.”

Fishman stumbled upon a foe he found to be especially insidious: the American dollar. At the heart of Fishman’s critique of the dollar is that it’s an interest-bearing currency. These currencies, he argues, put pressure on people and institutions to make a profit at every turn — if you’re going to pay back the interest owed on your money, you have to make a profit. In this system, the only investments that have value are the ones that can turn a profit. And that, says Fishman, explains why a vast range of services and goods with real human value are neglected or wasted.

With Equal Dollars, Fishman set out to create a currency that gives value to the kinds of things our economic system overlooks. RHD, with its considerable financial

that were headed for a landfill.

If there’s a defining moment in the Equal Dollars story, this is it. From those bananas and six skids of produce the food market was born, and the currency finally had the value it desperately needed.

The produce U.S. Foods gives to Equal Dollars doesn’t have a value in traditional dollars. In fact, the company was paying to throw out food — items that were close to a sell-by date, for example — because it was cheaper than paying for storage. “They could donate to us the food at their shipping dock that they could no longer sell or even give away because the volume at times requires them to bury it in landfills, creating a [greater] landfill problem,” says Fishman. “And we thought, ‘Wait a minute, we have people wanting the benefit of exchanging with each other, and we have the currency.’”

The main Equal Dollars food market operates from the RHD headquarters in Germantown. Every Monday, a group of some 30 volunteers gathers around 11 a.m. to unload and repackage the food from U.S. Foods and other companies that work with RHD. Everyone working at the market is paid in Equal Dollars; =$25 for one to four hours of work, and =$50 for four to eight hours. By the time the market officially opens at 1 p.m., Brockington says there’s always a lengthy line of people waiting to spend their Equal Dollars. [→] Last year, Equal Dollars began growing food, converting a 14,000-square-foot vacant lot into an urban farm. The project relied on volunteers like Brandon to help clean the lot for planting. Volunteers were rewarded with Equal Dollars.

clout and extensive network of services, acts as a Federal Reserve and Treasury for the currency by printing the bills and issuing them to employees and members who sign up for the program. To start, members pay a $10 fee and get =$50 (Equal Dollars) in return.

finding life in the philadelphia community For 12 years, Equal Dollars worked within a fairly narrow network of businesses that allowed members to purchase items like jewelry or clothing accessories. Yet it was lacking two crucial elements that Glover says a community currency needs to thrive: true value that U.S. dollars don’t acknowledge and a constant ambassador to educate people about that value.

Enter Deneene Brockington.

Brockington was hired in 2008 as the new director of the Equal Dollars program. Although she arrived with 20 years of experience in nonprofits, there wasn’t much in her background that prepared her to tackle the issue of Equal Dollars’ lackluster life in the community. But Fishman says she jumped into the challenge with a creative gusto that impressed him.

“When I started five years ago, things were kind of defunct. Nothing was really happening,” says Brockington. “The first thing we needed to do was make it real for people, to make it possible for them to get some basic everyday things.”

Brockington discovered the value she was looking for almost by accident during a visit to the local distribution center of U.S. Foods, a massive foodservices company with which RHD has extensive contracts. “Someone in their produce department said ‘Hey, do you need bananas?’ and we said ‘Sure, we’ll take bananas,’” recalls Brockington. “They said they throw away bananas every week, so we sent a truck — a rented U-Haul truck at the time — and not only did they give us bananas, but they gave us six skids of produce”

I’ve always been extremely bothered at the separation between the haves and the have-nots… in why so many people are left without employment – or without adequate employment – or housing or healthcare or a decent education.”

bob fishman

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21

growing membership, amish farmers and equal dollars at city hall The line is symbolic of recent growth in the Equal Dollars community, a spike in interest that Fishman and Brockington attribute to the food market’s success. “A year-and-ahalf ago, a shift just happened, and I think it’s just word-ofmouth,” says Brockington. “Word has spread to the point where we’re getting the same people coming back, and we get new people every week. We’re probably averaging 20 new members every week.”

In 2012, the amount of Equal Dollars in circulation rose 50 percent from =$200,000 to =$300,000. Working at the market is just one way people earn Equal Dollars. In 2010, the roughly 300 employees at RHD received a =$50 bonus.

(Fishman takes about =$1,000 in his salary.) RHD has a pharmacy where employees can use up to =$5 toward copays, and the campus is also home to the Treasure Chest, a consignment shop where clothes and other items are traded and resold for Equal Dollars. With a fully implemented Internet banking system, members can shop on Equal Dollars’ online marketplace where they can buy everything from refurbished bikes to cooking lessons.

Outside of RHD, Brockington has arranged for organizations to reward volunteer work with Equal Dollars — like the work Lisby does for her neighbors in Strawberry Mansion. In that neighborhood, the community group Project Strawberry Mansion acts as a broker for Equal Dollars.

“It’s a community that tends to consider itself off the grid anyway, so they were really attracted to this whole concept,” says Brockington. “We have about 40 people in that community who are doing things for each other — they’re running errands for elfeature Alain LeRoy Locke (1885-1954), a derly people, they’re tutoring at afPhiladelphia native known as the father of ter school programs, they’re helping the Harlem Renaissance and the first black to run the food distribution center.”

Who’s on the Equal Dollar?

=$5, =$10, =$20 bills

Rhodes Scholar.

=$1 bills

feature Maggie Kuhn (1905-1995). Kuhn, also a Philadelphian, was an early anti-ageism activist who, in 1970, after being forced to retire, founded the Gray Panthers.

Along with portraits of Locke and Kuhn, the bills carry the Equal Dollars creed: “LOCAL People, LOCAL Businesses, LOCAL Resources and LOCAL Opportunities!”

22 gridphilly.com

a p r il 2013

Other communities have taken Strawberry Mansion’s lead. Similar food markets have recently opened in Feltonville and Port Richmond as well. Equal Dollars made an even bolder investment in food last summer when they converted a 14,000-square-foot vacant lot in North Philadelphia into an urban farm with 40 raised beds; volunteers at the Equal Dollars Urban Farm are paid in the currency.

And, as a sign of the growing reach of Equal Dollars, several Lancaster County Amish families are now accepting them as partial payments for certain foods sold at the main Equal Dollars market during the summer. Produce has included potatoes, peppers, onions and green beans.

For Fishman, seeing this recent explosion in Equal Dollar use is vindication. Equal Dollars, he says, really are adding value to labor, goods and people in Philadelphia neighborhoods that profit-driven federal dollars have long neglected. He hopes that the next step for the project will be to work with City Hall, allowing residents to pay for services or even taxes with Equal Dollars that the city could then use to compensate RHD for contracts already in place.

Given the typically creativity-adverse nature of bureaucratic city government, this seems a long shot. But Equal Dollars was always a bit of an impossible dream, and that certainly didn’t stop Fishman before. That wild aspect of it — the sheer chutzpah of running a currency parallel to the all-powerful American dollar — has made the Equal Dollars experiment particularly rewarding for Fishman and his team.

“I often say to people that it is the most radical thing I have ever been able to do,” he confides with a burst of laughter. “I never thought I would get into having a bank of our own that prints its own money and distributes it without a banking mentality. To be able to cross a boundary into this area of experimenting with a currency that has these different qualities … it’s just mind-blowing.”

Learn more about Equal Dollars at equaldollars.org

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23

urban naturalist

by bernard brown

Scenes from an early morning walk through John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

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John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge Oh, deer, overpopulation in the Refuge

I

by bernard brown

t’s impossible to know what actually happened, but it was easy to imagine an early morning dog walker startling a deer into a terrified sprint. We had paused to examine hoof prints where a deer trail crossed a human trail in the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. Four or five deeper strikes across a few yards seemed to indicate a burst of speed. Photographer Christian Hunold pointed out a dog paw print in the mud. ¶ The sun was just rising, overtaking a damp January mist on the morning we visited. As Gary Stolz, Refuge manager, explained when I spoke to him on the phone, “visitors who want to see deer should be there early, 24

gridph il ly.co m

A p r i l 2013

early in the morning or in the evening towards closing.”

Deer trails were all around us. You could be fooled into thinking these narrow paths were made by humans. Upstate in the mountains I’ve covered miles on deer trails; it’s easier than hacking my way through the underbrush. But I’ve learned to keep an eye on my compass. Deer have their own destinations, and it’s easy to follow a deer trail that deceptively meanders until you’re far off course. p hotos by christian hunold

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215 413 2122 At Heinz, visitors are asked to stay on the human trails to prevent wildlife harassment. “The number one purpose is to protect and restore habitat for wildlife, with visitors there in a compatible way for the wildlife,” says Stolz. Packing more than 130,000 annual visitors into 324 acres of upland habitat requires some discipline.

Luckily the deer are easy to spot from the human trails. We saw five on our half-hour walk. Most wildlife-watchers who visit the Refuge come for the birds, so I doubt many notice that it’s crowded with deer. The Refuge currently hosts about nine times what it can sustainably support, according to a 2011 draft deer management plan.

Hunold and I explored the southwest section of the Refuge off Route 420. Besides the occasional pile of deer pellets, the other indica-

tion of deer overpopulation was the blanket of dead Japanese stiltgrass covering the ground.

Japanese stiltgrass is an invasive species that deer don’t like and flourishes when they eat everything else. More deer means more eating of native plants and a greater opportunity for the stiltgrass to thrive.

White-tailed deer haven’t always been so common. We hunted them to near-extinction by the beginning of the 20th century, making the current overpopulation a conservation triumph. On the other hand, it also has something to do with the local extinction of their natural non-human predators. The most effective way to bring the Refuge’s population back into balance, according to the management plan, is to remove them. Unfortunately, this means shooting the deer. This will likely be good for the rest of the Refuge’s residents, even if it is unfortunate for the deer.

Call today, with your energy bill in hand, or visit us at TheEnergy.Coop, and join the clean energy movement.

bernard brown is an amateur field herper, bureaucrat and founder of the PB&J Campaign (pbjcampaign.org ), a movement focused on the benefits of eating lower on the food chain.

Ap ril 20 13

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mar 13

Urban Leadership Forum: Food Systems and the 21st Century

Joan Clos, executive director at UNHABITAT, and Yael Lehmann, executive director at The Food Trust, will discuss the future of urban food systems. Part of Penn’s Feeding Cities Conference (Mar 13-15) on food security in a rapidly urbanizing world. →→ Wed., Mar. 13, 5:30-7 p.m., $25 conference admis-

sion/$5 students, University of Pennsylvania, Houston Hall, 3417 Spruce St. For more information and to register, visit feedingcities.com

mar 14

Good Morning Beautiful Business: Book Launch and Signing

Judy Wicks, founder of the White Dog Cafe, introduces her memoir on what it takes to marry social change and commerce, exploring how entrepreneurs and consumers can cultivate lasting relationships with each other and the planet. →→ Thurs., Mar. 14, 6:30-9 p.m., free, Academy

of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. For more information and to register, visit judywicks-eswgnotif.eventbrite.com

mar

Eco-Film Festival

Part of the Second-Annual Sustainability Conference at Chestnut Hill College, the festival features a day of film and discussion on environmentally focused topics.

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→→ Thurs., Mar. 14, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., free,

Chestnut Hill College, St. Joseph Hall – East Parlor, 9601 Germantown Ave. For more information, visit chc.edu

mar 14

Swarthmore Co-op Beer and Cheese Tasting Too

Join Lancaster Brewing Company and Farm Fromage, both from Lancaster County, for a tasty evening of local beer and artisanal cheeses pairings. Must be 21 or older to attend.

mar

23

19th Annual StreamWatch Census

Discover and collect samples of Mill Creek’s invertebrate life while becoming a citizen scientist in an important ongoing study of creek health. →→ Sat., Mar. 23, 9 a.m-1 p.m., free (open

to adults and children), West Mill Creek Park, Mill Creek and Old Gulph Roads, Penn Valley. For more information, visit lmconservancy.org

mar

mar 16

American Idols: Native Plants to Love

Fall in love with new plant species and find out why native plants are important for local gardens and gardeners. →→ Sat., Mar. 16, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., $25 member/

→→ Thurs., Mar 14, 8-9:30 p.m., $20 members/$25

nonmembers, Swarthmore Co-op, 341 Dartmouth Ave., Swarthmore. To register, visit conta.cc/

$30 nonmember, Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave. For more information and to register, visit morrisarboretum.org

YCah1v

mar

Native Plantings with Larry Weaner

mar 16

Inviting the Birds of Summer with Marsha Pearson

Local award-winning landscape architect Larry Weaner will teach how to utilize native plants in your landscape for maximum beauty and ecological impact.

Learn how to attract hummingbirds, orioles and more to your backyard this summer with Marsha Pearson, a birding expert and former owner of the Wild Bird Center.

→→ Sat., Mar. 16, 10-11 a.m., $10, Primex Garden

→→ Sat., Mar.16, 1-2 p.m., $10, Primex Garden Center,

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Restoration Volunteer Workday

Help remove invasive plants from the forest, fix deer fences, maintain the trails and more. Water refills and snacks are provided.

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→→ Sat., Mar. 16 10 a.m.-1 p.m., free (for adults),

Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, 8480 Hagy’s Mill Rd. For more information, visit schuylkillcenter.org

mar 21

Green City, Clean Waters: The Future of Philadelphia’s Waterways

Hear about Philadelphia’s plan for urban stormwater management and learn how New York City’s ecological past is helping the city envision climate-resistant urban planning for the next 400 years. →→ Thurs., Mar. 21, 6-8 p.m., free, Academy of Natural

Center, 435 W. Glenside Ave., Glenside. To register, visit the store or call 215-887-7500

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april 20 13

435 W. Glenside Ave., Glenside. To register, visit the store or call 215-887-7500

Sciences at Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. For more information and to register, visit ansp.org

Bryn Gweled Homesteads Cooperative Living Since 1940

Inclusive, multi-generational community in wooded lower Bucks County. Homes available.

Gardens and livestock possible.

Easy commute to Center City. www.bryngweled.org 215-355-8849 — Ask for Gary

the pre-Finished Hardwood specialist since 1985 Environmentally-Friendly Wood Floors, Naturally Buy from a local Philly homeowner and SAVE!

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Bicycle Repair Kater Street Bicycle

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mar

Spring Season Extension Techniques

Learn how to sow seeds early in the spring, protect a garden from frost and harvest greens year-round.

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→→ Fri., Mar. 22, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., free, Teens 4

Good Farm, 8th and Poplar Streets. For more information, email AvivaA@federationnc.org

mar

23

Bat Workshop: Mysterious Creatures of Pennsylvania

Join the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County for a workshop on bat species in Pennsylvania. Help construct bat boxes to place throughout the preserve to promote disease-free habitats. →→ Sat., Mar. 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., $10 members/$15

nonmembers, Bucktoe Creek Preserve, 432 Sharp Rd., Avondale. For more information and to register, visit tlcforscc.org

mar

Introduction to Green Cleaning

Reduce your exposure to toxins while saving money and the environment at this workshop on homemade green cleaning products.

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→→ Sat., Mar. 23, 1-3 p.m., $15 members/$20 nonmem-

bers, Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, 8480 Hagy’s Mill Rd. For more information and to register, visit schuylkillcenter.org

mar

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mar

Organic Gardening with Ron Kushner

Master gardener and organic vegetable grower Ron Kushner will teach how to apply organic methods to a home garden. Learn the basics of soil amending, controlling insects and disease, and increasing your harvest.

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→→ Sat., Mar. 30, 10-11 a.m., $10, Primex Garden Center,

435 W. Glenside Ave., Glenside. To register, visit the store or call 215-887-7500

Join best-selling cookbook author and television personality Christina Pirello as she helps to sift through the science, politics and health effects of genetically engineered foods in our food supply.

mar

gmofreenj@gmail.com

Pennypack Farm & Education Center continues their 4th Annual Sustainability Expo and Film Series with Ingredients, which explores the growing nationwide movement of people regaining interest in the quality and sources of their food. →→ Tues., Apr. 9, 6-9 p.m., $10, Ambler Theater, 108

amblertheater.org/pennypack

Discover the quiet awakening of the springtime forest on a brisk morning walk, looking for the earliest harbingers of spring, like skunk cabbage and spicebush. Along the way, learn the story of these botanical beauties.

Join Philadelphia-based artist Aaron Birk as he discusses his graphic novel The Pollinator’s Corridor and the role of native plants.

→→ Sat., Mar. 30, 9-10 a.m., free (for adults), Schuylkill

→→ Thurs., Apr. 11, 7:45-9:45 p.m., free, Waverly

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Center for Environmental Education, 8480 Hagy’s Mill Rd. For more information and to register, visit

apr

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The Role of Indigenous Pathways in Ecosystem Recovery

Heights, 1400 Waverly Rd., Gladwyne. To register, visit lmconservancy.org

schuylkillcenter.org

mar

Night Sky Tour

Locate and learn about constellations, stars and the skies above us with the Chester County Astronomical Society. A bonfire and light refreshments will provide warmth while scanning the night sky.

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Brewing: An Introduction to Beer Making

Learn the basics of brewing and make a batch of beer under the expert instruction of Josh Hunter, chef and owner of the Terrace Street Bistro and Company’s Coming Catering. →→ Sun., Apr. 14, 1-3 p.m., $30 member/$35

→→ Sat., Mar. 30, 8-9:30 p.m., $15 members/$20 non-

apr

Tacony Creek Cleanup

Join United By Blue and the Tookany/ Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership in a spring cleaning of the 300-acre Tacony Creek Park. Tools, water and breakfast provided.

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→→ Thurs., Mar. 28, 7-8:30 p.m., free, William

G. Rohrer Memorial Library, 15 MacArthur Blvd., Haddon Township, NJ. To RSVP, email

09

Sustainability Expo and Film Screening: Ingredients

E. Butler Ave, Ambler. Tickets are available at

Spring Wildflower Walk

members, Bucktoe Creek Preserve, 432 Sharp Rd., Avondale. For more information and to register, visit tlcforscc.org

Christina Pirello on GMO-Free Cooking

apr

nonmember, Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave. For more information and to register, visit morrisarboretum.org

apr

Philly Food & Farm Fest

Sample our region’s bounty at the second annual PF3, a gathering of local farmers, food producers, and sustainable food businesses and organizations.

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→→ Sun., Apr. 14, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., $15-30, Pennsylvania →→ Sat., Apr. 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. free, Tacony Creek Park,

Whitaker Avenue and Tampa Street. For more information, visit unitedbyblue.com/Taconypark

Convention Center Annex, Broad and Race Streets. For more information and tickets, visit phillyfarmfest.org

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March 23 & 24

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Come out for a day of learning how to be a healthier you!

Enjoy two days of lectures, demos, samples, and a wide assortment of vendors.

Bring a friend, bring your family, and get healthy this year! Free admission!

Event location: Waterloo Gardens, 200 N. Whitford Road

March 10:00 a.m.

- 5:00 p.m.

PA 19341 • 610.363.0800 • waterloogardens.com 10 am – 23, 5 pm2013 •Exton, March 24, 2013 • 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Come out for a day of learning how to be a healthier you!

e finest sustainably raised fruits and specialty vegetables available at Headhouse Farmers Market (Sundays 10-2) and at like-minded stores and restaurants throughout the city.

Enjoy two days of lectures, demos, samples, and a wide assortment of vendors.

Bring a friend, bring your family, and get healthy this year!

Free Admission!

Event location: Waterloo Gardens, 200 N. Whitford Rd, Exton, PA 19341 • 610.363.0800 waterloogardens.com

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Wealth of Opportunities Short on cash? Make your own by paul glover

T

wenty years ago i started printing money. Soon after, residents of Ithaca, N.Y., began exchanging colorful cash featuring children, waterfalls, trolleys and bugs. Since then, millions of dollars worth of Ithaca Hours have been traded by thousands of individuals and more than 500 businesses. They’ve purchased everything that dollars can: groceries, fuel, housing, land, healthcare and all the fun stuff.

At first, since it was a new idea, many folks were skeptical. They laughed. But still, hundreds of folks eagerly joined the trading list. They understood the advantages to themselves and to the community.

Ithaca Hours proved to be more than extra cash; they provided a powerful tool for strengthening local businesses, creating jobs and increasing sales tax revenue. Hours weren’t intended to replace dollars, but to replace the lack of dollars.

Each Hour is valued at $10 per hour, or one hour of basic labor. Professionals may request multiple

“Hours” per hour of work, or trade them equitably.

The community money honors skills neglected by the formal economy, stimulating new enterprise and creating new jobs. And the benefits go beyond individual transactions. To date, more than 100 community groups have received Hours grants, and up to $30,000 in interest-free loans have been offered. Yet the Hours’ greatest benefit has been to introduce residents to one another, helping us become friends, lovers and political allies.

How do you convert paper into money? Community currencies, like national banknotes, re-

quire constant networking and brokering to build trust and balance circulation. So every local currency needs at least one professional networker.

My main work as the Hour organizer was to invite new skills and businesses into the system, then publish the bimonthly Hour Town directory, while helping people spend the Hours they earned.

Why Hours? Why not gold coins? Hours are as steady as the clock, and minutes do not expand or contract. Gold, still the most admired store of value, is not capable of transacting the needs of seven billion humans. And, unlike gold, everybody has time.

However, in today’s world, Internet-based trading of local credits is popular. “Time Dollars” are being earned and spent in Phoenixville, Media and Mount Airy as well as hundreds of other American towns. Hour systems like BitCoin, TimeRepublik and E-Flux trade globally. All these supplemental currencies can work together.

For me, though, paper money with local emblems shouts local pride. What’s a nation without a flag, a company without a logo, or local trading without tangible symbols? Whether community money is paper, electrons or metal, successful issuance also requires relentless promotion. Ithaca Hours became a household word, thanks to hundreds of national news stories and thousands of local conversations. Hour Town published 300 local “success stories” of satisfied traders. Nearly everyone understood Hours and was willing to accept them. Children assumed that all cities printed money.

Here in Philadelphia we already have Equal Dollars spreading citywide. But there’s room for neighborhood cash as well: Westies in West Philadelphia, Southies in South Philadelphia, Liberties in Northern Liberties, Strawberries in Strawberry Mansion, KensingCash, RoxBux, CedarChips, OlneyMoney.

To boost Philadelphia’s creative economy we could issue ArtCash. MediCash would boost our clinics, and NegaWatts fund energy-efficiency projects.

Philadelphia’s green economy also deserves its own money, dedicated to ecology and social justice. Such credits can stimulate the less instantly profitable green markets that the biggest investors have too long avoided: energy efficiency and retrofit work, urban agriculture, co-op health care, sustainable housing and transit.

Putting special money to work, and ourselves as well, invites us to repair civilization. When we take control of money, We the People become the treasury, and the treasure.

paul glover is founder of a dozen organizations and author of six books, including Hometown Money: How to Enrich Your Community with Local Currency. Learn more at paulglover.org Dispatch is a monthly column written by Grid readers. Have a sustainability story you’d like to share? Email getinvolved@gridphilly.com

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il lustratio n by j ustin rentzel

April 18 - 28, 2013

Science Carniv al on the Park way April 20 | FRE E ALL DAY!

11 days of science in places you least expect that will stimulate your senses, tantalize your taste buds, and rattle your brain.

www.philasciencefestival.org Presenting Sponsor:

Created by Philadelphia’s science, cultural and educational institutions and organized by The Franklin Institute.

Create Change.

Saher Hasnain

Master of Environmental Studies

The city of Chester, Pennsylvania is a prototypical environmental justice community in which predominantly poor and minority residents experience unusually high rates of cancerous and non-cancerous illnesses.

Saher Hasnain’s MES Capstone Project created a model for linking environmental factors, including heavy industry and associated truck traffic, to the preponderance of health problems in order to help develop a mitigation plan for the city.

Penn’S MaSter of environMental StudieS PrograM combines classroom work with field experience in a broadly based interdisciplinary approach to the study of the environment. As a culminating exercise in the program, students complete an individual project that puts what they’ve learned in the classroom to work in the field. Their choice of final projects often reflects the area of environmental work in which they intend to focus their careers.

Walk-In wednesdays Open information session for all LPS programs EnvironmEntal StudiES featured the SEcond WEdnESday of each month

Be part of tomorrow’s solutions today. @PENN_EES www.facebook.com/UPennEES

www.upenn.edu/mes or search penn mes