Grid Magazine December 2011 [#033]

Sustainable Philadelphia

take one!

Green Soul

Alison Stigora

Bartram’s Garden

Comfort Food for the healthy family

Burnt wood, stunning art

Their plan for a massive orchard

dec 2011 / issue 33 gridphilly.com

D. I.Y.

Compostin

g

which metho d is right for yo u?

Philly’s compost scene heats up, creating black gold from garbage

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g rid ph illy.december 2011 / is s ue 33

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Branching Out

Alison Stigora’s exhibit of burned wood takes inspiration (and materials) from Chester Country’s Natural Lands Trust

6 Agriculture Longview Center brings farmers and community together with local agriculture | Bartram’s Garden provides local food access with their farm and community center

Compost

8 Green Living Slug and the Squirrel is creating magical worlds from native plants

24 Composting 101

The dirt on choosing the best method for at-home composting

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26 Bennett Compost

Spend a day behind-the-waste with Tim Bennett 28 Earth Bread

+ Brewery

Find out how the Mt. Airy restaurant generates only 60 pounds of trash a week

29 Aerobic Workout

BiobiN technology is cleaning up with a cheaper way to compost

34 Urban Naturalist The surprising role rats play in our urban ecosystem 36 Shoots and Ladders Winter is almost here, time to plant garlic 38 Tyler Talks Trash Why ditching plastic utensils makes a difference

Recycling Challenge Paint

12 Media Reviews Sacred Economics, I’m With the Bears and Folks, This Ain’t Normal 14 Food Winter Sun Farms brings warmweather produce to wintertime eating | Cheese of the Month: Blue Suede Moo | Green Soul offers healthy, sustainable soul food for Philly neighborhood | Easy breakfasts you won’t mind making for holiday guests

40 Events Craft shows, vegan cooking for kids, Philly Stake, a stout and chowder fest, and more 46 Dispatch Rookie composter finds early struggles lead to late-year success in vermicomposting

30 Particular Passion Ned Foley of Two Particular Acres is changing the Philly composting world with his vision for a statewide, small-scale network

photo by chr i sto phe r l ea m a n

All The Leaves Are Brown The tomatoes are gone. All summer long, insolent squirrels would take one bite—one bite!— of our heirloom tomatoes. And then they would cast them aside, as if suddenly bored by our produce. Now Old Man Winter has given our plants a frosty knockout blow. It’s a sudden end to our first season of gardening.

Michael Pollan titled a chapter in his first book Second Nature, “Nature abhors a garden,” and my wife Ellen and I found that statement to be true. We battled harlequin cabbage beetles intent on ravaging our Brussels sprouts. We built a structure of chicken wire to discourage the squirrels (ultimately unsuccessful). We lost several seedlings to a garden sitter who mistook some crops for weeds. And then there was nature, sending a hurricane that threatened destruction, but luckily passed with no harm done. All of these difficulties made my already substantial respect for farmers grow exponentially.

Boy, I’m making gardening sound horrible. It was actually great. Our eggplants, green beans, radishes and cherry tomatoes flourished. Eating the food we grew in our garden was a pleasure. We learned as we went, gathering knowledge and experience. Now that it’s over, we’re saying, “Wait ’til next year!”

If there’s one thing that saves me from endof-season garden melancholy, it’s the joy of com-

posting. As with gardening, composting takes time to be successful, so don’t be discouraged.

I was once a worm murderer, sending my little soldiers of sustainability to an early death. And while my at-home composting days aren’t over, I currently use a residential pick-up service.

publisher

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

Liz Pacheco liz.pacheco@redflagmedia.com art director

Jamie Leary jamie@gridphilly.com designer

Melissa McFeeters melissa@gridphilly.com distribution

Claire Connelly 215.625.9850 ext. 100 claire@gridphilly.com copy editor

Andrew Bonazelli production artist

Lucas Hardison writers

Shaun Brady Bernard Brown Brian Case Tenaya Darlington Dana Henry G.W. Miller III Marisa McClellan Katherine Silkaitis Char Vandermeer Katie Winkler Samantha Wittchen photographers

Christopher Leaman Ken Schuler illustrators

Kirsten Harper Melissa McFeeters interns

Even that has profoundly affected my view of waste. Now, if I’m not home, I carry apple cores and spent tea bags with me. Organic waste isn’t garbage; it’s compost waiting to happen, and that’s exciting.

Anna Louise Neiger Elena Rivera Marisa Steinberg ad sales

Alex Mulcahy 215.625.9850 ext. 102 alex@gridphilly.com bookkeeper

Alicia McClung published by

alex j. mulcahy, Publisher alex@gridphilly.com

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

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BarberGale designing sustainable brands Wishing you a peaceful Holiday Season blanketed in social, environmental, and economic prosperity.

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Agriculture

The Land Stewards Longview Agricultural Center links communities through organic agriculture by dana henry

“F

ood is a great way to bring people together,” says Jennifer Brodsky, Greener Partners’ chief operating officer. At Longview Agricultural Center, a 90-acre certified organic farm in Collegeville and hub for Greener Partners, food is at the heart of their mission.

The 25-employee operation offers canning and cheese-making for local food hobbyists, healthy snack-making and cooking classes for public school youth, and two-year agricultural apprenticeships for young farmers committed to the business of local organic growing. Farmers give educational tours to curious visitors, and offer bi-weekly planting and harvesting opportunities for those who want to get their hands dirty. Their four-season CSA and on-site market, sourcing regional produce, meat, cheeses and baked goods, gives testament that sustainable

food production is a year-round activity.

The farm itself is also a kind of experiment in agricultural restoration. When the property’s owners, Drew and Melissa Smith, bought the family farm 10 years ago—then named Willow Creek Orchards—it was a 150-year-old monocropped soy and corn farm. Years of pesticide and synthetic fertilizing practices had leached the soil of its nutrients. The couple got to work planting fruit trees, diversifying the vegetable crops and introducing strawberry patches. They were able to purchase the development rights to

Farming It Out

Bartram’s Garden restores tradition with a new farm and community center by katie winkler Two years ago during a staff retreat, Tyler Holmberg and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center for Community Partnership started brainstorming about transforming the southern portion of Bartram’s Garden into an operational farm. Since then, their vision has become a reality; last month, ground was officially broken  building community

Tyler Holmberg and students from the Urban Nutrition Initiative frame out raised beds

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keep the lands preserved farm hands The Longview field and built the market. In crew suits up for early spring 2011, they strawberry picking (left); spring asked Greener Partners seedlings emerge to lease the farm. in sight of the Instead of planting evmarket (right). ery inch of land, Greener Partners focuses on balancing yields with healthy ecology and rehabilitation of the soil. For example, four acres of strawberry patches are divided by large greenways to strengthen stormwater management and reduce erosion. Pumpkins, tomatoes, 50 varieties of winter squash and lettuce share space with planted meadows, walking trails and buffer strips (areas of natural vegetation). Bison manure from a nearby farm is added to Longview’s crop compost to supplement and revive the soil.

One of the biggest challenges, says Brodsky, has been maintaining an organic orchard. Fruit trees are prone to mold and fungal disease, particularly during stretches of heavy rain, which can compromise the plant, leading to further attacks of apple scabs and stink bugs. When

for the Bartram’s Farm and Community Resource Center.

“It will be a hub that will increase access to naturally-grown local produce through the farm and by educating Philadelphians who want to grow their own food,” says Eileen Gallagher, project manager of the Philadelphia Horticulture Society’s (PHS) City Harvest Program.

The project is a joint effort of Bartram’s, the Netter Center’s Urban Nutrition Initiative (UNI), PHS and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.

With partial funding from a USDA Community Food Security grant, irrigation systems and electrical lines have been laid to support a greenhouse, an acre of cropland, 40 to 60 community garden beds, and a community kitchen

We renamed it Longview because that’s our goal. We take a long view on agriculture, on land stewardship, connecting with the community, and really acting as a heart and center.

BECOME AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONAL • Restore damaged ecosystems • Grow community food crops • Renew urban neighborhoods • Design and build storm water gardens

Greener Partners took on Longview, there were 14 acres of unpruned apple, pear and peach trees. Rain proved plentiful in the coming sea—jennifer brodsky son. Yet, Greener Partners maintained a “passive” approach, rigorously harvesting fruit before it could fall to the ground and attract further contaminants. Still in their first year, an abundant yield of Asian pears—which are sold at their market alongside Longview Asian pear cider and Asian pear gelato made in partnership with Capogiro—is an accomplishment.

Brodsky says they decided to be certified organic, despite the expense and bureaucracy, because it adheres to their stewardship standards. In the coming years, she expects Longview will continue to refine their farming practices while growing the farming apprenticeship program to include training in human resources, budgeting and other business-savvy skills.

The program, she hopes, will grow more small, high-standard organic farms in our region. “We renamed it Longview because that’s our goal,” Brodsky affirms. “We take a long view on agriculture, on land stewardship, connecting with the community, and really acting as a heart and center.”

BS Landscape Architecture Nationally accredited professional program Master of Landscape Architecture Focused on Ecological Restoration BS and AS in Horticulture Plant science in a living environment

Longview is located at 3215 Stump Hall Rd, Collegeville. To learn more about the Center, their market and upcoming events, visit greenerpartners.org.

for education and outreach. Bartram’s will also be working with the Philadelphia Orchard Project to plant 30 to 40 fruit and nut trees, including heirloom varieties of apples and pears. Longterm plans for the orchard involve planting 120 total trees, including plums, peaches and figs, and native species like pawpaws, northern pecans and persimmons. When complete, it will be Philadelphia’s largest orchard.

This fall, 12 high school students from UNI will spade the field, then plant cover crop, followed by garlic, perennials and tulips. The students will learn how to cook and prepare organic foods, sell them in

markets, and even teach community cooking lessons.

The project will be implemented over several years, but construction of the greenhouse is already underway. The farm will be “much like what John Bartram would’ve had here 250 years ago,” says Kim Massare, public programs manager at Bartram’s. “We’re excited about restoring the history of Bartram’s and opening our arms to the community.”

Bartram's Garden is at 54th St. and Lindbergh Blvd. Visiting hours can be found at, bartramsgarden. org. To learn more about AUNI, visit urbannutrition.org.

Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture School of Environmental Design www.temple.edu/ambler/lahort MLArch Information Sessions held last Wednesdays of the month

267.468.8181 71194 Temple Ad.indd 1

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Green living

A Beautiful World Lose yourself in Jojo Agatep’s magical terrariums by liz pacheco “ i imagine a wild place where no one has ever been,” says Jose “Jojo” Agatep, founder and designer for Slug and the Squirrel. Virgin forests, hidden waterfalls, beaches and mountains are his inspiration.

“Those are usually the things I imagine when I create them.”

The containers and embellishments typically come from Philadelphia-area thrift stores, while the plants are from the woods he visits, the backyards of friends and the city’s flower shops. His love of plants is something he learned from his family, who he watched garden when they lived in the Philippines.

Since moving with his family to the U.S. in 1992, Agatep has held a number of jobs, but none in the art world. Slug and the Squirrel started two years ago after Agatep gave a terrarium as a gift to a friend who also worked as a buyer for Anthropologie. Now the terrariums are part of the Anthropologie home décor collection.

Despite the creativity and craft behind each terrarium, Agatep doesn’t consider himself an artist. It’s simpler, he says. “I love plants and I love doing this.” slug and the squirrel terrariums can be found in the the flower shop Poppy (616 S. 6th St.) and Anthropologie stores in New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Wayne, Pa. ($40-$398). Agatep also accepts commissions. For more information visit slugandsquirrel.com.

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by samantha wittchen

Paint Approximately 10 percent of the 637 million gallons of paint sold each year goes unused. This equals 64 million gallons per year.

fact

Oil-based paints are considered household hazardous waste because they contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and are flammable.

Some older, oil-based paints may also have lead, mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals toxic to humans and animals. In a landfill, the metals can leach into the soil and water supply, so it’s important to keep them out of the municipal waste stream. Except in California, latex paint isn’t considered household hazardous waste, but you should still dispose of it properly. Most latex paint still contains VOCs, and many have toxic chemicals that preserve shelf life and slow mildew growth.

problem

Find the next drop-off event at the Streets Department’s Household Hazardous Waste website (phila.gov/streets/HHW.html). For the ’burbs, the surrounding counties also have Household Hazardous Waste collections. Montgomery County has organized the events into a Google Map on their website (montgomerycountyrecycles.org).

While some municipalities in the U.S. (like San Luis Obispo County in California) have started implementing latex paint take-back programs, there are, unfortunately, no such programs available for our region. To properly dispose of latex paint, make sure all the paint is solidified by adding kitty litter or other absorbent materials like sawdust or sand. Then place the paint in the trash. If you want to recycle the metal or plastic paint container (and we know you do!), just dump the liquid paint into a plastic bag first, add the absorbent material to solidify, rinse the paint can and recycle it. 

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Energy

Planes, Trains and Automobiles Lowering the impact of your holiday travel With the holiday season rapidly approaching, Americans will take

to the roads, rails and air in droves.

The average holiday traveler’s trip is 275 miles during December, and the number of long-distance trips taken during the Christmas/ New Year’s holiday increases by 23 percent, and 91 percent are made by personal vehicles. The remaining holiday travelers are split between air travel (five to six percent) and bus, train, ship or other modes (two to three percent). That’s a whole lot of car travel, which emits carbon dioxide while consuming fuel.

Although it’s estimated that air travel only contributes to three percent of man-made carbon dioxide emissions, the amount of petroleum-based fuel burned by U.S. airlines in 2010 was a little more than 11 trillion gallons. It’s estimated that air and car travel use equivalent amounts of energy to transport one passenger one mile.

So, what are you supposed to do when your mother-in-law will be furious if she doesn’t get to see her grandkids because you’re trying to be greener?

Obviously, forgoing holiday travel just isn’t an option for most of us, but there are ways to make your trip less energy-intensive.

Here are some tips…

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by samantha wittchen

1

Try to choose a central location for holiday gatherings. Every gallon of gas burned produces 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, so choose a location closest to most of the people involved and reduce the total fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

2

Consider taking the train or bus.

Both carry exponentially more people in one trip than a car can, lowering an individual passenger’s energy and carbon footprint. Amtrak reports that carbon emissions of traveling by rail are 0.21kg per passenger mile, compared with 0.48kg per passenger mile when traveling by plane. Plus, if the weather’s bad, you have the added benefit of being able to sit back and relax while someone else gets you to your destination.

3

Ride with a buddy. Carpooling

reduces the amount of fuel used and emissions produced by each passenger. happen to go a little heavy on the you if And eggnog, you’ll have a back-up driver.

4

If you must get on a plane, try to

take a direct flight, and choose

airlines that use newer-model planes, as older planes tend to have lower fuel economy than newer ones.

5

Pack light. However you’re traveling, every

extra pound of weight increases the amount of fuel used, so reducing your luggage weight reduces your environmental impact.

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Media

book reviews

I’m With the Bears:

Short Stories From a Damaged Planet Edited by Mark Martin (Verso Books, 200 pp., October 2011)

Sacred Economics: Money, Gift and Society in the Age of Transition

by Charles Eisenstein (Evolver Editions, 496 pp., paperback: $22.95, Online: Free, July 2011)

b

efore you read a word of Charles Eisenstein’s new book, you can see that the author puts his money where his mouth is. Sacred Economics: Money, Gift and Society in the Age of Transition is published under a Creative Commons copyright, and is entirely available in serial form on realitysandwich.com. It is a gift to the public, unbound by most legal reservations.

This arrangement, similar to that of open-source software, is a tiny sample of the economic system that Eisenstein predicts for our future. This economic system rejects the practice of turning natural resources (in this case, ideas) into commodities. Instead, it freely circulates those resources into society and has faith that their full value—social, cultural, spiritual and financial—will be realized and fairly distributed through the power of public gratitude.

Of course, a new economy means the old one needs to go. That would be scary news if not for Eisenstein’s optimistic way of describing the transition. He effectively argues that when we dismantle monetization, we give birth to community. Together, we can help noble impulses become profitable enterprises. Money may have caused our biggest problems, but redefining it could help us solve those same problems.

As you might expect from a professor (Health Arts and Sciences, Goddard College), Eisenstein advances his discussion by asking lofty questions.

However, he manages to express his answers, for the most part, in straightforward language. Most importantly, when he gives advice for cultivating the new economy, it’s aimed at the individual, and it seems realistic. And, Charles it’s also worth much more than I paid Eisenstein for the book. —Brian Case 12

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the environmentalist john muir once said, “When it comes to a war between the races, I’m with the bears.”

I’m With the Bears: Short Stories from a Damaged Planet isn’t environmental or activist nonfiction, but creative fiction addressing climate change. The book features stories by 10 international authors, including award-winners like Margaret Atwood, Paolo Bacigalupi, T. C. Boyle and Kim Stanley Robinson.

In the introduction, Bill McKibben, an environmentalist, educator and author, recognizes that, for too long, scientists have borne the responsibility for communicating the urgency of climate change. They’ve been reporting facts, issuing warnings and raising red flags, yet are continually ignored, he argues.

I’m With the Bears takes a different approach. Instead of listing the facts yet again, the book attempts to convey how the effects of climate change will feel.

For the most part, the stories are succsesful. Bacigalupi’s story of water shortages in the Southwest U.S. is painfully realistic. Boyle’s opening tale of eco-activists is both inspiring and heart-wrenching. Even those who channel the sci-fi genre do well in depicting Earth as a scary, resource-depleted shell of its current self—a situation more accurate than readers may want to admit.

While several stories feel forced, as a whole, the book is a powerful collection and challenging read. With some luck, perhaps it will help communicate the climate change message to a wider audience. —Liz Pacheco

Folks, This Ain’t Normal

by Joel Salatin (Center Street, 384 pp., $25.99, October 2011)

over the past five years, Virginia farmer Joel Salatin has been featured in high-profile discussions of farming, such as Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma and the documentary Food, Inc. The owner of Polyface Farms isn’t just a holistic, beyond-organic farmer, he’s also a motivator, author and evangelist spreading the word about how agriculture should really be practiced. In his own words, he’s a “Christian-libertarian-environmentalist-capitalistlunatic-farmer.” With seven books under his belt, his latest foray is a wide look at what’s wrong with American food and society today.

Drawing heavily on his personal experiences, Folks, This Ain’t Normal delves into food science, child-rearing, the misuse of petroleum, urban planning and even foreign policy.

Salatin ends each chapter with a list of actions readers should take, including using gray water for toilet plumbing, vermicomposting and raising chickens to reduce waste in urban areas. The suggestions are small and implementable, and while Salatin can sometimes belabor a point, the book is an amusing handbook to return modern life back to its small-town roots. —Katherine Silkaitis

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food

Endless Summer

F

or all but the most dedicated locavores, facing January and February with little more on the plate than root vegetables and storage crops can be daunting. “They get to the point where they can’t face another turnip,” says Adam Gordon, co-founder of Winter Sun Farms Greater Philadelphia. “So they pop down to a conventional grocery store and start buying stuff from California, Mexico and beyond.”

The Philadelphia branch of New Paltz, N.Y.based Winter Sun Farms aims to remedy that situation by providing frozen vegetables and fruit sourced from farms in New York’s Hudson Valley. Founded in 2006 by Jim Hyland, Winter Sun Farms now boasts nearly 2,800 members between three New York locations and one in Western North Carolina. Entering their initial season, Bucks County’s Adam and Sara Gordon aim to sell 250 shares. Their season stretches from December to April, catering to members of summer/fall CSAs, which traditionally run from May to November.

With so many farms in Pennsylvania to choose from, the number one question that the Gordons routinely face is, naturally, why New York? “It’s purely because this region, like many, many regions in the country, lack local food processing plants,” explains Sara. And those that do exist, she continues, cater to high-quantity producers.

While they hope to affect a change in coming years, for now all of the food is purchased in season and frozen using IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) technology in Kingston, N.Y. This season’s participants can expect to receive a vari14

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ety of fruits and vegetables, including heirloom tomatoes, peppers, kale, edamame, and berries, like raspberries and blueberries. Each share will also have a fresh, locally sourced fruit or vegetable.

The Gordons define their produce as “regional,” meaning within 200 miles of Philadelphia.

Winter Sun Farms provide regional, warm-weather produce all winter long by shaun brady

Adam says “The central concept of what we’re doing is providing a product that people would not normally be able to source unless they were buying from much further afield.”

For more information about Winter Sun Farms in the Greater Philadelphia area, visit wintersunfarmsgp.com.

Turkey Time!

Sustainable, local options for this year’s holiday feast Turkey alert! It’s time to order your mouthwatering, local turkey from Fair Food. This year, choose from naturally raised and heirloom varieties from Koch’s Turkey Farm (Tamaqua, Pa.), a heritage breed from Griggstown Quail Farm (Princeton, N.J.) and an organic option from Spring Wood Farm (Kinzers, Pa.). Prices range from $2.99 to $8.25 per pound. Turkey not your fowl of choice? Fair Food is also offering capon, goose, pheasant and duck from Griggstown Quail Farm.

All birds are given vegetarian feed (no animal byproducts), hormone and antibioticfree, and raised with pasture access. Order your bird through the Fair Food website, and plan for a pick-up at the Fair Food Farmstand in the Reading Terminal Market on the Tuesday and Wednesday before the holiday.

Ordering closes November 15, so don’t wait. —Liz Pacheco

To order your turkey visit fairfoodphilly.org

cheese of the month

Blue Suede Moo Around the holidays, Blue Suede Moo has become my local go-to Stilton impersonator. Like its famous British counterpart, it’s straw colored with beautiful indigo veining, densely packed beneath a cobblestone-like rind. One whiff, and you smell a burlap sack full of walnuts. One taste, and your mouth fills with toasty nuts and portobello mushrooms. The finish is like green branches on your tongue.

This is a perfect winter cheese, excellent with port, preferably served fireside.

Although it’s flavorful, it’s not particularly salty so you won’t mind reaching for seconds and thirds. For an appetizer, toast Blue Suede aboard rustic bread with a few pear slices and walnut crumbles tucked underneath. A drizzle of local Urban Apiaries honey, post-toasting, makes this sublime.

So does a quick crank of black pepper.

Blue Suede Moo is made by Keswick Creamery in Newburg, Pa., where the Dietrich-Cochran family has farmed since the ’70s. They milk their own Jerseys and produce a variety of raw-milk cheeses with whimsical names, such as Dragon’s Breath and Wallaby. Like most farmstead cheesemakers, the Dietrich-Cochrans are incredibly devoted to their herd and don’t use any hormones or pesticides. What you taste is pure Cumberland Valley milk made by hand into wonderful British-style cheese.

Like Elvis, it’s classic. —Tenaya Darlington, madamefromage.blogspot.com

Keswick Creamery, 114 Lesher Rd., Newburg, PA 17240; 717-423-6758; keswickcreamerycheese.com

on tap

Mad Elf

Tröegs Brewing Company, Hershey, Pa. Belgian Strong Dark Ale / 11.0% ABV

‘ tis the season to keep an eye out for one of Santa’s favorite little helpers. Tröegs Mad Elf has already started appearing on shelves, but unlike that other elf on the shelf, this little guy won’t be tattling on you.

Categorized as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, it features honey, cherries, and understated spice notes to give it a little Christmas kick. It’s a clear ruby quaff most comfortably served in a heavy chalice. And clocking in at 11.0% ABV, it won’t take much to put a little jingle in your step. —Lucas Hardison Mad Elf is available October through December. More at troegs.com. d ec ember 20 11

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food

Good Eats

Recycled Okoume wood graces the warm interior (left); the popular Mango Jerk Salmon salad (middle); young aspiring chefs learn tricks and tips during frequent neighborhood “Kids’ Days” (below).

A Family Affair The Bynum brothers introduce comfort food with a healthy twist by g.w. miller iii

P

atrons of green soul might not realize that the West Oak Lane restaurant is dedicated to healthy living and sustainable efforts.

Succotash shrimp salad, Cajun salmon and peach cobbler are on the menu—standard fare for a Southern-style restaurant akin to the Bynum brothers’ other establishments, Relish and Warmdaddy’s.

“When you read the menu, you don’t say, ‘I’m reading a healthy menu,’” says Benjamin Bynum, co-owner with his brother Robert and Robert’s brother-in-law Akil Collins. “I think you look at the menu and you say, ‘Everything looks really good!’”

But Green Soul, which opened over the summer, is a restaurant with a mission: food that’s tasty and good for you.

the bacon. They make their own veggie burgers with wild rice and black beans. Most of the desserts are sugar-free, including the peach cobbler, which is sweetened with agave syrup. Even the soft drinks use agave rather than sugar.

“There are no other healthy options for people around this neighborhood,” says Collins, who notes that the nearby Weavers Way Co-op on 72nd Street closed in August after three years.

I think you look at the menu and “ you say, ‘Everything looks really good!’

—Benjamin Bynum “We thought it was just high time that we provide a product to our guests that gives them the best of both worlds,” says Bynum.

Much of what Green Soul serves is locallyproduced and farmed without pesticides and antibiotics or genetically engineered. Nearly everything about the seven-table spot is green— recycled Okoume wood countertops, bamboocovered walls, compostable takeout containers, and every salad and sandwich comes with a Granny Smith apple.

Primarily a takeout eatery, the menu created by chef Al Paris is intended to be a healthy alternative to fast food chains. No beef or pork is served. The meatloaf is made with turkey, as is 16

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”

“Prepared foods might be perfect for the neighborhood,” says Glenn Bergman, Weavers Way Co-op’s general manager.

The concept is a bit of a departure for the Bynum brothers, whose other restaurants feature live music and nap-inducing comfort foods.

“All these years, we’ve been serving Southern food,” says Bynum. “But we do understand that it’s not the kind of food you can consume day in and day out without having adverse affects.”

He says the idea has been brewing for a while.

Bynum became conscious about his own eating practices nearly 15 years ago after quitting his 10year smoking habit. He began frequenting health food stores, and altered his diet.

“I was surprised by how good I felt,” he says now.

The other, more subtle mission of Green Soul, which is located across the street from another Bynum restaurant, Relish, is to bring families back together.

“In our community, we see so many families that no longer sit to dine with one another,” says Bynum. “Meals are consumed outside of the home.”

He wants people to swing by the restaurant on their way home so the family can have a wholesome meal together.

“We truly look at this as a healthy option for a home replacement meal,” he says.

On occasional Saturdays, the restaurant hosts “kids’ day,” with face-painting and games for children. There are cooking demonstrations for the adults, teaching parents how to cook healthfully.

“We’re going to have a long-lasting impact that goes beyond satiating your appetite,” says Bynum.

Green Soul, 7169 Ogontz Ave., 215.924.4200, GreenSoulLiving.com

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food

A Welcome

Wake-Up Call

A holiday breakfast your guests won’t mind waking up for by marisa mcclellan

O

pen a food magazine in anticipation of the holiday season and you’ll find a world of recipes for grand family dinners or dishes that travel well. Newspapers devote entire sections to items for your Christmas buffet, and more than a few food blogs will offer advice on how to transform your leftovers into satisfying lunches and inspired suppers.

I find it odd that among all this culinary advice, seldom will you find anyone talking about what to do for breakfast. Rarely in my lifetime has there been a Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s where I’m not either hosting guests or sleeping on a parent or cousin’s pullout sofa.

With house guests comes the need to provide a morning meal beyond a slice of toast or a bowl of cold cereal.

Here are three ways to make getting breakfast 18

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on the table a less stressful prospect. Scones are the easiest. They take 25 minutes from start to finish, and are delicious fresh from the oven.

For something that’s entirely do-ahead, try the granola. It can be stirred up days in advance (or even weeks, if you have enough freezer space), and presented with plain yogurt, milk and a pot of jam. Finally, the strata can be prepped the night before and baked in the morning by your household’s earliest riser.

Cranberry Walnut Granola 3 2 1

1

cups old fashioned oats cups chopped walnuts orange, zested cup sunflower oil (or other neutral oil) cup honey cup orange juice cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the oats, walnuts and orange zest in a large bowl. Use your hands to toss together.

Pour oil into a one-cup measure and swirl it around before adding it to the bowl. Using the same, unwashed cup, measure the honey. The residual oil will make pouring the honey out easier. Add the orange juice and toss everything together until evenly coated. Pour onto a rimmed baking pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring two to three times during baking to ensure even browning.

When the granola is finished baking, remove the pan from the oven and scatter the dried cranberries over the cereal. Gently stir to incorporate.

When the granola is completely cool, scoop into an airtight container. For long-term storage, keep granola in the freezer.

Quick Lemon Scones note: Stir in up to 1/2 cup dried fruit, toasted nuts or chocolate chips for a more robust scone.

1

cups whole wheat pastry flour cup granulated sugar 3 tsp baking powder tsp salt cup butter, cut into cubes cup buttermilk or runny yogurt 1 large egg, beaten

Zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.

Add butter to dry ingredients and combine using a pastry blender or the tines of a fork.

When butter is well-integrated, add buttermilk or yogurt, beaten egg and lemon zest.

Stir just until you’ve formed a shaggy dough. Scrape scone dough out onto an ungreased baking sheet and shape into a round.

Cut scones into eight wedges, but do not attempt to move or divide.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until scones are golden. Eat warm, with butter and jam.

Savory Breakfast Strata Serves 4-6, can be doubled for a crowd

note: The vegetables don’t have to be prepared specifically for this dish. Dinner leftovers like roasted Brussels sprouts or steamed broccoli are good substitutes.

4

2 3

eggs, beaten cup milk cup grated cheese cups sautéed vegetables (onions, peppers, mushrooms and spinach work well) cups stale bread cubes (leftover baguette, dinner rolls or sandwich bread) tsp freshly ground pepper

In a large bowl, combine beaten eggs, milk, grated cheese, vegetables, bread cubes and pepper. Stir to combine.

Pour into a buttered, two-quart baking dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to cook. An hour before you’re ready to eat, place dish, still covered, in a 350-degree oven.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until top is brown and the center is set.

Serve immediately.

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Branching Out Chester County nature preserve inspires Alison Stigora’s blackened art by g.w. miller iii

20

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photo by K en S chule r

lison stigora’ s art descends like a waterfall into the exhibition space, which is odd because it is comprised of huge burnt tree trunks, seared old fence posts and scorched branches. Her latest and most ambitious piece, “Crossing Jordan,” is a massive installation at the Skybox event space in the 2424 Studios building in Fishtown. The iridescent black wood appears to emerge from a second-story window, pouring into the 6,000 square-foot, former industrial space. A slightly smaller version mirrors the L-shaped installation on the opposite side of the room, making visitors feel as though they are surrounded by the mischievous work of pyromaniac beavers.

Opening night of “Crossing Jordan,” an installation exhibit that used more than 10,000 hand-charred branches, many collected from the Natural Lands Trust’s Stroud Preserve.

“Each piece of wood has a conversation with the others,” says Stigora, 29. “And they all have a relationship with the room.”

The majority of wood for the exhibit was taken from six truckloads of fallen limbs and invasive trees collected over four months at Stroud Preserve, a 571-acre wildlife habitat in Chester County that is maintained by the Natural Lands Trust. During those months, she worked with staff at the site to salvage fallen branches and remove invasive trees.

“It was really a win-win situation,” she says, noting that part of the Natural Lands Trust’s mission is to return the land to its natural setting.

Stigora describes her work as a collaboration with the Trust, specifically with Fred Gender, the manager at the Stroud Preserve. Gender helped collect the wood, burn the pieces individually in a bonfire and pull the logs out of the fire with a tractor before they disintegrated.

“I learned so much about plant identification and field biology and weevils from him while we sat by the fire,” she says.

The preserve has inspired Stigora since she was a child. She grew up in West Chester, just five miles away from the preserve, and began making drawings there as a teenager. The landscape is now integrated into her work, literally.

“I can’t say I’m aware of another artist, certainly in our region, who has done something like Alison,” says Molly Morrison, president of the Natural Lands Trust.

“It not [only] celebrates the landscape and nature, but it transforms it into something different. It’s not just a reflection of it. She’s using those materials that she found in nature to create something entirely new.”

Established in the 1960s by a group of local bird watchers, the Natural Lands Trust now owns and maintains more than 21,000 acres of land in 12 counties over two states, with the heaviest concentration of properties situated in southeastern Pennsylvania.

They plant trees on former farms, reintroduce native plant life and create new wetlands to improve biodiversity. The Trust operates 40 preserves, 17 of which are open to the public (the others have limited visitation).

While Stigora’s work is unique, Morrison says the preserves have long served as inspiration for artists.

“The whole idea of connecting our places with art has pretty much been a theme of the Natural Lands Trust from its very earliest days,” she notes.

In her office, Morrison has a painting by Charles Coiner, the legendary Madison Avenue ad man who incorporated the works of Salvador Dali and Georgia O’Keefe into campaigns. Coiner lived in Bucks County, where he painted subtle, muted landscapes, several of which have been exhibited at the Whitney Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “He had a farm that he loved,” says Morrison.

“He made the choice to make a donation of that property to Natural Lands Trust so that it would be open and cared for and protected forever.”

After he passed away in 1989, his Coltsfoot Farm became a part of the Paunacussing Preserve.

“Artists choose to work and live in places that inspire them, in landscapes that inspire them,” says Morrison.

Eliza Auth lives in Wynnewood and frequently visits the various preserves to work on her oil paintings.

“These amazing places would have been developed if someone had not said, ‘This has to be protected,’” says Auth. Her work is showing at the Rosenfeld Gallery in Old City through November 27, and a percentage of the proceeds are being donated to the Natural Lands Trust.

Auth and Stigora have both created that is powerful, albeit in different ways. Eileen Tognini, who curated the Skybox exhibit, says viewers aren’t passive observers, but forced to examine nature through the art.

“We don’t often stand in front of a tree and think about it,” she says. “This piece makes you open your eyes and see the outside environment.”

“Crossing Jordan” opened in mid-October and can be visited until November 19. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from Noon–6 p.m., and by appointment.

For more information visit 2424studios.com. d ec ember 20 11

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The

Dirt

on

Compost Uneaten food isn’t garbage, it’s organic waste. But when treated like garbage and sent to a landfill, the waste releases methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon.

Even if global warming weren’t a menace, treating old food like trash would still be a missed opportunity of epic proportions. When organic waste is properly handled, the result—compost—is pure magic. Will Allen, the visionary behind Growing Power urban farm in Milwaukee, swears that with compost, gardening is as easy as throwing seeds over your shoulder. It’s that rich with nutrients.

Here in Philadelphia we’re beginning to wake up to the possibilities composting offers. In this section we’ll introduce you to three common methods of composting to help you decide how to do it yourself. We’ll talk about new technologies, and classic books that will answer your composting questions. And we’ll introduce you to four businesses—two haulers and two processing facilities—that have recognized that in our heaps of waste, jobs can be found.

Across the city Philadelphians have started composting, in backyards and kitchens, even restaurants and hotels. The number is growing every day. So here’s the call to arms, from GRID to you: Start composting!

It’s good for your garden, great for the environment, and an easy way to be a more sustainable citizen.

i llustr at i o n s by m e li s s a m c fe ete r s

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Composting

101 Which method should you choose for your at-home composting? by Liz Pacheco

S

o, you’ve realized that you’ve got a goldmine, right there in your garbage can! And you aren’t going to let it go to waste, or even to Waste Management. But before you take the plunge, it’s important to know that there’s more than one way to compost a canteloupe. Any method will get the job done. They all require air, water, heat, the rightsized space—and, of course, your apple cores and dry leaves to provide nitrogen and carbon. But it’s best to consider where you live before you choose a method.

We begin with an overview of three common ways to compost.

The books reviewed on page 35 offer more in-depth directions, and local composting workshops can provide hands-on experience. Primex, a garden center in Glenside, Pa., holds composting workshops in early spring (typically March and April). They’re also a great resource for finding out about composting workshops happening all over the Greater Philadelphia area. To find out more visit their website (primexgardencenter.com) or give them a call (215.887.7500).

What should I

compost?

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1 Vermicomposting Perhaps the most realistic solution for the apartment dweller, vermicomposting uses worms to break down food waste. This method can be done indoors and with limited space. But don’t collect earthworms from your backyard just yet; vermicomposting relies on redworms, distinguished by their red and buff-colored stripes. Unlike earthworms, which like soil, redworms prefer compost and manure environments. Redworms also produce castings (a polite name for manure) that contain beneficial microbes and nutrients that help make an ideal plant fertilizer.

Redworms cost about $25 per pound, and the other materials needed—a container and bedding—are inexpensive. Vermicomposting can be done in wooden or plastic bins. Wooden bins have better insulation and are more absorbent, while plastic is easier to clean and maintain.

Holes are made for aeration and drainage, and a lid is added since worms like darkness. Bin size is critical to ensure the worms get enough to eat. Ideal bins provide one square foot of surface area per pound of waste generated. Since redworms are surface feeders, bin depth should be between eight and 12 inches. Two pounds

• C a rd b oa rd

• C otton ra gs

• F l owe rs

• C l e a n pa pe r

• D ry e r & va c u u m cleaner lint

• F ru i ts & v e g e tab le s

• E ggsh e l l s

• H a i r a n d fu r

• F i re pl a c e a sh e s

• H ay a n d s traw

• C offe e grou n d s & fi lte rs • C orn c ob s

• G ra s s cl i ppi n g s

Pros: Sma ll, ke pt inside , pet worms!

If done wrong: Fruit flies, odors,

a d d e d guilt of dead worms

2 Aerated Static Pile If you have a backyard, you might consider the classic composting method, the aerated static pile. The easiest way to compost is to simply pile food and yard waste, water the heap and wait. Since this “casual” pile won’t get hot—that

• H o u s epla nts

• Sawdust

• L e ave s

• Tea bags

• P i n e n e e dle s

• Wood chips

• N e ws pa pe r

• Wool rags

• N u t s h e lls

• Yard t rimmings

happens when you move or “turn” the pile— decomposition takes longer. Food waste should be buried toward the bottom of piles covered by yard waste, wood or finished compost to control odors and deter pests.

Compost piles can also be placed in bins, which contain the waste and protect from pests and weather. Bins made from snow fence and woven wire are easy to build, move and store, as well as economical. Block bins can be made with cement or rocks. No mortar is required, and leaving spaces between blocks or rocks allows for aeration. Wooden pallets also make great bins.

Another slightly more effort-intensive option is using a series of bins. Users turn the materials, usually with a shovel, and move them from one bin to another. Turning bins are ideal for individuals with lots of yard trimmings and an interest in making high-quality compost.

For the avid composter, there are pile methods with specific layering and turning techniques, which make more predictable, higher quality compost. The Rodale Book of Composting (p. 35) is a great resource for these methods.

3 In-Vessel This is the easiest of the composting methods.

Users add compost to an enclosed cabinet or drum that either manually or mechanically turns, and within a few weeks have usable compost. There’s a wide range of technologies to choose from, and finding the right one will depend on your household’s needs.

In-vessel composting can be done indoors or outdoors, and can be ideal for small backyards and apartments. With an enclosed system the composting process and its odors are easily controlled. Many models are mounted on stands with hand cranks that make daily turning easy.

And with an enclosed system and regular turning, the composting timeline is shorter.

There are many effective compost tumblers and bins on the market, and they typically begin at $150.

Pros: N o o d o r s , r e q u i r e s m i n i m a l w o r k ,

can be inside or outside, small

Cons: Ex p e n s i v e

Pros: Requires mi n i ma l work, i n e x pe n si v e If done wrong: O d ors , pe s ts

avoid

of worms will recycle a pound of food waste in 24 hours.

In vermicomposting, food scraps are added to a bedding of shredded newspaper, cardboard, peat moss or aged grass clippings. Food waste is buried in rotating locations within the bin to ensure efficient and complete composting. It’s important to exclude bones, dairy and meat products, as well as spicy foods, garlic and onions. Once the bedding disappears, the worms can be moved to new bedding and the compost can be harvested. For more on vermicomposting, check out Worms Eat My Garbage (p. 35) by Mary Appelhof.

• Fats, gre a s e , l a rd , or oi l s

• D i se a s e d or i n s e c t-ri d d e n pl a n t s

• C oa l or ch a rc oa l a sh

• M e at or fi sh b on e s a n d s c rap s

• D a i ry prod u c ts ( e . g. , b u tte r, e gg y ol ks, mi l k, sou r cre a m, y ogu rt)

• P e t wa ste s ( e . g. , d og or cat fe c e s, soi l e d cat l i tte r)

• B l a c k wa l n u t tre e l e av e s or twi gs

• Ya rd tri mmi n gs tre ate d wi th ch e m i c als

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Business is picking up When Tim Bennett moved to Philadelphia 10 years ago,

he wanted to compost. But composting in a college apartment seemed difficult and the city didn’t have a collection service (and still doesn’t). So, a few years later, Bennett started his own collection business. Today, Bennett Compost works with residential and commercial clients throughout Philadelphia, hauling their organic waste to community gardens and large-scale facilities in the area. We spent a day with Bennett to get a behind-the-waste look at what happens in the composting process.

Interested in Bennett Compost doing your dirty work? Find out more at b e n n e ttc ompost. c om.

1

2

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6

1 Tim Bennett’s day begins early with residential pickups in Philadelphia. He collects 2 kitchen scraps left outside in plastic Bennett buckets. Together, residents contribute more than one ton of food waste each week.

After swinging through his 3 Philadelphia warehouse, he heads to the 4 Acme in South Philadelphia, one of the many commercial pickups he’ll make at restaurants, corner stores and grocery stores. These commercial sources contribute about two tons of food waste a week. Bennett then delivers 5 the waste to commercial processors, like Two Particular Acres in Royersford, Pa. (p. 32) and 6 the Wilmington Organic Recycling Center in Delaware (p. 34). His compost marathon concludes with a final 7 turn of their static piles at the Bouvier Community Garden in South Philadelphia, before heading home to shower and dream of black gold.

7

photos by chr i sto p he r l ea m a n

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TRASH, C OMPAC T E D Earth Bread + Brewer y ser ves 1,500 people ever y week, but only sends 60 pounds of trash to the municipal waste system. Learn how this Mt. Air y restaurant does it with the help of food waste collection ser vice Philly Compost. Find out more about Philly Compost and their commercial and residential ser vices at phillycompost.com.

900 flatbreads every week (most popular = traditional) soup

400 lbs flour

900 lbs sauce

plastic containers

paper sacks

900 lbs cheese

aluminum cans

vegetables

scraps

wax boxes

beer & sodas

spent grain

coffee

coffee grounds

Philly farms that compost

paper napkins

or MLK agricultural high school

table scraps

plastic wrap

latex gloves

10 bins of recycling

corn-based cup/lid/straw

*including 200 lbs. of cardboard

300 lbs. compost *picked up 2x a week

by Philly Compost

floor sweepings

old moP heads

60 lbs. trash 28

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Ae robic W o rk out

BiobiN’s latest technology reduces trips for waste haulers

by Liz Pacheco

Composting can be a messy business.

For commercial-scale composters, like restaurants and hotels, finding the proper equipment and adequate space can be a challenge. And worse, if the organic waste isn’t properly handled, it smells bad.

Judy Ward, chief executive at Advanced Enviro Systems, says that making collection user-friendly and easy for a business is key. Her company partners with businesses like Wawa to manage their trash and recycling. She explains that older composting solutions worked well in institutions—especially universities—where users managed the entire composting process, and saw it as an opportunity to educate. But for mid-size generators like Wawa, these approaches require too much effort, including mastering the science behind organic waste management. “Most weren’t interested in that,” says Ward.

Recognizing this niche market in the composting industry, Advanced Enviro Systems has helped introduce a new technology to American markets: the BiobiN. Invented by Peter Wadewitz, chairman of Australia’s Compost Committee, the BiobiN was originally designed as a composting solution for poultry farms.

Waste is dumped into a large, airtight container with paper and/or wood chips on the bottom. “The BiobiN’s great advantage is it has a bio filter… that circulates the air in an airtight container so there are no smells,” says Maurice Sampson, a sustainable waste management expert and founder of Niche Recycling, a Philadelphia-based recycling consulting business. The confined setting accelerates the process, while keeping odors in and pests out.

After reading about BiobiN online, Sampson contacted the Australian company and helped bring the company to the U.S. BiobiN connected with Advanced Enviro Systems, who then founded the North American BiobiN branch in Chester, Pa. The first BiobiN was bought by Wawa in December 2009 for their Royersford store. Since then, Wawa has introduced BiobiNs in multiple locations. The Philadelphia Airport Marriott and two Delaware businesses—a banquet facility and a nursing home—are also using the BiobiN. Sampson, who was the city of Philadelphia’s first recycling coordinator, sees the BiobiN as the ideal solution for composting in a shared environment, like a shopping district.

Typically, a commercial compost bin can’t be left for more than two days, explains Sampson. With the BiobiN, collection can happen every few weeks. “It’s the collection side of [composting that] is real expensive,” he says. “You have to pay the transportation cost. If you can do it fewer times… once a month instead of once a week, you’re talking about a huge amount of savings.”

The one downside is that BiobiNs do come with a hefty price tag. The two to three cubic-yard sizes are around $8,000, and the 10 to 25 cubic-yard versions are $16,000 to $20,000. But Sampson says they’re well worth the cost.

“Whereas the capital costs seem high, the operating costs are low,” he stresses. “When you do the math, it pays off.”

Learn more about the BiobiN at biobin.us.

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Particular Passion

Ned Foley’s amazing journey from compost hobbyist to industr y leader by Liz Pacheco

Y

and steep muddy driveway of Two Particular Acres, and be totally unaware you had passed a composting facility. There is no smell in the air, no hint of decomposing food, no sign that at the top of the driveway organic waste is being composted by the ton. ou could drive past the rusty mailbox

because he wanted the firewood,” says Foley.

“There were mountains of this stuff.”

Foley would break the wood into small pieces and spread them out, but they kept accumulating. Armed only with online research and some book knowledge, Foley began to compost the organic waste. When a neighbor knocked on the door asking for some of the finished product, Foley realized he had a larger business opportunity.

The commercial composting facility and farm in materials—a recipe Foley says includes elements

the Royersford, Pa. suburb receives about 400 like rock dust and clay—is piled on perforated Law-abiding composter to 500 tons of organic waste a year from Phila- pipes. These pipes are connected to a blower At the time, there was no permit for farms like delphia-area restaurants, supermarkets, hotels that intermittently releases air into the piles. Foley’s to do composting on-site, so he contacted and hospitals. They work with well-known busi- After a few weeks, the piles are moved to dry the Pennsylvania Department of Environmennesses like Wawa, Weis Markets and the Four out and are eventually sifted to remove any large tal Protection (DEP). Lucky for him, the DEP Seasons, turning food scraps into a compost pieces that haven’t decomposed. With an aerated was already working on an on-farm compostblend coveted by landscapers. static pile good compost can be made fast and in ing permit.

Behind Two Particular Acres is Ned Foley. a small space.

“We realized that the large centralized faciliA once practicing labor lawyer, Foley began as

ties were very expensive to construct and capitalan amateur composter with the simple inter- From lawyer to farmer intensive,” says Patti Olenick, the sustainability est of doing physical labor to keep busy. What But before the composting business, there was specialist at Weis Markets who at the time was he discovered is that turning organic waste the farm. Foley started farming about 10 years the organics recycling coordinator with the DEP. into compost isn’t just a viable business, but a ago as a way to help out his elderly neighbor. “There weren’t a lot of people knocking at the door chance to alter how Philadelphia handles their Eventually, the owner asked Foley to rent, and wanting to do that just because of the investment. food waste. then buy, the farm, which produces small grains Plus, the ones that were in operation tended to Foley has envisioned creating a network of and hay. have some issues with nuisances, trying to bring smaller composting sites throughout the Phila“I started farming, but I didn’t like chemi- in these large volumes to make it profitable.” delphia area. Places like Two Particular Acres, cal farming at all,” says Foley, who explains he Olenick started working with Foley, using who can handle waste from local businesses in almost immediately moved to organic farming Two Particular Acres as the prototype for develcost effective, time efficient, and odor-free ways. practices. For Foley, this meant using compost. oping the permit. With the permit and support Even better, Foley’s vision is from the state’s Compost Inproving to be both realistic and frastructure Grant to purchase successful—Philadelphia is comequipment, Foley developed I do a lot of work with posting more commercial waste Two Particular Acres into a fullthe DEP and EPA, and they than ever before. on composting business.

still consult with me a lot.

The method The rise (and fall) For his compost business to of composting And it’s simply because not thrive, Foley knew avoiding Since receiving the permit, Foonly can I run a loader, but odors was essential. ley has gradually become more “I’ve got half million dollar involved in the compost indusI can also read a regulation, homes through these woods right try. He began working with the here,” he says, pointing to houses DEP, speaking at conferences write a regulation. ” hiding behind trees adjacent to and meetings, and consulting the farm. “The closest one here with farmers implementing the is only 300 yards away, so I can’t afford to have Although composting on the farm was an easy permit. Foley also teaches composting classes, odors. They could make my life very difficult.” way to meet this need, he actually began the and is a certified compost specialist with the ProFoley composts using static aerated piles, practice for another reason. fessional Recyclers of Pennsylvania. a process known to minimize odors. In this “[The farmer] had been letting landscapers Having a background in law doesn’t hurt eimethod, a specific mixture of organic waste and dump wood chips and brush here for years ther. “I do a lot of work with the DEP and EPA, 30

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and they still consult with me a lot,” says Foley.

“And it’s simply because not only can I run a loader, but I can also read a regulation, write a regulation.”

But for now, the on-farm composting permit hasn’t been as widely received as Foley would like.

“Part of the reason I think [is] this is a dairy state and dairy farmers basically live in their barn,” he says. “To take on another task [of composting], to spend that much time, is just not something that’s big.”

Olenick adds that the permit’s connection with the government can make it unappealing to farmers.

“I think there has been a hesitation on farmers to become involved with the DEP,” she says.

Implementing the permit means working close with the agency and, as Olenick explains, the attitude is often It’s the government—I don’t want them here.

A lack of state funding is only making composting more difficult. The Composting Infrastructure Grant Foley received, which was earmarked for purchasing composting equipment for businesses and nonprofits, has since disappeared, along with all governmental funding for composting. Even those within the DEP who worked on composting have left, either because of retirement or staffing cuts.

“There’s no [composting] champion in the DEP,” says Olenick. “A couple people are trying to pick it up, [but] there’s no one out doing the education and building the relationships anymore.”

The Foley Vision Although Olenick is no longer with the DEP, she and Foley are still working together on compost.

Through her position at Weis Markets, Olenick has enlisted his help in starting a composting pilot program. Composting is something Weis has tried before, says Olenick, so getting Foley

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I’ve got half million dollar homes through these woods right here. The closest one here is only 300 yards away, so I can’t afford to have odors.

They could make my life very difficult. ” involved wasn’t a hard sell. The program is designed to reduce hauling costs by collecting food waste and composting it quickly near the stores.

The hope is eventually the compost will return to stores and sold in bulk or bags.

This program at Weis plays into Foley’s larger vision for composting.

“My vision always was if we got 50 farms in and around the... suburbs of Philadelphia, we could handle a tremendous amount of the food waste being generated,” he says. “Because it’s a crime that stuff is going into a landfill.”

Initially, on-farm composting seemed like a great solution and it still may be, but Foley is pursuing another path as well. He’s working on

a new permit with the DEP to allow quarries to compost on-site.

As Foley explains, these quarries already have the equipment and the setup to handle truck traffic. Even better, they have a lot of material ideal for composting, like rock dust, something Foley uses at Two Particular Acres.

“I thought, ‘This is perfect.’ I need two two three acres in a quarry—and quarries have hundreds of acres, so I’d pretty much be innocuous in there,” says Foley. “I don’t have to worry about all the zoning issues and everything else…all I have to do is create a new permit.”

Since mining is a separate division within the DEP, the initial challenge was getting all the

stakeholders together. Once that happened, the permit planning has gone well.

“We’re actually in the final stages of creating a permit that will allow a quarry operator to also run a food and yard waste compost facility,” says Foley. “I hope to be already building sites around later winter, early spring.”

Working with a construction company, Foley is looking at about 40 sites. And with each site comes huge composting potential.

“What I’m looking at,” says Foley, “is now I can go to a grocery store chain and instead of saying to a local store ‘let me take care of your food waste,’ I can go to the central office and say ‘we’ll handle the waste of your entire chain.’” 

Top of the Pile Wilmington’s state-of-the-art commercial composting center shows large-scale facilities work by Liz Pacheco W hen the Peninsula Compost Group first proposed building a composting center in Wilmington, DE., the neighboring community of Southbridge wasn’t very excited.

“Initially they were offended that we would even think of building a facility where there are already chemical plants, a sewer plant, and a landfill,” says Nelson Widell, co-founder and marketing and sales director at Peninsula.

The community’s initial apprehension is understandable. Peninsula was proposing a 27-acre, $20 million facility to handle 160,000 tons of food and yard waste annually. And the site is only 1,200 feet from homes.

So Peninsula met with residents and took a delegation from Southbridge to tour two of their 15 facilities in the U.S. They also signed a contract, guaranteeing community jobs in both construction and operation.

Today, eight of the 14 jobs at the facility are filled locally and in the two years since the Wilmington Organic Recycling Center opened, there hasn’t been one phone call to their 24-hour odor hotline.

The lack of odors is thanks to the sophisticated GORE cover composting system. Similar to the GORE-TEX clothing material, this system keeps

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water out, while allowing the compost to breathe. Carbon dioxide and water vapor are released, but the GORE cover keeps in odor molecules.

The Wilmington Organic Recycling Center’s technology, capacity and location have made the facility a welcome addition to the composting community. For Delaware, the center was a solution for their recent yard waste ban. And for nearby states, like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Maryland, it’s an easily accessible and reliable option for organic waste that went to landfills.

Learn more about Peninsula, the Wilmington facility, and their composting process at peninsula-compost.com.

Resources

PHILADELPHIA UNIVERSITY MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener

Worms Eat My Garbage

Deborah L. Martin and Grace Gershuny

Mary Appelhof

Rodale Books 278 pp., $16.95 (1992)

Flowerfield Enterprises

While it might be a little overwhelming for the beginner, the The Rodale Book of Composting is an ideal reference for any level of compost enthusiast. A cross between science textbook and extended magazine article, the book provides many diagrams, charts and graphics to illustrate topics. While the 1979 and 1992 versions are each valuable resources, the updated volume addresses some additional challenges of composting, like space constraints. The book covers everything from the history to methods, materials and equipment, with special attention to why composting is important and how to use the finished product in your yard and garden. There’s also a section dedicated to large-scale composting. This book is an essential addition to the composter’s library. —Liz Pacheco

162 pp., $12.95 (1982)

Published nearly 30 years ago, Mary Appelhof’s Worms Eat My Garbage is still the go-to-guide for vermicomposters. With an easy-to-understand and enthusiastic writing style, Appelhof shares her vignettes about worms, composting and gardening. Accompanied by amusing cartoons that illustrate the concepts, Worms Eat My Garbage guides the novice worm master through the basics of how to set up a home vermicomposting system, regardless of where you live or what limitations you may have. Instructions and diagrams abound on topics ranging from building your own composter, a guide to the sex life of worms, how to deal with common pitfalls and how to harvest the compost. —Katherine Silkaitis

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urban naturalist

by bernard brown

The Runabout Rodent I

t took my wife jen about five minutes to spot two rats (I missed the first) running toward an overflowing trash can near the center of Rittenhouse Square. No one else saw them. True, it was dark, but the park was filled with couples chatting on benches, bar-hoppers strolling through, a circle of twentysomethings sitting on the grass a few yards away and a handful of homeless folks bedding down for the night.

Rats are good at this; they stay underground until dark, and then they tend to stick close to walls (or lines of shrubbery), zipping along like ripples in the shadows.

Rats are a surprising part of the human ecosystem

The brown rat, or Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), has only been living with us for a few hundred years. The rat that brought the Black Death was the black rat (Rattus rattus), slightly smaller, with bigger ears, and a preference for climbing and living in roofs rather than burrowing and living in sewers. Both species hail from Asia. The brown rats pushed the black rats out of most of Europe and made it to our shores (our native rat species don’t dig urban living) in the mid-to-late 1700s. William Ferraro, chief of Vector Control Services for Philadelphia’s Health Department, said they occasionally find a black rat in Phila-

delphia; otherwise, they’re all browns.

Lucky for us, we scare them. “They don’t want to come in contact with us,” emphasizes Michelle Niedermeier, Community Integrated Pest Management and Environmental Health Program Coordinator for the Penn State Extension in Philadelphia.

Generally the rodents you find indoors are mice. “Most of the time [that] people think they’ve seen a rat, they haven’t,” says Niedermeier. We see a mouse darting into a hole and recall it as bigger. We see a possum waddling under the porch—I’ve seen plenty around West Philly—and presto, it’s a cat-sized rat.

Even if they’re smart enough to avoid us, rats will stick close to our garbage. They often put their homes near dumpsters so that they don’t have to walk far from the burrow (a single colony of two to eight rats will have at least one main entrance and one emergency exit) for a meal. Indeed, a great way to attract rats is to present them with trash cans full of food waste or leave out food intended for other animals, whether bread crumbs for pigeons or cat food for Fluffy.

Most of our rats are beneath our feet—the sewer system is rat heaven. As Ferraro puts it, “It doesn’t get too hot or too cold, they’re left alone, and we feed them down there.” Next time you run dinner scraps through the garbage disposal, think of the humble rats waiting below for their smoothie.

Perhaps it is a luxury to philosophize about them—decades of active rodent control and public health measures mean they generally don’t spread fatal illnesses to us anymore, don’t eat our food until we throw it away and don’t bite us. Ferraro noted fewer than 15 reported rat Call Philly’s Rat bites in Philadelphia per year. But Complaint Line at for now, I’m fascinated by them as 215-685-9000 for our commensals, members of our an inspection, help with treatment and immediate ecosystem, worthy of tips for making your observation and certainly of admihome rodent-free. ration. It’s hard to imagine modern Also check out Penn humans without rats. Wherever we State’s Integrated are, rats will be running through Pest Management (extension.psu.edu/ the shadows we cast.

got rats?

ipm) for pesticidefree ideas to control all sorts of pests.

bernard brown is an amateur field herper, part-time bureaucrat and director of the PB&J Campaign (pbjcampaign.org), a movement focused on the benefits of eating lower on the food chain. Read about his forays into the natural world at phillyherping. blogspot.com.

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by char vandermeer

Garlic Goodness I

’ve been told by certain garlicphobes— shockingly, I know a few—that I stink of garlic. “Stink?” I think. And then, inevitably, the look of bewilderment slides off my face, my mouth opens and something along the lines of “Here, eat some of my husband’s pesto and shut up” graciously pops out.

I’m convinced that my homegrown ingredients are key. And if the basil is homegrown, why shouldn’t the garlic be? The next time you find yourself at your favorite farmers market, pick up a couple heads of garlic: one for tonight’s pesto, and one for your flowerpots. While it may be tempting to grab a bulb from the supermarket’s shelves for planting, the odds are good that that garlic was grown in a cushy climate far, far, far away from Philly’s sleety and snowy winters. Go for the local stuff and you’re much more likely to enjoy a successful harvest.

You may also want to consider the type of garlic you plant. There are two species of garlic: softneck and hardneck (each, of course, features a number of different strains). Softneck garlic is favored by grocery stores and conventional farmers because it can be planted mechanically,

‘Tis the season for garlic planting

matures a little more quickly and has a long postharvest shelf life. It’s characterized by a soft, pliable neck (these stems are perfect for braiding, if you’re so inclined) and white or silvery skins, sometimes with purple blotches, and several layers of cloves around the core. Hardnecks, on the other hand, tend to have one layer of rather large cloves clustered around the hard central stem. Hardneck garlic has another benefit, too: If you’re looking for a spring dinner of delicious scapes (the leafless stem of the plant) to hold you over until the mid- to late-summer harvest, hardneck garlic is the way to go.

For Philadelphians, the best time to get garlic in the ground is November (or even October)— usually within a week or two after the first killing frost. This should allow enough time for root growth to commence, but not enough time for leaves to emerge from the soil. Garlic roots and shoots benefit from the cold and can tolerate freezing temps as long as sudden dips are avoided. So, in other words, mulch. (How do you mulch and with what?)

The best part about garlic is that one clove plus nine (or so) months equals one entire bulb of

The best part about garlic is that one clove plus nine (or so) months equals one entire bulb of goodness!

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goodness! Plant each clove, pointy side up, one to two inches deep, in a pot that’s eight to 10 inches deep and filled with rich, well-drained soil. Garlic likes nitrogen, so work some blood meal (animal blood powder) into the soil prior to planting.

In the spring, once your garlic has sprouted, feel free to add a thin layer of blood meal to the soil.

And if blood meal freaks you out, consider coffee grounds and worm castings (compost created by worms). Conventional farmers need to allow for six to 10 inches between cloves to accommodate harvesting tools, but container gardeners need worry only about the width of their tiny trowel.

Four to six inches should allow enough room for a trowel, your fingers and some optimistic bulb development.

Garlic has a fairly shallow root system, and while you can pretty much forget about it until spring, you should remember to hit it with water every once in a while as summer approaches, particularly as it’s bulbing during May, June and July. It’s time to harvest when the lower leaves start to brown. Carefully dig the shoots and roots out of your container, give ‘em a rinse and hang them to dry for three to four weeks in a wellventilated space. Then bat your eyelashes and convince your husband to whip up a batch of garlicky pesto goodness. char vandermeer tends a container garden on her South Philly roof deck; she chronicles her triumphs and travails at plantsondeck.com.

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Tyler Talks Trash

by tyler weaver

A Fork in the Garbage T

Why choosing metal lightens the landfill’s load

he other day when standing in line at the lunch truck, I watched someone buy a sandwich and ask for napkins.

Big deal, right? To my surprise, he was handed both napkins and a plastic fork and spoon. He turned around and walked off, throwing the cutlery in a trash can 10 feet away.

This was among the shortest product lifespans I’ve ever witnessed. Of course, that got me thinking: What is the average lifespan of a plastic fork, spoon or knife? Ten minutes? How often is plastic cutlery thrown away without even being used? How much is disposed of every day?

And—one of my least favorite questions—what material is the most eco-friendly?

Fork usage makes a big difference in the world of solid waste. Let’s take a look at your average one-eighth-inch thick plastic fork. How many people do you think pick up (or more likely, are given without asking) a disposable plastic fork each day in the U.S.? Even estimating a low number like a half million gives us a 100-mile-long bridge of forks (that’s not even including spoons and knives).

So, what are your options? Obviously, I definitely support using a metal fork over and over again instead of tossing a plastic fork every day.

Compostable plastic forks are an improvement, but they’re expensive and I don’t expect most businesses to purchase them. On top of that, they’re not suitable for home composting (trust me, I’ve tried), and are troublesome for commercial composting facilities because they take several cycles to biodegrade completely.

When compostable forks hit the landfills, they degrade slowly. While methane collection systems in landfills have improved airflow to an otherwise anaerobic pit, they aren’t magical places full of biodegradation faeries.

A few months ago, the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. stopped using compostable utensils and cups in exchange for styrofoam and plastic. Big mistake. They could have kept the compost program by switching to paper cups and plates (both compostable and cheaper than bioplastics). Even better, they could have utilized metal utensils, which would have reduced waste significantly.

So, I challenge you to have your own silverware on hand. Instead of using a new plastic fork every day, place one at your desk. After eating, rinse your fork when you hit the restroom.

Are you a food service entrepreneur? How about purchasing metal sporks, reusable to-go 38

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containers or reusable chopsticks? Consider customizing them for your business and design a discount program. Similar to the coffee mug bandwagon, have your customers passively ad-

I challenge you to have your own silverware on hand.

Instead of using a new plastic fork every day, place one at your desk.

vertising for you by getting a discount on their meal or snack when they bring their reusable cutlery or container. These items are usually small enough to fit in a purse or wallet, so it’s rather easy. tyler weaver is a garbage and compost expert who’s been obsessed with waste since he climbed into his first Dumpster two decades ago. Read more of his musings at tylertalkstrash.com and crazyaboutcompost.com.

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nov nov

Philadelphia Museum Art Craft Show 10 13 of The 35th edition of this crafting event will feature 195 artists from around the world displaying their handmade creations for visitors to purchase. This year’s participants were selected from more than 1,400 applicants, and each will exhibit creations in a variety of forms, including baskets, ceramics, furniture, glass, jewelry, paper and wood. Get ready for your notions of needle and thread craft circles to be blown out of the water. →→ Thurs.–Sun., Nov. 10-13, Pennsylvania

Convention Center, 1101 Arch St. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit pmacraftshow.org.

nov

Kids Cook for the Holidays Public Eye: Artists for Animals’ 12 Join Kids Club at their holiday cooking class. Under the guidance of chef Christina Martin, kids will learn to cook a vegan Thanksgiving meal. After lunch, artist Zipora Schulz will lead an art project on teaching compassion for animals.

nov

Weird Waste Day to do some holiday cleaning! Empty your basement and garage of old electronics 12 Time like CPUs, TVs, printers, fax machines and cell phones. All items will be responsibly reused or dismantled. This event is organized by the Green in Chestnut Hill (GRINCH). →→ Sat., Nov. 12, 1-4 p.m., Parking lot beside Valley Green Bank, 23 W. Highland Ave., Chestnut Hill. For more information, visit greeninchestnuthill.blogspot.com. →→ Sat., Nov. 12, noon-2 p.m., Essene Market &

Café, 719 S. 4th St. For more information and to RSVP, visit publiceyephilly.org.

nov

Opening Reception for “The Calendar You’ll Ever Need” 12 Last West Philly artist Corina Dross, creator of last year’s “Portable Fortitude” card deck, has collaborated with her sister Josie Mosser on her latest project, “The Last Calendar You’ll Ever Need.” The 2012 calendar is a reference to the predicted end of the world in 2012. Join the Mosser sisters at the project’s opening reception at VIX Emporium, where you can pick up a copy of the calendar as well. →→ Sat., Nov. 12, 6-9 p.m., Vix Emporium,

5009 Baltimore Ave. For more information, visit vixemporium.com

dec em be r 2 0 1 1

→→ Mon., Nov. 14, 2-4:30 p.m., Fare, 2028

Fairmount Ave. To register and find out more, visit philagreenhospitality.com.

nov

Philly Stake: Fall Edition a local foods dinner at The Ukie 13 Enjoy Club in celebration of creative community projects. Listen to 10 project proposals, then vote for the organization you think deserves the cash prize (the cost of your ticket). The winner takes home the micro-grant at the end of dinner.

The more attendees, the bigger the grant. Presale tickets are available on the GRID website for $20. Tickets at the door can be purchased on a $10-$20 sliding scale. →→ Sun., Nov. 13, 5-6 p.m., The Ukie Club,

→→ Wed., Nov. 16, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Houston

847 N. Franklin St. To pre-order tickets, visit gridphilly.com. For more information, visit phillystake.org.

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Smart, Savvy and Squeaky Clean Hospitality Association, 14 Philagreen the organization dedicated to greening Philadelphia’s hotels, restaurants and facilities, is hosting a seminar, “Smart, Savvy and Squeaky Clean.” The event will feature three workshops: “Financial Resources to Grow and Green Your Business in Philadelphia,” “Green Cleaning Made Simple, Effective and Economical” and “Enhance the Guest Experience with Evolve Guest Controls.”

Ecosystem-Based Management Tropical Montane Cloud 16 of Forests Fred Scatena, chair of University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, will present a lecture on the threatened tropical montane cloud forests. His talk will discuss how Penn’s professional graduate students and basic science are creating the policies and practices to manage and protect these forests.

This is the second in a series of three lectures sponsored by Penn’s Master of Environmental Studies program and the College of Liberal and Professional Studies.

nov

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nov

Hall - Golkin Room, 3417 Spruce St. Visit sas.upenn.edu/lps/event/2365 for more information.

nov

Philadelphia’s Reading Viaduct— Elevated Park Connecting Neighborhoods 15 An In 2003, a citizens’ advocacy group embarked on a journey to repurpose the Reading Viaduct. The viaduct is an elevated train track traversing the traditional northern boundaries of Center City, offering spectacular views of the city skyline. Creatively remediated as a park, the viaduct could provide environmental and health benefits for the city, including enhanced air quality, reduced stormwater runoff, and a home for urban wildlife. Panelists will provide a history of and updates on this exciting project, along with neighborhood impacts resulting from the park’s development. →→ Tues., Nov. 15, 6-8:30 p.m., Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. For more information, visit phillyviaduct.eventbrite.com

nov

Urban Sustainability Forum: Delaware River and Bay: 17 The Rebirth of a Natural Treasure Join Jonathan Sharp from the University of Delaware’s School of Marine Science and Policy for an ecological history lesson on the Delaware Estuary. Learn how human activity has threatened life in the Estuary, and the current efforts to enhance and rebuild its living resources. →→ Thurs., Nov. 17, 6-8:30 p.m., Academy of

Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. To find out more information, visit delawareriverbay.eventbrite.com

nov

The Waldorf School Annual Holiday Fair and Craft Bazaar 18 Get a jump on your holiday shopping 19 and peruse handmade crafts by 30 artisans, as well as natural toys and supplies from Waldorf’s own Fairy’s Wing School Store. Enjoy delicious homemade, organic meals and baked goods. On Friday, leave the kids home and enjoy a great night out with live music. On Saturday, have fun with fabulous children’s ac-

tivities, including puppet plays, craft and jumprope making, candle-dipping and a kids-only shopping room. →→ Fri., Nov. 18, 6 – 10 p.m. and Sat., Nov. 19, 10

a.m. – 5 p.m., 7500 Germantown Ave. To find out more, visit phillywaldorf.com.

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nov

Ninth Annual Social Venture Institute 18 Social Venture Institute is a two-day 19 training program that teaches entrepreneurs how to run successful businesses that have a positive social and environmental impact. The combination of high-quality panelists, a confidential and supportive environment, and a practical problem-solving format ensures that participants leave with a rich portfolio of skills, a plan to grow their socially responsible businesses, and a network of contacts to support their journey.

Only at Big Green Earth Store!

This year's hottest and most unique gift idea. Impress everyone on your list.

→→ Fri., Nov. 18-19, The Hub Cira Centre,

2929 Arch St. For more information, visit sbnphiladelphia.org.

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nov

Stout & Chowder Fest

Spend the evening sampling dark, seasonal beers and delectable soups and stews by Brulee Catering, as well as a special dessert “savor session” presented by Betty’s Speakeasy, Hank’s Gourmet Beverages and Franklin Fountain.

19

→→ Sat., Nov. 19, 5 – 8 p.m., Independent Sea-

port Museum, 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit rollingbarrel.com

nov nov

Dinosaur Days dinosaurs and their 25 27 Celebrate closest living relatives—birds— with a holiday weekend of fun activities. Enjoy dinosaur shows at 11 a.m. and live bird shows at 2:30 p.m., a fossil show at 1:30 p.m. and teacher/ naturalist presentations throughout the day in our famous Dinosaur Hall. Make a dinosaur craft to take home.

nov

Holiday Art Star Craft Bazaar Organized and juried by Art Star Gallery & Boutique, this indoor retail art/craft show 19 features more than 55 local and national artists. The diverse collection includes house20 wares, paper goods, dolls, prints, ceramics, clothing, accessories, paintings, sculptures and many other one-of-a-kind curiosities. All items have been handmade using a variety of mediums. A Full Plate Café, Soy Café and Sweet Box Cupcakes will be selling their tasty wares throughout the event. →→ Sat., Nov. 19 – Sun., Nov. 20, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., 23rd Street Armory, 22 S. 23rd St. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit artstarcraftbazaar.com/index1.html.

→→ Fri., Nov. 25 – Sun., Nov. 27, Academy of

Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. For more information, visit ansp.org.

dec

SBN Holiday Party SBN members and non-members 01 Join for a night of networking and celebration at their annual holiday party. →→ Thurs., Dec. 1, 6 – 8 p.m., $10 for non-mem-

bers, Marathon Grill, 10th and Walnut Sts. For more information, visit sbnphiladelphia.org

dec

Gritty City’s Cocktails and Crafts No Kill Philadelphia by attend02 Support ing this benefit craft show in Old City.

Enjoy a night of private shopping, music, food, drinks and fun while supporting a good cause.

Pick up unique, handmade gifts from some of

Philadelphia’s finest crafters while listening to live jazz by the Narberth Jazz Project.

230 N. 2nd St. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit cocktailsandcrafts. blogspot.com

dec

GO WEST! Craft Fair the best that Philly’s craft scene 03 Shop has to offer, with 40 artisan vendors of clothing, jewelry, toys, soaps, candles, knitted accessories, art prints and originals, cards, ornaments and more. Find just the right stocking stuffers and holiday presents made by local artists and craftspeople—you’ll be making your gifts doubly meaningful by directly supporting their makers as well as pleasing their recipients.

in East Falls

Perfect for HOLIDAY PARTIES & CATERING! www.trolleycarcafe.com

3269 S. Ferry Rd. (at Kelly Drive), Philadelphia, PA 19129 267-385-6703 * trolleycar61@trolleycarcafe.com

Delicious food & friendly service every day!

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4014 Walnut St. For more information, visit vixemporium.com/go-west-craft-fest

→→ Fri., Dec. 2, 4 – 9 p.m., Power Plant Studios,

Trolley Car Cafe

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→→ Sat., Dec. 3, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., The Rotunda,

dec

Grow Strong: Fifth Annual Party of the Mill Creek 03 Benefit Farm Celebrate the Mill Creek Farm, an urban farm focused on food justice and ecological sustainability, at this special event at Yards Brewery. The party will feature brewery tours, DJs, light food and desserts from local restaurants, a cash bar, raffle and silent auction. →→ Sat., Dec. 3, 7 – 10 p.m., $20, Yards

Brewery, 901 N. Delaware Ave. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit millcreekurbanfarm.org.

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Then we wash it using green, local Sun and Earth detergents and high-efficiency machines that sip water and save energy. You’ll get your clothes back, folded, in 24 hours.

Visit WashCycleLaundry.com to schedule your first pick-up at and find out why more and more of your neighbors trust Wash Cycle Laundry to do their laundry every week.

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 5 pm - 2 am Sunday Brunch 11 am - 5 pm Closed Monday Guest Tasting Dinners Every Third Wednesday of the Month

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

(800) 363-6881 Materials

spread some holiday cheer with handmade gifts from earthstone.

1224 Tasker St .

Philadelphia 215-681-3797

earthstonetileworks.com

A kind, effective approach to discomfort and pain

Massage & Bodywork

J. Harrison

schedule on line at www.sixfishes.com 215.772.0770 44

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installation

repairs

POSTER AFFICHE PLAKAT www.glass-print.com

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

15th and Mifflin Streets in South Philadelphia Mon-Fri 7-9 • Sat-Sun 8-9 • 215.339.5177

FROM OUR FARM TO YOUR HOME

R 1 Project1:Layout 717.677.7186

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2/22/10

U LT I M O

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3:10 PM

Page 1

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Unique Gifts & Cards Local Crafts & Artful Wares

www.urbanbotanical.com

sustainable event decorating

living garden arrangements can be planted after the event, weddings, parties, holidays corporate-private Helen@urbanbotanical.com or 215.438.7533

jewelry, ceramics, home goods, art, accessories, baby gifts, apparel, soaps & scents, etc... open tue-fri-sat 11-7 wed-thu 12-7

5009 Baltimore Avenue

W e s“...mostly t Philad e l pdesigners hia local - ceramicists, jewelers... typical of the

creative entrepreneurs popping up in this section of West Philadelphia.”

-Fodor’s Philadelphia & the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, 16th ed.

215.471.7700  vixemporium.com

HOLIDAY FAIR AND CRAFT BAZAAR

Homemade gifts for sale and magical children’s activities Friday, Nov. 18th · 6pm-10pm Saturday, Nov. 19th ·10am-5pm 7500 Germantown Avenue, Phila. PA 19119 (across from the Trolley Car Diner in Mt. Airy)

phillywaldorf.com

FRESH, LOCAL FOOD SEASONAL CUSTOM MENUS SUSTAINABLE EVENTS 215-435-0331 • info@birchtreecatering.com

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Waiting for the Worms by dan pohlig

M

y first, and unfortunate, attempt at composting was using a static pile. The stinking, hot pile of primordial ooze I created was not only unfit for fertilizing my vegetables, but caused a severe rift in my relationship with my neighbors. So, I decided to switch to another method I’d discovered in my composting research: vermicomposting, or the use of worms to break down organic material.

This seemed perfect. Drill some holes in a box.

Put some shredded newspapers in the bottom and food scraps on top. Add red worms. Voilà!

Fertilizer. No work, no bad smells and it could be kept inside. Just about any box or bucket will work, but I wanted the most organic, least chemical-laden container for my army of garbage disposers. Since I lack carpentry skills (I chose

to take ancient Greek in high school instead of wood shop,) I knew I wouldn’t be building the new home for my worms.

After I searched for “wood worm bin” and made a few mouse clicks, my four-tiered, untreated-wood, worm high-rise was on its way— along with a quarter-pound of worms. A week later, my wife was taking pictures of me with the

worms like we had just returned from the hospital with our firstborn. And just as I fear might be the fate of our eventual offspring, the worms went to live in our basement.

Worms don’t like onions, garlic, too much citrus, meat, dairy or bread, so we’re basically raising vegan, gluten-free worms who are sensitive about their breath. Fortunately, my vegetarian wife handles all our non-Reese’s-related food shopping. and our diet consists mostly of worm-friendly foods.

I won’t say vermicomposting has been effortless, but the extra work I’ve put in has come from not trusting the worms to get the job done.

I worried the food pieces were too big, so I began blending them into a slurry and straining out the liquid content. I was spending more time preparing their food than I was our cats’. (In fairness, though, castings—or worm poop—help things grow while cat poop gives me an idea of what an apocalypse would be like.)

Despite some early mistakes, the worms have multiplied from the original quarter-pound to about a pound and a half. Once I found the right balance of keeping the bin moist and the food supply steady, the worms stopped trying to make a run for it and spared themselves the indignity of becoming dried, twig-like carcasses on the tile floor. A fruit fly invasion earlier this summer sent the worm bin to summer camp in the backyard, but with winter approaching they’ll soon be back in the basement. We’ve since learned that microwaving or freezing the food scraps and covering them with more bedding helps prevent future fruit fly populations.

Most importantly, I learned patience is key.

Given enough time, the worms will eat the food, no matter how big the pieces. Red worms like to travel up to find food, so I now have two tiers of bins separated by a wire mesh. Searching for the food and bedding in the top tier, the worms have been migrating for the past three weeks, leaving behind their nutrient-rich, brown gold for me to harvest. All this comes just in time for the garden’s winter slumber. The worms and I peaked just a little too late.

In the meantime, the compost will be added to houseplants and a butterfly bush and with luck, will help a young tree survive the winter.

But with these valuable rookie-year lessons and some more off season training, we’ll be ready when spring planting comes around. We’re looking forward to big tomatoes in 2012. dan pohlig is a political consultant in Center City and is an active member of the Passyunk Square Civic Association and the South Philly Food Co-op.

He lives in South Philadelphia.

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i llust rat i on by k i rst e n ha rpe r

Don’t throw it all away!

The average person throws away 1600 pounds of garbage each year. The average Bennett Compost customer throws away less than half that (and gets finished compost for their garden each spring!) Our weekly pick-up of food scraps and other compostable material helps you reduce your impact. Simply place our bucket outside your home or apartment, and we’ll take care of the rest.

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Master of Environmental Studies Lecture Series

The Record of Hurricane Landfall I S T H E R E A P AT T E R N ?

a lecture by

Robert Giegengack, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania

Monday, December 5, 2011 5:30–7:00 pm University of Pennsylvania, Benjamin Franklin Room, Houston Hall 3417 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

R S V P F O R T H I S E V E N T AT

lps-info@sas.upenn.edu • 215.746.6902 pennlps.org/events E N V I R O N M E N TA L S T U D I E S A R E M O R E VA L U A B L E T H A N E V E R 48

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