Grid Magazine April 2014 [#060]

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

APRIL 2014 / issue #60

gridphilly.com

ALSO INS IDE

PHILLY FA RM AND FOOD FEST

2014

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POLICY STUDIES

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It’s Only Natural Cultivating a garden so it can cultivate you

I

couldn’t have been prouder when I saw my son, before he could say a word, brushing his fingers together, doing his best to make the sign for “trolley.” How West Philly of him! My kid, the proverbial sponge. That was evidenced again when I was reading a book to him with an extensive list of vehicles and realized that he could differentiate one from the other. “Point to the pumper.

Good, now point to the gasoline truck.” I was both amazed—and somewhat taken aback by—his interest in, and mastery of, the many flavors of the internal combustion engine. Now, I don’t wish to restrict his vocabulary to solar panels and compost bins. But it got me thinking about what he was seeing, and what we as parents, are showing him. He can tell one car from another, but will he be able to tell a sycamore tree from an oak?

The next question gets to the heart of the matter: Can I tell the difference between a sycamore tree and an oak? When you are trying to shape a mind, you are forced to look at the shape of your own. This time of year, my inclination is to start poring over last year’s baseball statistics, not go on a nature walk. But how will I be able to explain the natural world to my little urbanite when my knowledge of it is so limited?

That’s why, this year, after a two-year hiatus— one year because my wife was pregnant, the next because of the demands of having a newborn—I’m taking the fantasy baseball season off and resuming my interest in gardening. This year, our little guy will see me hunched over pots on a deck, not a computer.

Having done this once before, I’m not expecting it to be easy. I know that squirrels and bugs with evil intentions await. In some ways, the whole endeavor runs counter to my personality. When I was in third grade, our teacher asked us to use the word “patience” in a sentence, and I wrote, “The king wanted to learn patience quickly.” My dad still chuckles about that—even my fictional characters had no time for patience. Gardening requires a different sense of time than I have. I feel more at ease when I can practice something over and over again, hopefully improving with each pass, until a skill is learned. But with gardening, it isn’t a given that you can start over when you’ve made a mistake.

Redemption might need to wait a year, or longer.

So, this year, father and son can learn lessons in the garden together. By the end of the summer, when I point to green leaves sprouting from a pot, perhaps he’ll make the sign for (or actually say) “carrot.” And maybe the cycles of nature will help realign my own perception of time. Either way, I’m convinced that nothing could be more important than planting these seeds.

publisher

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

Sara Schwartz sara@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 103 art director

Danni Sinisi danni@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 104 distribution / ad sales

Jesse Kerns jesse@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 100 copy editor

Andrew Bonazelli writers

Marilyn Anthony Michael Fichman Emily Kovach Rosella LaFevre Courtney Sexton Emily Teel Philly Farm & Food Fest 2014 As you prepare for your growing season, be sure to attend one of the most exciting local food celebrations in Philadelphia. For the third year, the Philly Food & Farm Fest will be held April 13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and it will be teeming with farmers, local food purveyors and food enthusiasts just like you and me. Bask in the glow of our thriving local food scene, and treat yourself to the freshest, most delicious food anywhere. Read the insert we produced in partnership with Fair Food and PASA, the event’s organizers, to fully prepare yourself for the splendor.

Grid will be at the event, of course, and we’re also preparing to do a very special Grid Alive on April 17 at the Oval, sponsored by Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and the Fairmount Park Conservancy.

If you haven’t been to the Oval, this is a perfect opportunity to see what a really cool public space it is. We will be interviewing some great local food growers, including Mary Seton Corboy of Greensgrow Farms and Ben Wenk of Three Springs Fruit Farm. Come join us!

intern

Danielle Wayda photographers

Bradley Maule Mike Persico Neal Santos Albert Yee illustrators

Sarah Ferone Faye Rogers controller

Nicole Jarman nicole@gridphilly.com published by

Red Flag Media 1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.625.9850 g r i d p h i l ly . c o m

alex j. mulcahy, Publisher alex@gridphilly.com

cov e r IL LUSTRATION BY Faye Rogers

FREE EVENT!

Thursday

April 17 The Oval 2601 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

YOU’VE READ THE MAGAZINE, NOW SEE THE SHOW! FEATURING

HOSTED BY

Nic Esposito Urban Farmer and Novelist

SPONSORED BY

Alex Mulcahy Grid Publisher

Mary Seton Corboy of Greensgrow Farms

Ben Wenk

Cut Zahara

Lena Kim

of Three Springs Fruit Farm

of Feed the Barrel, oil recycling program

of the Environmental Protection Agency

Limited Edition Tote

made by Fabric Horse from waxed canvas & recycled materials

available online at

store.gridphilly.com

Media

Art teacher Deva Watson poses next to still life ingredients.

Chef Eli Collins of Pub & Kitchen describes the ingredients in his still life and how they are used in his signature dish.

The Art of the Meal

Chef Greg Vernick, of Vernick Food & Drink, talks to the students about their dish.

Students learn the relationship between food and art from Philadelphia’s top chefs by courtney sexton

­A

s a new art teacher, it felt natural for Deva Watson, also a food runner at Zahav and a server at Pub & Kitchen, to bring the restaurant model of focus and discipline—what she calls a “quiet intensity”—to her classroom at the Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School. Watson’s connection with the tight-knit community of Philadelphia’s food industry is also part of what has made her crusade to expand the cultural, educational and culinary horizons of her students so successful.

Watson was finding a disconnect between the study of many traditional art subjects and what her students could relate to, which was only compounded by the lack of funding for resources and materials. And so, drawing again on her own experiences outside of the classroom, she introduced them to food-inspired still life masterpieces.

“My kids liked art, but they didn’t understand why Van Gogh, for example, is important,” she says. “I wanted to bring the kids into the restaurants where the full five senses are ignited, where they [could see how] food is connected to the artwork they’re making.”

A friend encouraged Watson to reach out to 6

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Barbara Chandler Allen, who had founded the nonprofit Fresh Artists in 2008 with her son in response to the failing state of art in Philadelphia’s schools. Through the program, selected art created by children is licensed to Fresh Artists, then scanned, digitized and returned to the young artist. When corporations make donations to Fresh Artists to deliver art supplies and programs to under-funded schools, they are invited to choose large-format digital reproductions from the collection as thank-you gifts.

“One of the reasons we loved Deva’s idea is that [it] introduces kids to many other careers in the creative economy,” Allen says. “I’ve seen [the] culinary arts save lives. And a lot of kids,

Southwest Leadership Academy student Tyrese sketches at Vernick.

especially in the inner-city, would never be introduced to them.”

Fresh Palates to Palettes has the students study food-themed still life masterpieces, and even imagery in cookbooks. The class then visits Philadelphia restaurants where they meet with each chef, are served the chef’s signature dish for lunch and then sketch their own still life of a table set with the dishes—some so intricate they are prepared with tweezers. This year, the class visited Bistrot La Minette, Vernick Food & Drink, Pub & Kitchen and Lacroix. The final phase has the students working for 12 weeks in Watson’s classroom to create art based on what they saw at the restaurant.

To p le f t im ag e by Mike P e rs ico / ad d itio n al photos by Neal santos

rtmGRID4.5x4.75_Layout 1 8/31/12 3:25 PM Page 2

“ I wanted to bring the kids into the restaurants where the full five senses are ignited, where they [could see how] food is connected to the artwork they’re making.”

— Deva Watson, Art teacher at Southwest Leadership Academy Watson’s students can donate their artwork to Fresh Artists, but the nonprofit, along with the chefs, select what work ends up in the Fresh Artists collection.

At Will BYOB, Chef Chris Kearse prepared duck l’orange for the students, and says using food “to help and teach young kids about overcoming life’s challenges” is well worth his time, adding “that hard work and discipline pay off.”

(He added that watching them giggle over edible flowers is also worth it, too.)

Kearse’s enthusiasm is echoed by Watson.

“If there’s anybody who’s my people, and would help in anyway possible, it’s Ed Hackett [GM and overseer of Pub & Kitchen, The Diving Horse and Fitler Dining Room], Jonathan Adams [of Rival Bros Coffee] and Eli Collins [Pub & Kitchen’s new head chef] [who] have been incredibly supportive,” Watson says, referring to some of the program’s participants.

For Watson’s students, Fresh Palates to Palettes teaches them that even seemingly simple food can be more than just food. If studied, if looked at from the right angle, if tasted with an open mind, the tiniest pea can become an entry into a world that never before existed. To be selected as the year’s participants (an increasingly coveted role), the sixth- and seventh-graders know that their behavior, work ethic and skill or improvement levels in the classroom matter.

Eighth-grader Lynus Aubee got to visit one of the restaurants last year, and says that Fresh Palates to Palettes is about more than simply food.

“I was doing something … helping others, not just myself, and I was around people who love an appreciate the same thing I do—art.”

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community

Plain Sights

34th & Girard

Philadelphia seen from the ZooBalloon.

Up, Up and Away Long, snowy winters are nothing new to Philadelphians, but this season’s accumulation did some serious damage, counting among its victims the beloved Channel 6 ZooBalloon. The first attraction of its kind, the ZooBalloon carried riders 400 feet above the nation’s first zoo, providing for sweeping views of the Schuylkill River, Fairmount Park and the Philadelphia skyline.

Channel 6 launched the first balloon—an inaugural giraffe-adorned model—in June of 2002 and it flew through 2008, when it was replaced by the tigerstriped variation. The second model was set to be retired at the end of 2014, but a wet, heavy snowfall on February 4 hastened its demise.

Approximately 228,000 zoo guests have flown in the balloon since its first flight, according to Channel 6 News. As of now, the Philadelphia Zoo has no plans to replace it with a third balloon.

For more on this story, visit the Hidden City Daily, hiddencityphila.org .

In partnership with Hidden City, Plain Sights highlights historic structures with compelling stories hiding in our midst.

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sto ry an d photos by b radley maule

Engineering Good West Philadelphia benefits from volunteer’s inventions, carpentry and expertise by michael fichman

EVERYDAY

HERO

A

walk around West Philadelphia reveals Joe Shapiro’s handiwork. He built the wooden kiosks in Clark Park, the garden beds at the Walnut Hill Community Farm, the interpretive signs at the Woodlands. He planted trees along the Schuylkill River and Cobbs Creek. And he’s pruned shrubs and bagged trash at Cedar Park. He’s the volunteer that nonprofit directors across University City say they can’t live without.

“I’ve known of his legend for many years,” says Jessica Baumert, executive director of The Woodlands, a University City historic site, cemetery and community space, where Shapiro has constructed signs, storage, picnic tables and community garden beds. “If you think about how much stuff he’s built, it’s incredible.”

From 1965 to 2002, the cheerful, bespectacled Shapiro worked as a civilian engineer at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station. In retirement, he’s gotten the chance to live out a childhood dream. “In second grade, I said I wanted to be a carpenter, [but] the teacher said ‘No, you want to be an engineer,’” he says. “I became an engineer, but I’d still like to be a carpenter.”

Shapiro, a 65-year-old Garden Court resident, did just that by applying his woodworking and engineering skills to community and municipal organizations, including UC Green, the Woodlands, University City Garden Club, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia Water Department and Henry C. Lea Middle School.

Perhaps his most famous achievement is his tree-lifting invention, “The Shapiro.” The tool, which features a rope sling suspended from a horizontal wooden handle, allows several people to pick up a heavy tree that otherwise would require a mechanical lift. His involvement with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s “Tree Tenders” volunteer pruning and maintenance group has spread use of the tool city-wide.

Shapiro has dedicated years of volunteer service to nonprofit UC Green by using his carpentry and engineering know-how to design and construct numerous projects, including garden beds at the Woodlands Community Garden and Walnut Hill Community Farm, and storage facilities for UC Green’s hundred-odd hand tools. He has also spent time aiding the organization in

Joe Shapiro poses at The Hamilton Mansion at the Woodlands.

planning regular neighborhood beautification volunteer events and yearly street tree plantings. He even devised a system to use the city’s fire hydrants to water trees.

“He has helped me out since [UC Green’s] inception, he does as much today as he did fifteen years ago,” says Sue MacQueen, ex-

ecutive director of UC Green. “He keeps streamlining our events with his A to Z thinking and now they run flawlessly. …

Nobody can live without Joe.” Download Joe Shapiro’s tree-lifting invention “The Shapiro” at bit.ly/1hJwpDr .

SALUTES Sarah West The Friends of the Wissahickon awarded Sarah West the Volunteer of the Year Award in December.

West is a longtime member, former board member and current trail ambassador for the FOW. "Sarah West was nominated by her peers for tirelessly contributing her time and expertise to FOW and the park, and for serving as an inspiration and mentor to her fellow volunteers," says FOW Outreach Manager Sarah Marley.

photo by N eal sa ntos

Praxis

Consulting Group The Chestnut Hill-based company helps socially responsible businesses develop cultures of ownership, but in September, its own employee-friendly focus earned it a spot on B Lab’s national “Best for the Workers” list.

B Lab is an independent, nonprofit organization that certifies companies as B Corporations based on social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. “We help organizations be better workplaces,” says Alix Rabin, Praxis administrative principal. “[The award] is affirmation of our own internal policies.”

The Schuylkill In January, Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River was named the 2014 Pennsylvania River of the Year after claiming 2,402 votes out of 5,527 during the five-week voting process. The Schuylkill River Greenway Association, which manages the 128-mile river’s Heritage Areas, will receive $10,000 to host activities throughout 2014. This is the second time the Schuylkill has been able to claim this recognition—it won in 1999, too.

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community

Empower Bars Student-run granola bar enterprise offers healthy snacks with a unique business model by rosella lafevre In a world full of processed foods, it’s rebellious to make healthy snacks and encourage mindful consumption. At least that’s the idea behind Rebel Ventures, a socially conscious business run by young entrepreneurs with funding from University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships. Rebel Ventures’ main business is the making and selling of granola bars called Rebel Bars.

These granola bars are made of rolled oats, honey, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, cinnamon and salt.

Occasionally, chocolate chips will be added for special orders.

Jarrett Stein, director of academic partnerships at the Netter Center’s Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative, taught nutrition at the now-closed Pepper Middle School.

In early 2010, he asked students how to create a healthier school community. By the spring of 2010, that conversation led to a small group of students producing granola bars—initially called Far Bars—to sell in the school store.

Over the next two years, Stein and the Pepper School community researched how to help students turn their granola bar sales into a business. In the fall of 2012, Stein, a small group of Pepper Middle School alumni and students from University of Pennsylvania moved into the People’s Emergency Center kitchen in West Philadelphia. There, the group developed a recipe and worked to figure out marketing strategies, creating Rebel Ventures. In the beginning of 2013, they moved to the Dorrance H. Hamilton Center for Culinary Enterprises (310 48th St.).

“A goal of the project is for the students to improve their consumption of healthy foods by actually changing the supply—healthy, affordable, available and tasty," Stein

GRID LOVES 10

Greensgrow West

says. "In the process they’ve become business people."

The Rebel Ventures staff is made up of six high school students, six Penn students and a part-time staff person from the Netter Center. Weekly production averages to about 300 large bars and 300 small bars, and happens in three-hour shifts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The company has sold more than 10,000 bars.

Angel Medina, a 17-year-old Connections Academy student, founded Rebel Ventures along with Tiffany Nguyen. As the manager of operations, he says he's learned just what kids can do when they put their mind to it. “Before I didn’t try as hard … because I couldn’t believe I could do it,” he says. “Now I’ve learned that a kid can actually do those things in this business.”

Rebel Bars are distributed in local public schools, where they are sold for 50 cents. The bars cost more than $1 to make, so they’re losing money. In an effort to recoup those costs, the bars are sold for $2 to $2.75 in Huntsman Hall at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and around Penn’s campus, as well as the farmers market at Clark Park and Mariposa.

The company is still in its growing stages. The staff meets regularly with a team of business students from Wharton. These business students are helping the Rebel Ventures team learn how to make a profit and expand the business, though Jasmine Jenkins, Rebel Ventures’ chief learning officer and 23-year-old graduate education student at University of Pennsylvania, says profit is not the company’s driving force.

“It’s really just to promote health and well-being in West Philly and underserved communities,” she says.

To learn more about Rebel Bars, visit rvcrew.com .

Philadelphia’s urban farm and garden center, Greensgrow, is opening Greensgrow West in April at the former site of Elena’s Soul Lounge at 4912 Baltimore Ave. The new site touts a garden center, a small farmers market, outdoor workshop and classroom space, and will serve as a pickup location for Greensgrow’s CSA program. “Greensgrow welcomes the opportunity to help West Philadelphia grow even greener and to become a part of the vibrant Baltimore Avenue Corridor,” says Mary Seton Corboy, Greensgrow founder.

gr idph il ly.co m A P R IL 2014

INVESTING IN A FUTURE WITHOUT POVERTY Khadiatu is a microcredit client of BRAC in Sierra Leone.

Business: beauty shop

Together we can help solve world poverty and hunger.

Please contribute to our 2014 campaign and invest in a future without poverty.

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story and photos by emily teel

Just Say Gnocchi

Spring produce wakes up even the most tired of winter staples

B

y the time April rolls around, local foods are in a sorry state: Potatoes are beginning to sprout, long-neglected cabbages continue to be ignored, and turnips wore out their welcome back in February. But then spring sashays in, as much of a tease as ever. Crunch returns to our plates in the form of delicate lettuces and greens, then again in the sharpness of scallions and the sweetness of peas. Bright red radishes, peeking their rosy shoulders through the soil, must surprise even the farmers.

The following recipes bridge the seasons.

Fresh chard adds a punch to the roasted root sweetness in a hash, which works just as well at brunch as it does served in tortillas for dinner. A crunchy salad of spicy radishes, juicy kohlrabi, apple, cabbage and fresh peas is a refreshing change from grocery store spring mix. Gnocchi is a project, but it makes the noblest end for potatoes past their prime and, served simply with brown butter and lemon, allows fresh asparagus—the truest indicator that spring has arrived—to shine.

W HAT'S IN TH E BO X?

Two Gander Farm April is firmly in the shoulder season between winter and spring. Root-cellared winter veggies are practically done, and the spring ones might be growing but not yet ready for harvest. Good thing Two Gander Farm in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, has more than 4,000 square feet of high tunnel space to help bridge the gap between the seasons and offer their CSA members a variety of the following each week. twoganderfarm.com

»» Arugula »» Mâche »» Salad Mix »» Asian Greens Mix »» Kale »» Swiss Chard »» Scallions »» Radishes »» Carrots

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»» Beets »» Turnips »» Potatoes »» Sweet Potatoes »» Beets »» Garlic »» Onions »» Tomato Sauce »» Honey

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Potato Gnocchi with Browned Butter, Lemon & Asparagus 1½ pounds floury potatoes (Russet or otherwise) 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting ½ cup finely grated pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano 2 egg yolks

1 1

teaspoon salt pound asparagus, washed, ends snapped off, and chopped into 1-inch segments 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake potatoes on oven racks for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a sharp knife pierces them easily.

While potatoes are still hot, peel them and force them through a food mill or a ricer, and spread onto a baking sheet to cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, transfer to a floured surface and form into a ring. Beat egg yolks with salt and pour into the center of the ring. Using a fork and your fingers, gently incorporate egg and salt into potato until it appears uniformly golden.

Flatten potato-egg mixture out slightly, and sprinkle flour and cheese over. Gently knead the flour into the potato until a shaggy dough forms. Try not to overwork. When the dough has a smooth, uniform texture, divide it into six portions.

Re-flour your work surface and roll each portion into a rope with a roughly 1/2-inch diameter. Cut each rope into 1/2-inch square pillows. Toss gnocchi with flour and spread onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Bring at least five quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and reduce heat slightly.

Divide gnocchi into four batches and, one batch at a time, add them to the simmering water. Gnocchi will sink, but will float to surface in about 45 seconds.

After about a minute, skim the floating gnocchi onto a cooling rack. Repeat with all remaining gnocchi.

Meanwhile, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon butter until butter stops foaming and changes from yellow to golden brown. Add asparagus and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Sauté until bright green, about 2 minutes.

Remove asparagus and melt remaining tablespoon butter into the skillet. Add gnocchi and cook until underside of gnocchi begins to form a golden brown crust. Toss gnocchi and continue to brown until each appears uniformly golden and chestnut brown in spots. Return asparagus to the pan with the gnocchi and toss to combine. Serve with lemon wedges.

Sweet Potato, Turnip & Swiss Chard Hash 2-3 slices bacon (optional) 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2

sweet potatoes (about 1 pound) 1 bunch Swiss chard 1 large turnip 3 scallions

½ teaspoon smoked paprika ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon black pepper

NS:

DIRECTIO

d stalks and chop the char lion 0 40 to uding the scal en scallions, incl Preheat ov t cu d h, peel an degrees. Was to greens. y to assemble eet potatoes in sw d an s ip rn When read tu add ce bacon and . the dish, min the size of dice es . to et ta ill po sk d ch an -in s it to a 10- to 12 Toss turnip over a medium salt, paprika, Warm skillet with olive oil, d ad re sp d an , er con sizzles an pp flame until ba thyme and pe ng If ki . ba er a to rend yer on the fat begins into a single la , to 25 minutes n, warm an ad co 20 t ba as g in Ro itt t. ee om sh l oi e es iv ut ol in of m poon ter 10 ditional tables shaking pan af lp he d an r. es ne bl an ta m in the same to agitate vege to bacon begins ore evenly.

When the them brown m ta chard d po d an an ns ip lio rn al tu sc brown, add While the ra are the chard uté together fo stems, and sa toes roast, prep begin im tr es d bl ta an l ge el ve w minute until by washing it of the stalks. to soften. ming the ends s ip rib t potato, turn es from their Add swee Strip the leav e to th ss of to d m an e botto chard leaves, by pinching th minute d fore- and e an on b r fo um th ok n combine. Co stalk betwee gins to wilt. ntly but firmly until chard be finger, and ge h. ug ro st seasoning th ju af Taste and ad pulling the le to in es av le e pepper. ar th with salt and Chop or te ely fin d an es ec bite-sized pi

Springtime Chopped Salad & Buttermilk Scallion Dressing 1

bulb kohlrabi, washed and peeled 1 medium sized apple, washed and cored ½ small head of green cabbage 1 bunch red, Easter Egg or breakfast radishes, washed with greens removed 1 pint sugar snap peas, or a combination of sugar snap and snow peas 3-5 stems fresh flat leaf parsley

For dressing: ¼ cup thick plain yogurt ¼ cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar or lemon juice ¼ cup mayonnaise 3 scallions, including greens, washed well and chopped finely ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper ½ teaspoon salt

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine dressing ingredients and shake well.

Wash and de-thread peas and chop on the bias, approximately a 45-degree angle.

Remove core from cabbage and shred finely.

Pinch parsley leaves from stems and discard stems.

Using a mandolin slicer, a food processor fitted with a julienne blade, or a sharp chef’s knife and a steady hand, cut kohlrabi, radishes and apple into matchsticks. If desired, leave one to two radishes sliced thinly but not julienned.

Toss everything together with dressing to taste.

Reserve any remaining dressing.

Keeps up to 1 week.

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by emily teel • photos by albert yee

RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT

Blackbird PizzEria Any Way You Slice It Blackbird Pizzeria serves up 100 percent vegan pizzas

T

here once was a time in philadelphia when being vegan meant scanning menus for animal-free options and, all too often, settling for a salad. But times have changed. Blackbird Pizzeria, a small shop at 6th and Lombard, serves a 100 percent vegan menu of sandwiches, wings, salads and pizzas.

Co-owner Mark Mebus, who went vegan at 18, once worried that foregoing animal products would limit his opportunities in the culinary world. Now, at 33, he’s not worried. He completed a culinary arts intensive study through the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York, and learned to be a professional cook without butter, cream or cheese. After an internship, he returned to Philadelphia as part of the opening team of Vedge restaurant owners Rich Landeau and Kate Jacoby’s now-shuttered restaurant, Horizons. Still a kitchen novice, Mebus, “started out just doing salads and desserts, and then just worked all the way up.” In 2008, he was offered the chance to return to New York, this time as the head chef at Blossom, a vegan restaurant in Chelsea.

At Blossom, Mebus found himself missing the open kitchen of Horizons’ Willow Grove location, where cooking in front of customers offered the opportunity see their reactions and to build relationships. So when Mike Barone, the owner of vegan coffee shop Grindcore House, alerted 14

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Mebus to an ad for a pizzeria, he and business partner, Ryan Moylan, jumped at the chance.

Named for Mebus’ favorite Beatles song to sing to his six-year-old daughter, Adele, Blackbird opened in 2010 and quickly gained the support of the hardcore and punk music devotees, as well as Bella Vista neighbors.

While some of Blackbird’s pizzas feature vegan alternatives to meat and cheese, (the most popular pie, the Haymaker, has seitan sausage, red onions, tapioca cheese, tomato sauce, and fresh oregano), others, such as the Popeye (wilted spinach, olives, crispy shiitake mushrooms, pumpkin seed pesto and cloves of roasted garlic), omit them entirely, using creamy textures and rich flavors from nuts, vegetables, mushrooms and olives instead.

Owning a casual place has allowed Mebus to bridge the normally firm divide between the kitchen and the dining room. “It’s great to be able

Blackbird Pizzeria, co-owned by Mark Mebus, serves vegan pizza, salads, wings and sandwiches.

to come over and say hi to customers,” Mebus says, adding that pizza has proved a great equalizer. “It’s such a regular part of so many people’s lives, and it’s great ... to be able to give people a [vegan] alternative.”

An alumna of Fair Food, Philabundance and Greener Partners, emily teel is a food freelancer dedicated to sustainable, delicious food in Philadelphia. See more of her work at emilyteel.com .

W HAT A DI SH !

Try this the next time you visit Blackbird Pizzeria

SEITAN WINGS Blackbird’s seitan “wings” are made in-house from high-gluten flour. They’re breaded, fried and tossed in creatively conceived sauces: habanero-citrus buffalo, root beer BBQ or smoked maple mustard.

Crush on You Local tomatoes all year round Local tomato season is fleeting, but pizzerias such as Blackbird count on having access to sweet, tangy tomato sauce year-round. While some Italian purists insist on San Marzano tomatoes from the motherland, in Philadelphia you don’t have to go further than New Jersey to find tomatoes that are just as good.

Next time you’re planning to make a pizza, keep your eyes peeled for the crushed, canned tomatoes bearing the label “Jersey Fresh,” because in this case the label isn’t just marketing.

“Jersey Fresh” is a branding program of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, and in order for a product to bear the red, white and green logo the product's processor (in Blackbird's case, the Williamstown, New Jersey-based B&G Foods) must apply for and be inspected through the Jersey Fresh Quality Grading Program. The program ensures that all of the tomatoes in the finished product are sourced from local farms. So, even with tomato season months away, we can still crush on something sweet.

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CSA Shares Still Available!

grid 2014 local ad_Layout 1 1/30/14 2:48 PM Page 1

p o h S al!

Loc MON–SAT 8–6 & SUN 9–5 • $4 PARKING 12TH & ARCH STREETS • 215-922-2317

www.readingterminalmarket.org

Presented by

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Up g ra d e s Ava il a b le !

Ti ck et s to th e Sh el lfi sh Sa lo n an d Li ba tio ns Lo un ge ar e ea ch an ad di tio na l $1 5, an d wo rth it!

General Admission tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Group discounts available. Kids under 12 admitted free.

Purchase tickets at phillyfarmfest.org.

additional sponsors

About Philly Farm & Food Fest Philly Farm & Food Fest began in 2012 with the simple idea of helping local farmers find new customers in Philadelphia.

Longtime colleagues and White Dog alumna, Ann Karlen and Marilyn Anthony, decided to harness the collective power of their nonprofit organizations, Fair Food and PASA, to create a large, early season farmers market. The event would be family-friendly, low cost to exhibitors and attendees, educational, fun and delicious.

Now in its third year, the Philly Farm & Food Fest is twice as big and even more delicious. Initially the Fest celebrated “Locally Sourced” businesses of local growers and food producers. This year, we received so many vendor applications from new businesses that we added a “Locally Made” category. The ingredients may not be available here (almonds, coffee beans and sesame seeds) but local entrepreneurs are creating community-based businesses that enrich our region.

Philly Farm & Food Fest will nourish, inspire and sustain you. Come prepared to shop—food this good needs to follow you home.

thanks to fest friends

cover design by J2 Partnership

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. For more information, visit pasafarming.org, follow us at facebook.com/pasafarming, youtube.com/pasafarming and @pasafarming.

Fair Food is dedicated to bringing healthy local food to the Philadelphia marketplace, and supporting a humane, sustainable agriculture system for the region.

Fair Food was founded in 2000 to connect local small-scale farms with restaurants and since that time, Fair Food has helped hundreds of regional producers grow their business value by providing support in the areas of marketing and sales, and increasing farmers’ knowledge, familiarity, and access to markets. For more information, visit fairfoodphilly.com.

phillyfarmfest.org | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | 3

Fest Exhibitors 74

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EXHIBIT HALL G 1. Door to Door Organics Tristate 2. Vera Pasta 3. Epic Pickles 4. Conebella Farm Cheese 5. Hobo Ed’s Artisan Coffee, LLC 6. Delaware Valley Food Co-ops 7. BioOrganics LLC 8. Stonekeep Meadery 9. Simply Ghee 10. John & Kira's 11. Bennett Compost 12. Philly Food Works 13. Urban Tree Connection 14. Weckerly's Ice Cream 15. Wild For Salmon 16. Jamison Farm 17. Cobblestone Krautery 18. Local Roots Cranford 19. Donna & Company Artisanal Chocolates 20. Lil’ Pop Shop 21. Good Spoon 22. Taft Foodmasters

23. Obis One, LLC 24. Happy Cat Farms 25. Amaranth Gluten Free Bakery 26. Circle M Farms LLC 27. Healcrest Urban Farm 28. Cape May Salt Oysters 29. Paradocx Vineyard 30. Market Day Canele 31. Good Enough for Kids 32. Mom Mom’s Coffee House 33. Wild Flour Bakery 34. Little Baby's Ice Cream 35. Oyler's Organic Farms 36. Hocks N Coqs 37. GMO Free PA 38. Long Cove Foods 39. Beechwood Orchards 40. Beekeepers Guild 41. The Enterprise Center CDC/ Dorrance Hamilton Culinary 42. Feast Your Eyes Catering 43. Kevin's Fresh Salad Dressing 44. Heritage Shellfish Co-op

SHELLFISH SALON

20

19

33

LOCAL LIBATIONS LOUNGE

18

16

45. Gemelli Bakers 46. Fulper Family Farmstead 47. Animal Welfare Approved 48. Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation 49. The Random Tea Room 50. Spotted Hill Farm 51. Gilda's Biscotti 52. ReAnimator Coffee 53. Birchrun Hills Farm 54. Heirzoom Bakery 55. First Field 56. Small Valley Milling 57. Shellbark Hollow Farm 58. Ironstone Creamery 59. Tait Farm Foods 60. Bill's Best Organic BBQ 61. Tandi's Naturals 62. Christina Maser Co. 63. Wholesome Dairy Farms 64. PASA 65. Front Porch Family Farms 66. Nanna's Secret LLC

26

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registration

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BOX OFFICE

CLASSROOM

67. OwowCow Creamery 68. Philadelphia Distilling 69. Food & Ferments 70. Choptank Oysters 71. Upper Merion Farmers Market 72. Yellow Springs Farm 73. Subarashii Kudamono 74. Village Eatinghouse 75. Metropolitan Bakery 76. Fair Food Philly 77. Frecon Farms 78. Spring Hills Farm 79. Udairy Creamery @ UDEL 80. Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative 81. Mompops 82. Down Dog Healing Café 83. Greensgrow 84. Organic Mechanics Soil Company 85. Peace Tree Farm

ATRIUM 1. Green Mountain Energy 2. Mayor’s Office of Sustainability 3. PSU Master Gardeners 4. Philly Cowshare 5. Whole Foods Market 6. Kitchen Table Consultants 7. Eating Philadelphia/ Philly Beer Scene 8. Food & Water Watch 9. PennEnvironment 10. Philadelphia Urban Creators 11. Russett 12. MAD Cookie Company 13. Castle Valley Milling 14. Community Energy Inc 15. Righteous Felon Jerky Cartel 16. Reading Terminal Market 17. Bookbinder Specialties 18. Sweet Nectar 19. Republic Bank 20. Honeygrow 21. Naturela Foods 22. Viridian Energy 23. Susquehanna Mills Co. 24. Hope Cohen Cookbook 25. Philly Fair Trade Roasters 26. Sierra Club 27. Angela’s Café 28. Philly Homebrew Outlet 29. Wyck House Home Farm 30. PGW EnergySense 31. Fairmount Park Conservancy 32. REI 33. Grid

* Map subject to change BROAD STREET ENTRANCE phillyfarmfest.org | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | 5

THE LANDISVILLE PRODUCE GROWERS CO-OPERATIVE New Jersey’s Finest Fruits & Vegetables Direct from the Grower The United States Oldest Agricultural Co-Operative

≈1914∆

Landisville, New Jersey ) ( Felix Donato

856 697-2271

Only Your Back Yard Is More Local.

Look for produce from Weavers Way Farms at the Co-op.

grown

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in

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041

0)

Community-owned food markets open to everyone.

www.weaversway.coop Chestnut Hill

Mt. Airy

8424 Germantown Ave.

559 Carpenter Lane

Next Door

Across the Way

8426 Germantown Ave.

610 Carpenter Lane

6 | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | phillyfarmfest.org

healthy, organic fare for all occasions

Great News About Good Food A Lively Conversation About Healthy Eating

Philadelphia is at the forefront of the food world more than people realize, says nationally known hospitality consultant and food trend blogger, Clark Wolf.

“There are so many exciting developments— the way we’re talking about and getting to food these days,” Wolf says. “Philadelphia has always been a hotbed of good food.”

This year for the first time, the Philly Farm & Food Fest is hosting a panel presentation, moderated by Wolf, to discuss simple ways people can increase their daily ration of wholesome foods.

Wolf helped start the nation’s first Food Studies program at New York University and he works with farmers, chefs and others to make better food into better business and a better community. “There’s a lot going on and it’s fun to be able to share it in one of my favorite food cities in the whole world,” he says.

Free

with G eneral . ticket A dmission in the . m p.

30 1: .

Fest C lassroom

Hear from these local and regional experts, too.

Matthew Derr is the energetic young president of the sustainable agriculture school, Sterling College, which has drawn visits from Mark Bittman and Alice Waters, among others.

Lucinda Duncalfe, founder and CEO of Real Food Works, is making a whole new business sector out of connecting available kitchen power with the people who want great fresh food.

Zachary Golper, owner and head baker at Bien Cuit, is a young bread baker who once manned the ovens at Le Bec Fin. He is now on his own at Bien Cuit bakery in Brooklyn. Zach knows the importance and impact of Philadelphia on the greater foodscene.

Aimee Olexy, owner of Talulu’s Garden, a highly regarded restaurant in downtown Philadelphia, is bolstering the farm-to-table movement.

Dr. Pierantonio Russo, MD, FCPP, FAAP/CT/Card, is the medical director and cardiac surgeon at Independence Blue Cross, Philadelphia. He is an advocate for healthy eating and a proponent for good food.

Lisa Sasson, MS, RDN, CD/N, is an articulate and inspiring registered dietician and Clinical Associate professor at NYU who takes students to Italy for six weeks every year as part of a delicious education.

phillyfarmfest.org | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | 7

Featured at Fest

A sampling of the amazing variety of growers and producers at this year’s Philly Farm & Food Fest Each year, the Philly Farm & Food Fest showcases the best local growers and producers in Philadelphia and around the greater region. These 11 vendors reflect the diversity and breadth of this year’s show and provide just a sampling of the unique, organic and delicious products you’ll find at the Fest.

The Christina Maser Company

Honeygrow

and Tandi’s Naturals

As a newly converted promoter of

The Christina Maser Company

a plant-based diet who had tired

is a small batch food producer

of eating boring meals at work,

located in Lancaster Pennsyl-

Justin Rosenberg left the confines

vania. The business started in

of his cubicle to pursue his pas-

2001 after the founder, Gretchen

sion: creating a restaurant that

(Christina) Maser, learned how to

serves healthy and delicious food.

make jam and took her new skill

He started honeygrow in 2012 as a

to the extreme—producing jams,

way to bring people together over

sauces and condiments. The

quality, wholesome and simple

business also includes Tandi’s

foods—stir frys, salads, smoothies

Naturals, which sells all-natural

and honeybar treats. The com-

hand-made soaps, bath, body

pany’s focus on fresh means that

and home-care products. The

from farm to fork, the ingredients

company is preparing to move to

on their menu are sourced as lo-

a newer, larger location by late

cally and as seasonally as possible.

April, where they have plans to

honeygrow.com

host small cooking classes and demonstrations. christinamaser.com, tandisnaturals.com Food & Ferments Philadelphia-based food lovers and ferment makers, Carly and Dave Dougherty, created Food & Ferments to bring nourishing, tangy, delicious, lacto-fermented food and drinks back to the dinner table. Their products, which include raw, naturally fermented sauerkrauts, beet kvass, naturally fermented pickle juice, kombucha and kimchis, help to promote good health and celebrate culture, on both the micro-

SHELLFISH SALON

For Sam Mink, owner of Oyster House, serving seafood runs in his blood. His grandfather owned Kelly’s on S. Mole Street, a seafood restaurant that sat across from City Hall until the block was demolished in 1969. Sam’s father, David Mink, opened the Sansom Street Oyster House in 1976 and ran it until Sam took over in 2009 when it was renamed Oyster House. So that means he’s well-qualified to be describing the oysters and clams served at the Shellfish Salon.

limited to grou ps of 3 0

He’ll be working with Peter McCarthy of Heritage Shellfish Cooperative, Kevin McClarren of Choptank Oyster Company, Brian Harman of Cape May Salt Oyster Company, Betsy Haskin of Betsy’s Cape Shore Salts, Stephanie Tramdack Cash of Dias Creek Oyster Company and Gustavo Calvo of Sweet Amalia Oyster Farm. And fear not, oyster and clam newbies. “Every single person” who’s tried oysters has enjoyed it, Mink says. “They don’t bite.”

Timed tickets are $15 and must be purchased with an advanced General Admission ticket.

scopic and societal levels. foodandferments.com

8 | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | phillyfarmfest.org

photo by Jason Varney

Spring & Summer at

Fresh Options in Financing Lending support to rural America®

INTERACTIVE GAMES, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, MOVIE NIGHTS, FOOD TRUCKS, BEER GARDENS AND MORE… 8 acres of public space at the base of the

Visit theOvalPHL.org for event calendar. #TheOvalPHL

Benjamin Franklin Parkway, transformed into

mafc.com

agchoice.com

Philly’s new “Park on the Parkway.”

Farm Fest at the Oval 4/17-4/19

cobank.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

phillyfarmfest.org | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | 9

Local Libations Lounge If you missed the chance last year to enjoy sipping some of our locally produced spirits, don’t miss out again at the bigger than ever 2014 Local Libations Lounge. Back by popular demand, we’re expanding the number of beverages and offering four small group sessions with the

producers of Philadelphia Distilling’s Bluecoat Gin, Dad’s Hat Rye, Frecon Farms hard cider, Paradocx wines, and other tempting varieties.

Snag a seat at the table for this fascinating and flavorful sampling of artisan alcoholic beverages with the makers themselves.

Tastings held hour LY -limited to grou ps of 60

Timed tickets are $15 and must be purchased with an advanced General Admission ticket. You must be 21 to purchase tickets and photo ID is required to enter.

Kitchen Table Consultants

Market Day Canele

For Ted LeBow and Jennifer Brod-

Opened in 2010, West Philadel-

sky, principals at Kitchen Table

phia’s Market Day Canele makes

Consultants, the goal is simple—

traditional canele, sweet and

to help farmers, food artisans and

savory tarts, cookies, fleur de sel

nonprofits build lasting, profitable

caramel, a savory stew or tartlette

and locally focused businesses.

or two and crispy roasted chilies.

The company provides hands-on

Gil Ortale and Nem Ngo use farm

coaching; business planning; fi-

fresh eggs, hormone-free milk

nancial, cultural and operational

and butter, wheat flour, sugar, dark

aligning; event planning and more.

rum, orange zest, fleur de sel, bees

kitchentableconsultants.com

wax and vanilla to create fine food products. Their products can be

Oylers Organic Orchard

purchased at select coffee houses,

Oylers Organic Orchard is a sixth

farmers markets and grocery

generation, 360 acre certified

stores. marketdaycanele.com

organic family farm located seven miles northwest of Gettysburg,

Righteous Felon Jerky Cartel

Pennsylvania. Owners Bill and

Started in 2012 by a group of

Mary Ann Oyler, with the help of

friends, Righteous Felon Jerky

family members Sara, Jacob, Liz,

Cartel in West Chester, Pennsyl-

Katrina and Jerome, work to offer

vania, specializes in producing

their certified organic apples,

beef jerky made with unique, high

apple cider and applesauce to

quality all-natural ingredients.

retail and wholesale customers.

They produce small batches and

Apples are grown in their orchards

use Black Angus Beef that is

and either packed, pressed into

grown naturally—without the use

cider, or made into sauce in their

of growth hormones or antibiot-

new facilities located on the farm.

ics—in three flavors: O.G. Hickory,

The farm’s recently built market

Che-Potle Guevara and Habanero

also features grass-fed, grass-

Escobar. RFJC donates a portion of

finished beef, soy-free pastured

all sales to The Innocence Project,

eggs, and other local specialty

a non-profit organization dedi-

products. oylersorganicfarms.com

cated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through the

Small Valley Milling Located in Central Pennsylvania, Small Valley Milling makes natural and organic spelt and wheat flour that’s produced primarily from grain raised on the family-operated and organic farm. The family’s fascination with spelt led to the construction of a facility to de-hull (remove the outer husk, shell) the grain so it can be enjoyed as a nutritious whole grain or be milled into flour. smallvalleymilling.com

Vera Pasta Chef Joe D’Andrea created Vera Pasta to bring the simple true flavors of Italy to Pennsylvania. His pastas, homemade gnocchi, ravioli and sauces are inspired by his Italian childhood in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and from his schooling in Italy. Vera Pasta is dedicated to showcasing pasta and sauces from all regions of Italy, from the rich, sophisticated north to the rustic, bold south. verapasta.com Yellow Springs Goat Cheese Located in Chester Springs, Penn-

Tait Farm Foods

sylvania, Yellow Springs Farm

Tait Farm Foods is a diversified family farm in Central Pennsylvania, that includes 10 acres of certified organic vegetables, fruits and a greenhouse. They offer a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that serves several local restaurants, a farmers market and an onfarm retail store, the Harvest Shop. The farm also manufactures more than 50 specialty foods—including savory condiments, fruit spreads, cooking sauces and more—that are sold at the shop, online and to retailers and restaurants around the region. taitfarmfoods.com

produces about 30 varieties of all natural fresh and aged goat cheeses, goat milk yogurts and goat milk caramel sauces. The goats are raised on pasture without artificial hormones or antibiotics and the nursery is run using organic fertilizers and natural products, without the use of chemical pesticides or herbicides. The farm offers a goat cheese Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA) and the dairy products are sold to restaurants and wholesale accounts. Direct sales are offered on specific days at the farm May through September and through the West Chester Growers Market. yellowspringsfarm.com

use of DNA evidence and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustices from occurring. righteousfelon.com

10 | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | phillyfarmfest.org

photo courtesy of Philadelphia Distilling

FRESH, LOCAL & SEASONAL

Shaved Baby Carrot, Red & Golden Beet Salad

(215) 386-8595 12thstcatering.com

Grown. Produced. Bottled.

Come experience our award-winning wines available by the flight, by the glass, by the bottle and even some by the can.

Enjoy live music at our Friday night happy hours, upcoming 2014 summer concert series or at one of our monthly events.

CSA program memberships are also available to give you an even greater Paradocx experience.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

We Offer Seasonal and Locally Grown

FRUITS+HERBS

FLOWERS vegetables Pesticide Free •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

4300 Monument Rd. Phila., PA 19131

215.877.1925 heritagefarmphiladelphia.org

The Vineyard - Winery, Retail 1833 Flint Hill Rd, Landenberg, PA The Market at Liberty Place - Wine Bar, Retail 148 W. State St, Kennett Square, PA Booth’s Corner - Retail 1362 Naamans Creek Rd, Garnet Valley, PA PINOT Boutique - Retail 227 Market St, Old City, Philadelphia, PA

paradocx.com

Paradocx Vineyard

610.255.5684

#paradocxvineyard

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We are a pick-up location for West Philly Foods CSA phillyfarmfest.org | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | 11

It’s Springtime

Wake up and smell our coffee! phillyfairtrade.com • 267.270.2563 Find our coffee online or at area cafes and markets

OPEN SATURDAYS 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM May 17 - October 25 rain or shine

Located in Kings Court in the center of Historic Haddonfield New Jersey

Fresh New Jersey Produce Organic, Specialty Foods & Flowers Live Music, Children’s Activities & More thanks to our patrons and market sponsor

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

Haddonfieldfarmersmarket.org

12 | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | phillyfarmfest.org

701 S 4 t h St , P hi l a d el phi a , PA 1914 7 P ho ne: (2 15 ) 2 38-1888

Sunday Suppers & New Late Night Menu with Sam Jacobson

Hours: Tuesday - Sunday Dinner 5 pm - 10 pm Late Night Menu 10 pm - 12 am Bar 5 pm - 2am so u t hwa rkre st a u ra nt .c o m

Delaware's premiere supplier of Pennsylvania-grown organic and pastured foods

7417 Lancaster Pike Hockessin, DE 19707 | (302) 234-6779

www.HarvestMarketNaturalFoods.com Vegan Scrapple “Traditional Style”

SOY-FREE & GLUTEN-FREE Made in West Chester, PA Using Local Farms & Mills Organic, Certifed Organic & Non-GMO Ingredients www.longcovefoods.com

www.greenlinepaper.com phillyfarmfest.org | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | 13

From Around Here Whole Foods Market program bolsters local producer Organic Mechanics Soil Company In 2007, a flyer for a new Whole Foods Market program caught the eye of Mark Highland, founder and president of Organic Mechanics Potting Soil. It asked for local producers who had products that were grown, raised, harvested or crafted within 100 miles from a Whole Foods Market store (measured as the crow flies). Highland had such a product. His 100 percent organic potting soil and planting mix was made outside of Philadelphia in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and used locally sourced ingredients, so he applied. “I got lucky,” he says.

Whole Foods Market brought him onboard and used his company as an advertisement for the program when it began it in 2007. Previously called Local, the program name was changed in the summer of 2013 to From Around Here to be more specific and get away from the fuzzy definition of local.

Through the program, Whole Foods Market wanted a way to share the stories of the companies it was endorsing with its customers—to help bridge the gap between producer and consumer and to promote the shared dedication to environmental sustainability. “When you tell the whole story, then that transparency tends to build a connection,” Highland says. “It compels [customers] to pick up a bag and try it right then and there.” And before long, “we have a customer for life.”

Whole Foods Market eventually started selling Organic Mechanics products in multiple markets, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, the Mid-Atlantic region, the Northeastern region and most recently the Midwest, although the company still gets most of its business from local stores. From Around Here products

in Whole Foods Market stores that are beyond the 100 miles away are highlighted using a “From Pennsylvania” signs and call-outs.

According to Highland, the support he has received as a result of From Around Here has bolstered Organic Mechanics and helped increase sales. “When people learn that Whole Foods is one of our major customers … it’s an impressive thing,” Highland says, adding that the name recognition has prompted other companies to sell his products.

Organic Mechanics Container Blend Potting Soil is ideal for container gardens, transplanting, tropical and indoor plants, and because it’s peat-free, you'll water half as often. To purchase, head to your nearest Whole Foods Market or visit organicmechanicsoil.com.

Highland is looking forward to attending Philly Farm & Food Fest. The event is a good way for him to come face to face with customers and to share his story about wanting to create a nutrient-dense organic soil that touted earth-friendly benefits.

14 | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | phillyfarmfest.org

Highland says that using Organic Mechanics soil cultivates healthier produce, makes the planet more sustainable, groundwater safer to drink, promotes cleaner air and helps keep your family healthier. “Even if you’re a family of one,” he says. photo by Lucas Hardison

BUCK RUN FARM, COATESVILLE, PA

25 years of experience in producing locally grown, 100% 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

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

(800) 363-6881 Materials

installation

It's Time for Suppa!

repairs

BYO, New American @ Liberties Walk, Northern Liberties 1040 N. American St. #1101 Philadelphia, PA (215) 644-9324 timeforsuppa.com

Craft Shop

handmade, upcycled, natural fiber items Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm

Camphill CafĂŠ

an ecologically-focused intentional organic, local food Wed-Sat 10am - 2pm community in Chester County, PA Sankanac CSA camphillkimberton.org phillyfarmfest.org | T H I r d A n n ua l P H I LLY FA R M A ND F O O D F E S T | 15

GrLiving3,4 1-3pg

EARTH

2/7/11

8:36 PM

bread + brewery

Page 1

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Raising The Roo Three Philadelphia hotels take advantage of their rooftops to grow edible gardens story by Emily Kovach illustration by Faye Rogers

I

f you’re sitting at the bar at the Sofitel Hotel this summer, you might experience this scenario: After scanning the cocktail menu, you order a mojito, the perfect drink to celebrate a bright afternoon. The first sip is an explosion of flavor—like the rum, lime and mint are dancing a conga line in your mouth. The bartender explains that the mint was picked that very morning from the rooftop garden a dozen floors above your head—about as local as it gets.

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of

Given the many benefits of rooftop gardens (fresh produce, potential lower energy costs and stormwater utility charges among them), it is surprising that not many Philadelphia restaurants are creating them. This may be due to a number of challenges, according to Rania Campbell-Cobb, director of Cloud 9 Rooftop Farm, a local organization that specializes in rooftop agriculture education.

“There are a few standard roadblocks that businesses run into,” she says. “Rooftop gar-

dens can add up to 150 pounds per square foot, which many buildings were not designed to take. They need maintenance and a lot of water, especially if you are growing food, and the space needs to be accessible, secure and have water access.” She adds that many Philadelphia restaurants have smaller roofs, and may decide that it's not enough space to effectively supply the kitchen.

Thus, it makes sense that these rooftop gardens—Hotel Sofitel, Four Seasons and Square

1682 (adjacent to Hotel Palomar)—are on top of mid-sized hotels, which are well-equipped with the staff, funds and infrastructure necessary to make it work. With the volume of business and corporate ownership, a hotel restaurant may not necessarily be what comes to mind when you envision urban agriculture and farm-to-table cuisine. But these three are bucking that image by growing some of the freshest stuff you’ll find on your plate—or in your martini glass—this summer.

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The Four Seasons' rooftop garden has been in operation for the past five years.

Square1682 at The Palomar Hotel It’s 10 a.m. and Square 1682’s breakfast service is over. In the short pause before lunch is fully underway, Executive Chef Caitlin Mateo steps out of the kitchen for a breather. She doesn’t go out for a quick walk, or retreat to her office for a few moments of quiet. Instead, she heads up 27 floors to the roof of the Hotel Palomar, the building her restaurant is next to. There, in the cheery morning sun, she snips a handful of herbs, plucks a few heads of Bibb lettuce, and gathers a basket of strawberries.

Last year, Mateo attended a seminar hosted

by Philagreen, a hospitality association that introduces restaurateurs, hoteliers and chefs to eco-friendly businesses and products. At the seminar, she was introduced to the concept of an aeroponic garden tower made by a company called Tower Garden, and she instantly wanted one for her restaurant. Mateo says that the main benefits of this style of garden are that it doesn’t need soil, thus eliminating the logistical problem of transporting dirt to the roof, and it has a small spatial footprint. She estimates that it would take 20 to 25 horizontal feet in a traditional garden to yield what the restaurant is growing on their vertical garden.

With the help of the restaurant’s general manager and finance team, Mateo was able to install a nine-foot aeroponic vertical garden system on the hotel’s roof. She gives a lot of credit to the supportive hotel team, as well: “I don't think if we were just leasing a small space in our location, in Rittenhouse, or in Center City anywhere, that we'd be able to have a garden at all.”

Mateo had some experience with traditional gardens, but said there was a slight learning curve with this style. Aeroponic gardens have no growing medium—the plant’s roots are exposed to the air, and a vitamin-rich water solution cascades over them to provide hydration and nourishment. The pH levels have to be carefully regulated and summer storms could wreak havoc on the tender plants. But Mateo and her team of sous chefs got into a good groove and soon began adding homegrown produce to their menu.

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The Four Seasons grows hot peppers, zucchini, spring lettuces, pole beans, French haricot vert, herbs and more on its rooftop garden.

One of Mateo’s favorite dishes that highlighted the rooftop ingredients last summer was a side of Swiss chard with strawberries and Brie. Nasturtiums (edible flowers) became a standard garnish for creamy puréed soups, adding pops of color, and a peppery burst of flavor and crunch. Rooftop herbs, which flourished so well that the restaurant was able to stop ordering commercial varieties, were present in nearly every dish, as well.

The mixologists at the Square 1682 bar were very excited about the fresh herbs at their fingertips. “When we had an abundance of a certain herb, we’d bring them a big bunch, which they'd put on display,” Mateo says. “They’d put the basil right on the bar and it would make the whole bar smell wonderful.” One of the concoctions the bar staff came up with to incorporate the rooftop ingredients was the Blue Sage cocktail, made with fresh sage, tequila, blueberries, pomegranate, coconut sugar and lime juice.

Chef Mateo isn’t sure yet what she’s going to plant this year. Her spring menu, which is still in development, will dictate which ingredients she’ll choose. But one thing is certain: She is sold on the idea of a rooftop garden. “I want to get more vertical gardens up there!” she says. “We really want to use everything we grow and bring it to the customer.”

Liberté Lounge at The Sofitel Hotel In April 2013, this Center City hotel unveiled its rooftop garden, Jardin des Fleur de Lis, 15 floors above street level. The concept initially came from a member of the hotel’s sales team, who realized that the flat roof above the hotel would be ideal for growing plants. Management agreed, and large containers of soil were installed, as well as a rainwater conservation barrel. Restaurant staffers pitched in and planted tomatoes, squash, peppers and a bevy of herbs, such as lavender, parsley, basil, tarragon, thyme and sage.

With unblocked access to sunlight and rain, the garden flourished. Inspired by the bounty, Liberté Chef Jim Coleman added a roasted vegetable salad to the menu, a medley of rooftop sweet peppers, zucchini, tomatoes and yellow squash. Pastry Chef Leah Lantieri created decadent little shortbread cookies filled with jam made with rooftop tomatoes, a final treat given to all diners at the Lounge. The bartenders made use of the fresh herbs, creating the Cucumber Sage Collins, a riff on the traditional Tom Collins, which combined Hendrick’s Gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, cucumber and lemon with savory fresh sage from the garden.

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“Anything you pull right out of the ground, the flavor is so much more intense. Even though we get food orders in every day, it’s cool to cook with something that you grow with your own hands.”

– Chef Joe Drago,

Fountain at the Four Seasons In addition to the edible perks, the hotel’s General Manager Vincent Vienne says the rooftop garden is a great team-building tool. “Team members from all different departments—not just from the culinary team—are involved with weeding, watering and harvesting the garden,” he says. “It is also a way to educate our team about growing vegetables. Some people have even started their own gardens at home!”

The hotel staff is looking forward to the upcoming season, and may even be installing two beehives to their elevated agricultural area. The addition of an apiary would supply the kitchen and bar with yet another ingredient to sweeten up their French-inspired menu.

The Fountain at The Four Seasons Standing on 18th Street, looking up at the Four Seasons Hotel, you might be surprised to see a few tendrils of green peeking over the swanky hotel’s rooftop. Those raspberry and blueberry bushes are part of the garden that’s been in operation there for the past five years.

The Fountain at the Four Seasons’ Banquet Chef Joe Drago says that chefs in the restaurant’s different culinary wings had been discussing the possibility of a rooftop garden since the late ’90s but cost was the main prohibitive factor. Get-

Liberté Lounge staffers at the Sofitel Hotel plant tomatoes, squash, peppers and a herbs.

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ting the massive amounts of soil needed to the roof constituted the bulk of the expense, which the hotel management couldn’t justify.

It wasn’t until 2009, when another green project—the installation of wind turbines on the roof —presented an opportunity: Because the engineering team already had giant cranes rented to lift the turbines, they agreed to hoist up a few hundred pounds of dirt as well. The horticultural specialists who oversee all the greenery in the hotel planted the first iteration of the garden, and they were off and running.

Members of the kitchen staff now take responsibility for watering, pruning and harvesting the hot peppers, zucchini, spring lettuces, pole beans, French haricot vert, and an aromatic assortment of herbs, including lemon verbena, three types of thyme, Thai basil, bay leaf, mint, sage and rosemary.

Though nearly all of the items grown in their garden can only partially supplement the needs of their busy kitchens, a few crops have been so successful that the chefs have been able to drastically reduce their normal orders during the warmer months.

“Throughout the summer, we order maybe four to six pounds of basil every day,” Drago says. “So, if we can supplement that from the roof—if we can cut two pounds a day—it does save some money.”

The Four Seasons kitchens don’t need to buy commercially grown thyme and rosemary for more than half of the year, and the same goes for hot peppers. But not everything has been fruitful—the berry bushes don’t really yield enough to be featured in dishes, and a lemon tree planted last year only grew six lemons. Nevertheless, Drago says that they like to experiment and have fun with what they try each season.

This June, the rooftop produce will start making appearances in food specials and cocktails.

Last year at the Fountain at the Four Seasons restaurant, an herb-roasted guinea hen duo accented with rooftop marjoram was a frequent dinner special, and house-made potato gnocchi topped with rooftop chives was on at lunch.

Refreshing rooftop rosemary limeade was a hit at the Lounge bar, and a rooftop mint chip icecream sandwich cooled down customers. For the many wedding receptions held in the hotel through the spring and summer, couples could create signature cocktails using rooftop herbs of their choice, and the banquet menu included dishes enhanced by the herbs Square1682 as well, like the Block Island at the swordfish with rooftop lemon Palomar thyme, cipollini onions and aged Hotel balsamic jus.

121 S. 17th St. Drago says it’s a chef’s dream Liberté to be able to work with such Lounge at the fresh ingredients. “Anything you Sofitel Hotel pull right out of the ground, the 120 S. 17th St. flavor is so much more intense,” The Fountain at the Four he says. “Even though we get Seasons food orders in every day, it’s cool 1 Logan Sq. to cook with something that you grow with your own hands.”

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Now, Dig In Water your gardening skills and watch them grow story by Emily Kovach • illustration by Faye Rogers

G

ardening can be rife with emotional highs and lows. For the novice gardener, the hopes held by a trove of seedlings can be dashed by watching the tiny plants wither and fade, despite one’s best attempts. More seasoned gardeners may bask in the glow of pride, having achieved success with planting, potting and pruning, but the ever-present threats of weeds, destructive insects and plant diseases can cause serious damage to prized patches of green. And for serious gardeners, a shining skill set can become dull if it plateaus; and ultimate garden fantasies, once so promising, can feel like failures if unrealized. ¶ No matter where you fall on the gardener spectrum—from houseplant killer to orchid whisperer—there is a garden-specific workshop or program out there to teach, refresh and inspire. Philadelphians are lucky to have so many great resources in our region that offer educational opportunities year-round for the budding green thumb in all of us.

MARCH 15

Introduction to Orchids

This introductory class is an overview of basic orchid growing techniques for beginners, taught by Margie Robins. She’ll cover watering, fertilizing, light requirements, repotting and methods to encourage re-blooming.

Participants may bring an orchid to class for a consultation.

Sat., March 15, 10 a.m. $10. Primex Garden Center, 435 W. Glenside Ave. Glenside, Pa. 19038. For more information, visit primexgardencenter.com.

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Edible Fungi Workshop

This workshop will teach the principles of growing edible fungi at home. The class will prepare a substrate (used to grow mushrooms) with gourmet mushroom mycelium and use the mixture to create an artistic addition to the newly planted food forest at Awbury Arboretum, increasing the diversity of edible food onsite. Instructed by Kevin Stutler. Class will last about four hours, so bring a bagged lunch.

Sat., March 22, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $35. The Agricultural Village at Awbury Arboretum, 1011 E. Washington Lane. For more information, visit awbury.org.

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APRIL 12

Garden Planning Workshop

Are you still trying to figure out the basics, such as where to plant what in your gardenLEVEL to-be? This Greensgrow workshop, led by Anna Herman, a master gardener and owner of the Backyard Farm School, will help get your ducks in a row before spring is fully underway.

She’ll cover how to use space efficiently, how to successfully modify your garden as the seasons change, succession planting and companion planting.

1

Sat., April 12, noon to 2 p.m. Cost is $25, includes $10 Greensgrow gift card. Greensgrow Farms, 2501 E. Cumberland St. For more information, visit greensgrow.org.

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Backyard Berries Workshop

This is the perfect time of the season to plant fruits in Philadelphia. This workshop will cover the basics of growing berries and brambles, including plant selection, planting and pruning. Instructors will discuss common fruits—such as blueberries, raspberries and strawberries—and introduce some more unusual options, such as goumis, gooseberries and bush cherries.

Instructor Phil Forsyth is the director of the Philadelphia Orchard Project, a nonprofit that plants community orchards in the city.

Sat., April 26, noon to 2 p.m. Cost is $25, includes $10 Greensgrow gift card. Greensgrow Farms, 2501 E. Cumberland St. For more information, visit greensgrow.org.

LEVEL

3 GET SERIOUS

If you've become master of your backyard or community garden and have a passion for volunteering, the Penn State Extension Master Gardener Program might be for you. After completing classes that include Botany, Native Planting and Urban Gardening, candidates complete 50 volunteer hours to earn their certificate. The program runs from October 2014 through January 2015, and the cost is $200. Registration opens this summer. For more information, visit extension.psu.edu.

If you have more time to commit, there's a 530hour, three-year horticultural certificate program held at the original Barnes Foundation’s historic arboretum. A combination of academic and handson weekly classes are taught by master gardeners, landscape architects and expert specialists.

Students emerge equipped with an immense wealth of knowledge and skills. The program runs September 2014 through May 2015, and costs $2,205 for Barnes members and $2,250 for others. Registration opens in April. For more information, visit barnesfoundation.org.

COMPOSTING

You got the dirt on getting started with your garden, now get the stuff to supplement it—for free.

At the Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center (3870 Ford Rd.), Philadelphians can pick up free compost, mulch, wood chips and herbivore manure.

There is no charge for small amounts of materials (up to a 30-gallon can), and those who want to obtain more than that can purchase it from the center. Screened Leaf Compost is made from leaves and herbivore manure—no sewage or sludge material are used.

For more information, call 215-685-0108 or visit phila.gov/PARKSANDRECREATION/ENVIRONMENT.

JUNE 30

Create a Work-Free Garden

If you’re a little more on top of your garden game, but want to step it up without adding a LEVEL ton more work, this lecture is for you. Dr. Harold E. Sweetman, executive director of Jenkins Arboretum, will focus on plants in the Heath Family—scientifically known as Ericaceae—which can grow in even the most infertile environments. Blueberries are just one of the ericaceous plants that will be highlighted, and who wouldn’t want a fresh supply of this super food all summer long? (Just make sure to plant some for the birds, too!)

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Wed., April 30, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Cost is $25 for members, $30 for others. Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave. For more information, visit morrisarboretum.org.

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Bucks County Excursion and Buying Trip

Don’t trust big-box stores to guide you through your first foray into home gardening.

Instead, join experts from Swarthmore College’s Scott Arboretum on this guided jaunt into the countryside, and shop for herbs, annuals, and more unusual plants at local farms and nurseries. Trip includes visiting the Hortulus Farm, a 18th-century farmstead in Newtown, Pennsylvania. The cost includes transportation, tour fees, lunch and snacks.

Participants should bring cash for plant purchases.

LEVEL

1

Wed., June 11, trip departs at 7:30 a.m. Cost is $65 for members and $105 for others. Swarthmore College’s Scott Arboretum, 500 College Ave., Swarthmore, Pa. 19081. For more information, visit scottarboretum.org.

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Helpers or Hinderers?

Let’s play “Name That Bug.” Can you identify five insects that are good for your garden, or a few that are out to do serious damage?

Learn to stay ahead of the destructive ones and attract the helpful ones at the Pest Identification Workshop at Longwood Gardens. Using their grounds as an outdoor classroom, participants will learn to identify insects—friend and foe—as well as natural and chemical methods to manage pests. If pests aren’t your concern, Longwood offers a Continuing Education curriculum throughout the year.

Thurs., June 12, 9 a.m. to noon. Cost is $95. Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Rd., Kennett Square, Pa. 19138. For more information, visit longwoodgardens.org/education.

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mar

Friends and Family Safari Overnight

Bring your 7- to 14-year-old children to enjoy a night of interactive activities and encounters with live animals. Socialize and enjoy refreshments, then sleep next to the lions, tigers or Tyrannosaurus rex. Awaken to a light breakfast and more exploration. Each child receives a participation patch.

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→→ March 14, 6:30 p.m. Cost for members is $40, $45

for non-members. Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. For more information and to register, call 215-299-1060 or visit ansp.org/visit/events .

mar

mar 15

Introduction to Beer Making

In this hands-on class, participants will learn the process of brewing, including turning grains, water, yeast and hops into beer, while making a batch of beer. Attendees will sample a variety of beers and take home useful tips to start brewing at home.

Celebrate the first weekend of spring by searching for the earliest leaves of the new season. Enjoy spicebush tea and other dishes made with some of the foraged plants.

→→ Sat., March 15, 1 to 3 p.m. Morris Arboretum,

→→ Sat., March 22, 1 p.m. Free. Wissahickon

15

Urban Sustainability Conference

This year’s conference will focus on the theme “Sustainability: Emerging Trends, Emerging Jobs.” Howard Neukrug, Philadelphia Water Commissioner, will give the keynote address.

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→→ Tues., March 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saint Joseph

Hall, Chestnut Hill College, 9601 Germantown Ave. For more information and to register, contact Mary Elizabeth Clark, SSJ 215-248-7289 or email mclark@chc.edu .

mar

mar

Tastes of Spring

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Environmental Center, 300 Northwestern Ave., Philadelphia, PA. Registration required. For more information and to register, visit fow.org , email WEC@phila.gov or call 215-685-9285.

100 East Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Pa. For more information and to register, visit morrisarboretum.org/classes .

mar

Saturday Scraptastic

The shelves at the Department of Making + Doing are overflowing with motors, wires, cables, wood, screws and nails and more (much more). Participants can build something new—they’ll supply the materials, you just need to bring your imagination. Great for all ages.

mar

Charcuterie Workshop

Greensgrow friends and neighbors from The Pickled Heron Restaurant will lead a demo in which chefs will cover some basics about pork cuts, fresh sausage making, pate and terrines. Attendees will be given butchering charts and recipes to take home. →→ Sat., March 22, noon to 2 p.m. Greensgrow

Community Kitchen at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, 6671 Germantown Ave. Registration required. To register, visit greensgrow.org/ event . For more information, email kitchen@ greensgrow.org .

mar

Tour & Pour

Stop by every Monday night for a glass of wine or beer and a tour of CityCoho Philly Nexus’ new coworking space for eco-geeks, social entrepreneurs, builders, dismantlers and designers.

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→→ Sat. March 22, 1 to 3 p.m. Cost is $5. Department

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Awbury Arboretum has extensive plantings of snowdrops— flowers loved in the Victorian era and surging back into popularity in the first decade of the 21st century in the U.S., U.K. and Western Europe. Denis Lucey, landscape manager at Awbury Arboretum and owner of Denis Lucey Landscape Design, will talk about the flower. Snowdrops will be available for purchase and examples of the other plants will be on display. Event includes a one-hour talk, hot chocolate break and a one-hour walk. →→ Sat. March 15, 1 to 3 p.m. The Francis Cope

House at Awbury Arboretum, 1 Awbury Rd. Cost is $15. For more information and to register, visit awbury.org/events/ snowdrops-more .

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of Making + Doing, 3711 Market St. For more information, visit dmdphilly.org .

Snowdrops Lecture and Sale

→→ Mon., March 24, 6 p.m. CityCoHo Philly Nexus,

2401 Walnut Street. Free. For more information, visit meetup.com/the-sustainability-nexus .

To have your event considered for publication in Grid, email events@gridphilly.com. Listings are free. Submissions are due on the 19th of every month to run in the next issue. For a full list of calendar events, visit gridphilly.com.

mar

29

Talking Stick Learning Center’s 5K Walk

Join Talking Stick for some much needed fresh air and exercise after a long winter. →→ Sat., March 29, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. $5. Awbury

Arboretum, 1 Awbury Rd. For more information, visit talkingsticklearningcenter.org .

mar

29

Pasta 101 with In My Grandmother’s Kitchen

Learn to mix, rest, roll and stretch fresh egg pasta dough by hand using only a board and a rolling pin. Try cutting various traditional flat noodle shapes, such as fettucini and pappardelli, as well as smaller shapes, such as maltagliatti and quadrucci, which are used in soup. Learn how to cook fresh pasta and how to dry or store fresh pasta for later. All proceeds go directly to local food banks or the food charity of your choice. →→ Sat., March 29. 2 to 4:30 p.m. Class fee is

a donation to food charity. 111 Oak Terrace, Merchantville, N.J. For more information and to register, visit inmygrandmotherskitchen.com .

P hoto courtesy of Awbury A rboretum

apr

Adult Field Study: City Trees Stroll the streets of Philadelphia and learn why certain trees are more common than others and why some streets are lined with identical trees and others not. Dr. David Hewitt, a botany research associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, will lead the street tour, share tips to identify trees and discuss the tree’s historical importance.

05

→→ Sat., April 5, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost for members

is $25, $30 for non-members. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. For more information and to register, call 215-299-1060.

apr

mar 29

SustainaBall

A gala and fundraiser to support of Sustainable Business Network’s mission of creating a more sustainable and robust local economy. The event will showcase the beauty of the region, strength of the local businesses and richness of the region’s local assets and offerings through its venue, food, entertainment and programming.

12

Eats and Beats

Eats and Beats is a locally sourced, five-course organic meal that is grown, prepared and served by the Urban Nutrition Initiative youth interns. It is part of an ongoing fundraising effort to send youth to educational conferences, farm trips and leadership training. The group aims to bolster a national network of young leaders in food systems reform who will help grow a movement to build local, socially just food systems that nurture personal and environmental health. →→ Sat., March 29. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Suggested donation $25. Mantua Haverford Community Center, 631 N. 39th St. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit urbannutrition.org.

→→ Sat., April 12, 7 to 11 p.m. Cocktail attire. Cost is

$75 for SBN members, $100 for non-members.

The German Society of Pennsylvania, 611 Spring Garden St. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit sbnphiladelphia.org .

apr

mar 31

Land and Water: The Changing Hydrology and Ecology of Philadelphia

Co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Wagner Free Institute of Science, this six-session course will provide a survey of the changing wetlands and waterways of Philadelphia and how they have interacted with the flora, fauna and human land use of the region. Taught by Dr. David Hewitt, botany research associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. →→ Every Monday, beginning March 31 and ending

May 5, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th St. For more information, visit phsonlin.org/events/classland-and-water or call 215-763-6529, ext. 17.

apr

International Table Top Day

The Philly Free School celebrates its second annual International Table Top Day, an all-ages public gaming event featuring board, card and dice games. Bring your own, or play with those provided by the school.

05

→→ Sat., April 5, 1 to 8 p.m. Suggested donation of $2 to

$10. Philly Free School, 2001 Christian St. For more information, email learn@phillyfreeschool.org.

apr

Tree-Climbing Class for Women

Students will learn some of the latest professional tree climbing advancements and have the opportunity to participate in supervised in-tree climbing. Novice to advanced women climbers are welcome. The class will also focus on teaching women who have a passion for arboriculture how to develop fundamental arboricultural skills and learn professional treeclimbing techniques.

05

→→ Sat., April 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Morris Arboretum

of the University of Pennsylvania, 100 East Northwestern Ave. For more information and to register, visit online.morrisarboretum.org/classes or call 215-247-5777.

apr

Ramen Workshop with Cheu Noodle

Learn to make your own creative Asian noodle soups at home from Ben and Shawn, the owners of Cheu noodle bar. They will discuss the basics of Ramen soup broth and introduce Asian noodles and preparation.

05

→→ Sat., April 5, noon to 2 p.m. Free. Greensgrow

Community Kitchen at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, 2139 E Cumberland St. Registration required. For more information and to register, visit greensgrow.org/event .

Healthy Trails 5K Walk/Run The second annual Healthy Trails 5K run/walk in Tacony Creek Park will start and finish on the Friends Hospital campus. This event is on a fully paved, stroller- and pet-friendly trail through the park.

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→→ Sun., April 13, 8 a.m. Cost for adults is $20 ($25 day

of); free for children 12 and under; and $50 for a family or group of four. Friends Hospital Campus, 4641 Roosevelt Blvd. For more information and to register, visit healthytrails5k.com.

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Academy Explorers Camp Science runs wild at this fun, educational spring break day camp for children ages 5 to 12 at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Each day includes a teacher-naturalist presentation, exhibit exploration and other interactive activities. Each camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with optional before- and after-care. Days may be reserved individually or as part of a longer experience.

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→→ Mon., April 14 through Fri., April 18, 9 a.m. to

4 p.m. Cost is $55 per member camper, $60 per non-member camper. $5 discount for each additional day reservation. Extra fee for beforeand after-care. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. For more information and to register, visit ansp.org or call 215-299-1060.

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Drop In + Do @ the Department of Making + Doing

An evening for Philadelphia’s teens and adults, novices and experts to connect, collaborate and get help exploring new ideas and technologies.

Bring your own idea to work on, get help with your project, or hang around and get inspired by other people doing great things at the DoM+D. Demos, presentations and free food. →→ Every Thurs., 7 to 9 p.m. Free. 3711 Market St.. For

more information, visit dmdphilly.org

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Unnatural History

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes in museum dioramas, look no further than Unnatural History, a photographic series by nationally renowned photographer Lori Nix. Nix’s painstakingly crafted miniature dioramas, photographed in black and white, depict life at a typical natural history museum—with a humorous twist.

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→→ Sat., April 19. Free with regular museum admission.

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. For more information, visit ansp.org/visit/exhibits/ unnatural-history.

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APRIL 2014

TreePhilly’s Tree Giveaway

At the tree giveaway events in April, choose from 11 different tree species, including several fruit trees. Get up to two trees per property and up to 10 for community spaces.

There will also be free planting demonstrations from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and free mulch with your trees. Pre-registration is encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome at all events (except where noted).

For more information and to register, visit treephilly.org .

→→ Sat., April 5, 10 a.m.

to noon. Pennypack Environmental Center, 8600 Verree Rd. 19115. →→ Sun., April 6, noon to 2 p.m., West Oak Lane Library (2000 Washington Lane 19138)

→→ Sat., April 12, 10 a.m. to

→→ Sat., April 12, noon to 2 noon, Columbus Square p.m., Hunting Park RecrePlayground (1200 Wharation Center (900 Hunting ton St. 19147) Park Ave. 19140) →→ Sat., April 12, 10 a.m. to →→ Sun., April 13, noon to 2 noon, Bartram’s Garden p.m., Gorgas Park (6300 (54th and Lindbergh Blvd.

Ridge Ave. 19128) 19143)

5K Run for Clean Air

Over the past 33 years, the 5K Run for Clean Air has grown into Philadelphia’s largest Earth Day Celebration, become a certified green event, added a 3K walk, Kids’ Fun Run and more. Located on the beautiful banks of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, the Run is a celebration of sustainability, clean air and improvements in the region’s environmental health.

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Law Office of Pearlette V. Toussant Environmentally Conscious Attorneys At Law SMALL BUSINESSES . LITIGATION . CONTRACTS . WILLS . NEGOTIATIONS While serving our clients, we are Eco-friendly and tech-savvy, creating lower costs and fees

→→ Sat., April 19, 9 a.m. Entry fees vary by age and event.

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.

Registration required. For more information and to register, visit 5krunforcleanair.org.

2917 Harper Street | Brewerytown, Philadelphia (215) 327-2900 | econsciouslawyers@gmail.com | Econsciouslawyers.com

Offering 30 years experience in water harvesting, energy conservation, all the usual stuff from attic to basement

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t the peak of February’s ice storm, 715,000 households in the Philadelphia region were without power. But is being “without power” the same as being powerless? ¶ I live in a Montgomery County neighborhood that has managed to escape weather extremes: no tornadoes, hurricanes or drought-induced wild fires. But icy rain and bitter cold overwhelmed us. Towering trees glazed and shattered. Power lines festooned the streets. Sudden silence fell, leaving thousands of people powerless. Gov. Tom Corbett and President Barack Obama, in a rare show of accord, declared our region a natural disaster emergency area.

outdoor freezer of my front porch. It’s said that nothing focuses the mind like adversity, so when faced with a chilly shower and shampoo, my thoughts turned to the utility of powdered wigs.

Disguising unwashed hair is not an option I’d normally consider, but I’d been inhabiting the 18th century by reading Edmund S. Morgan’s 2002 biography, Benjamin Franklin.

It’s impossible to live in 21st century Philadelphia without being at least vaguely aware of Franklin’s legacy—the kite/key/electricity connection, the busybody mirrors, the Franklin stove, and the ubiquitous Franklin impersonator strolling Old City. More profoundly impressive are the institutions Franklin founded: The Library Company of Philadelphia, volunteer fire brigades, the Pennsylvania militia, the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, and the Philadelphia Contributionship, the insurance company that insures my home. Franklin did all this before turning 45, while running a printing business and writing Poor Richard’s Almanack.

Franklin started public institutions because he felt that 18th century government was not providing adequately for the real needs of all the people.

In the absence of effective leadership, Franklin used the power of his newspaper and personal relationships to appeal to the self-interest of citizens. He convinced them to invest in endeavors that would serve, protect and enrich them, such as a fire brigade, an earthworks defense and a library. His was a simple strategy that harnessed the personal resources of genuine democracy and yielded enduring outcomes.

After 60 hours of privation, power surged into my home. The temptation to overindulge struck first—to turn on every appliance, take a hot shower, roast a chicken. The giddiness passed and I recalled what it is to feel helpless. To be completely dependent on an anonymous network of businesses and public safety staff. To be surrounded by a lifeless neighborhood full of people waiting to be delivered. To have no idea what I could do to make a difference.

It made me realize that we need a new Franklin—a leader who inspires us to create resilient communities, powered in part by the people who live there and neighborhoods that recover after system failures and 100-year weather events.

I don’t know who this new Franklin might be, but I hope you are out there looking for solutions. When the power goes out again, will we remain powerless?

At first, the power outage offered novelty, like camping indoors—heating with a woodstove, lighting a gas stove with matches, eating by candlelight while surrounded by uncommon quiet. But as the hours mounted and the tem-

marilyn anthony is executive director of Lundale Farm, co-founder of Philly Farm & Food Fest, and an adjunct faculty member at Fox School of Business, Temple University.

Return to Power A Why we need a new Benjamin Franklin

by Marilyn Anthony

perature dropped, I hated myself for flicking a useless light switch every time I entered a room.

The romance receded. A gap opened between the haves with home generators and the have-nots, like me, moving all perishable food to the great

Each month, Dispatch features personal reflections on adventures in sustainability. Have a story you’d like to share? E-mail getinvolved@gridphilly.com 30

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illustration by Sarah ferone

G O L D S P O N S OR S

P OS T ER D ES I G N

righteous beef jerky Does right by the environment.

Bill Cohen Master of Environmental Studies ‘15, University of Pennsylvania To read more about how the MES program helped Bill find the happiest cows for the tastiest jerky, visit www.upenn.edu/grid

After several years of teaching math in places as far-flung as Thailand and Spain, Bill Cohen returned home to start graduate school. He found Penn’s Master of Environmental Studies program, where he planned to apply his analytical skills to the environmental issues he’d witnessed around the world. He didn’t expect that he’d find his first great sustainability challenge in a cooler of beef jerky.

At the same time Bill began his studies, an old friend asked him over to try some recipes he’d been working on for a new brand of beef jerky. They were delicious, and Bill signed on to help build the company.

Bill soon found that his studies at MES helped him guide operations at the newly anointed Righteous Felon Jerky Cartel. “I’ve been blown away by the scope of the program,” Bill says. “From learning mapping techniques that have helped us explore new markets, to analyzing our overall environmental impact, to building a green supply chain, I thank MES for helping me ask the right questions,” Bill said.

Staff from Penn’s MES Program are here to answer your questions face-to-face on every Wednesday through April 9th. Walk right in.

www.upenn.edu/grid

Today, Righteous Felon Jerky Cartel is finding rave reviews and expanding to new cities. Once Bill’s jerky empire is established, he’s planning to use his degree to help companies overhaul their water use efficiency, for the good of the environment — and the bottom line.

www.upenn.edu/grid

www.facebook.com/UPennEES

@PENN_EES