Grid Magazine January 2012 [#034] by Red Flag Media

Sustainable Philadelphia

jan 2012 / issue 34 gridphilly.com

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Home for the Holidays the holidays are, ideally, a time to reflect. We begin with a feast of gratitude, move to prayers for spiritual renewal, and then we celebrate the passing of one year and the blank slate of the next. But finding the time to mark these occasions thoughtfully is hard to come by, isn’t it? I know it is for me. Though I love it, the publishing treadmill is relentless. Three years ago, we started GRID. At the time, thinking beyond the first issue was more than I could imagine. It’s a little bit like what they say in the music industry: You have your whole life to write your first album, and then six months to write the next. Actually, it wasn’t at all like a songwriter with writer’s block. The story ideas came pouring in, and our challenge was more one of curation. How do we squeeze so many fascinating and important stories into a finite number of pages, and present them in a way that educates, inspires and creates community? And is there more that we can do to advance these ideas? I’m excited to tell you that in 2012 we’ll be taking GRID a step closer to that goal. Beginning in March, we’ll be presenting a series of salons where the people we admire and the concepts we promote will take center stage. Expect more details soon, but know that our goal is to provide another opportunity to deepen your ties to the sustainability community. Our first event will be a co-sponsored showing of The Economics of Happiness. We’ve partnered with Judy Wicks, Sustainable 19103 and The Office of Sustainability to show the movie on January 12, at Trinity Church (2212 Spruce St.) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. I’ve seen the movie, and it ties in perfectly with the underlying message of our gift guide: buy local. We may be selling tickets online; check out our website (gridphilly.com) for updates.

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

In the spirit of reflection, and in kneeling (l to r) the interest of gearing up for what Claire Connelly, Melissa McFeeters; will be our best year yet, we’re going standing (l to r) to give GRID next month off. We’ll be Andrew Bonazelli, setting up our editorial calendar and Lucas Hardison, developing our live programming, Alex Mulcahy, Jamie Leary, and I’m finally going to clean my of- Alicia McClung; fice. Seriously, I’m going to clean it. not pictured A few quick shout-outs before we Liz Pacheco, go black for a month. Thanks to Katie Katie Winkler. Winkler for working tirelessly to put the gift guide together. This was an enormous undertaking, and she pulled it off. Thanks to Lucas Hardison and Melissa McFeeters for making the gift guide look good (and on a shoestring budget). And thanks to the rest of the GRID team: Andrew Bonazelli, Claire Connelly, Jamie Leary, Alicia McClung and Liz Pacheco. Thanks everybody for 2011, and I can’t wait to get working on next year!

Ron Bishop Bernard Brown Julie Lorch G.W. Miller III Alaina Mabaso Katie Winkler Samantha Wittchen photographers

Lucas Hardison Albert Yee illustrators

Daniel Hughes Melissa McFeeters interns

Anna Louise Neiger Elena Rivera Marisa Steinberg ad sales

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

Alicia McClung published by

Red Flag Media 1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.625.9850 alex j. mulcahy, Publisher alex@gridphilly.com

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community by samantha wittchen

Thanks to a significant donation by the Ryan Howard Family Foundation, the baseball field underwent major renovations.

Play Ball

A community garden and a revitalized baseball field transform Hunting Park by julie lorch

unting park, which sits among North Philadelphia’s Hunting Park, Nicetown/Tioga and Logan areas, was one of the first neighborhood parks to join the Fairmount Park system, but for decades the 87-acre green space has been better known for crime than community. “Hunting Park has long been considered a liability instead of an asset for the community,” says Kathryn Ott Lovell, executive director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy. “There is a critical need to offer residents safe and affordable opportunities for healthy living and active living.” In October 2009, the Fairmount Park Conservancy proposed the Hunting Park Revitalization Plan. The proposition was made in partnership with a range of community leaders, including government representatives, a local school, community programs and faith-based groups, as well as Hunting Park’s Stakeholders group and Civic Association. The $20 million master plan is the first big neighborhood-based capital project for the Conservancy, whose previous work included relighting Boathouse Row and the Waterworks restorations. In October 2009, the Fairmount Park Conservancy, in partnership with community leaders, proposed the Hunting Park Revitalization Plan. These leaders included state representatives, council people, the local Catholic school, a community center, youth programs, faithbased groups and neighborhood nonprofits, as well as Hunting Park’s Stakeholders group and Civic Association. So far, more than $3.7 million has been raised for phase one, which is underway. The park now has a weekly farmers market and two new playgrounds; an 11,0006

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square-foot, 60-plot community garden is being completed as well. The garden, dedicated this October, will have its own governance structure run by Hunting Park residents. And the Philadelphia Horticultural Society and SHARE, an affordable food program that offers groceries in exchange for volunteer work, have offered gardening classes to the Hunting Park Gardening Club. Thanks to a significant donation by the Ryan Howard Family Foundation, the baseball field underwent major renovations too. The number of kids playing Little League there has rocketed from 30 to 140. “This park and the changes we’re making can be a catalyst for other changes in this neighborhood,” says Ott Lovell. “It doesn’t stop at the park. It changes and uplifts the community.” Hunting Park United, a community stewardship group that evolved from the master planning process in 2009, has grown to more than 150 members, including residents, neighborhood organizations and faith-based groups. The group works closely with the Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation on revitalization efforts, and leads volunteer days throughout the year. “In three years, we believe we’ll see higher property values and lower crime rates. That’s the power of the parks,” says Ott Lovell. “And, it’s replicable.” 

Small Appliances fact

The average lifespan for a curling iron is one to two years.

Many small appliances we use in our homes—toasters, hair dryers, irons, vacuum cleaners, fans and countless other devices— have short lifespans when compared to major appliances like refrigerators and washing machines. While many of these smaller consumer products are often encased in plastic, they’re also comprised of metal, which is recyclable and valuable. However, these devices aren’t collected for recycling curbside, and they often aren’t accepted at electronic waste (e-waste) recycling events.

problem

If you no longer need a working appliance, consider donating it to a charity for resale. Good bets are the newly-opened Habitat for Humanity ReStore (2930 Jasper St., 215-739-9300, habitatphiladelphia.org/ habitat-philadelphia-restore) and mainstays like the Salvation Army or Goodwill. If your appliance is useless, Best Buy offers free recycling for some small appliances. For example, they’ll take a broken vacuum cleaner, but you’re on your own with the toaster. For a full list of what they’ll accept, visit their website (bestbuy.com/recycling). If you’re like me and have a small arsenal of defunct hair dryers on your hands, consider taking them to a scrap metal processor. Sullivan’s Scrap Metals (2710 E. Westmoreland St., 215-426-3852, tmsullivan.com) will accept small appliances, but they’ll ask you to remove the plastic casing. Otherwise, they may not be able to accept all of your spent items. 

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community

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Adam Cutler (left) and and Amy Laura Cahn (right) are helping Catalina Hunter (center) establish multiple community gardens in Hunting Park.

The Law of the Land

rban farmers do more than simply grow food, explains attorney Amy Laura Cahn. “These people are building community. They are providing resources for their communities in terms of food, but also in terms of value of property,” she says. “They’re creating community spaces and creating opportunities for education and cross-culture, cross-generational communication.” Urban farmers are investing in their neighborhoods. But establishing community gardens and urban farms often isn’t easy. There are numerous hoops to jump through—from gaining the right to use vacant property to declaring nonprofit status and building governing bodies. All of these steps require legal assistance that many urban communities cannot afford. This fall, Cahn and the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia (PILCoP) launched the Garden Justice Legal Initiative to provide pro

bono legal support to community gardeners and urban farmers in historically disinvested sections of the city. “There really wasn’t any place to go here,” says Cahn. “Some places will help you incorporate as nonprofits. There are some places that offer pro bono support for nonprofit businesses. You might be able to get an attorney who might be able to help with complications on zoning issues, or others who offer some guidance. But

Some places will help you incorporate as nonprofits. Some offer pro bono support for nonprofit businesses. You might be able to get an attorney who might be able to help with complications on zoning issues, or others who offer some guidance. But there was nowhere that was comprehensive. —Amy Laura Cahn 8

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A recently launched initiative offers urban gardeners free legal support by g.w. miller iii there was nowhere that was comprehensive.” Cahn’s services will range from assisting individuals and groups trying to secure land use, to advocating for community gardeners as public policy is drafted. There are more than 40,000 vacant plots in Philadelphia, many of which become eyesores that invite crime. Around 25 percent of those properties belong to the city and its various agencies, says Cahn. “Securing land rights is a huge issue,” she acknowledges. “Dealing with the city is very complicated.” A Worcester, Mass. native, Cahn received her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. She has worked on environmental justice issues in New Orleans and Brooklyn and witnessed the impact of disinvestment and displacement in urban communities. She then received a Skadden Fellowship, which provides two years of employment and benefits to lawyers focused on public interest work. Cahn was a natural fit for PILCoP, which has been assisting residents in the Hunting Park section of Philadelphia since 2008. At the height of Philadelphia’s industrial prowess, the Hunting Park neighborhood was home to a large population of factory workers. photos by albe rt y e e

Justice League As part of their effort to provide legal support to community gardeners and urban farmers, the Garden Justice Legal Initiative is working with Philadelphia’s Food Organizing Collaborative (FORC). FORC organizes food growers, workers and eaters to reclaim control of the food system and build food sovereignty. The Garden Justice and FORC partnership is bringing together gardeners through a series of community meetings on issues of land access and land tenure. The next meeting will be held on December 14 from 6-8 p.m. at FINANTA (1301 N. Second St.). Space is limited, so please RSVP to phillyforc@gmail.com or 267-546-1306. For more information about FORC, visit phillyforc.wordpress.com.

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As the industry jobs dissipated, many left the neighborhood. While more people moved in and gave the area new life, many homes were simply left to deteriorate. “There are so many vacant lots in this community,” says attorney Adam Cutler, the director of PILCoP’s Public Health and Environmental Justice Clinic. “There are a lot of homeowners in the neighborhood and they take care of their properties. It’s that constant struggle. The longtime residents want to keep their properties nice and their streets safe and clean.” Cutler helped neighbors secure a lot at Third and Wingohocking Streets that is now a community garden with six raised beds producing copious amounts of vegetables. “When Adam came, it was like meeting an angel,” says, a Hunting Park resident who works with the community garden. “We’re a nonprofit. We don’t have money to do anything.” The PILCoP team, including Cahn, is now working with the Hunting Park residents to secure four additional properties. “I’m hoping I can be sort of a clearinghouse for community garden groups in the city,” says Cahn. “I’m hoping to represent some and then provide resources to facilitate people in representing themselves.”  january 20 12

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by alaina mabaso

tanding next to meat hooks and the cage where bison, cows and pigs are fatally stunned in the first step of meat processing, Jay Smucker talks about his work. “We really enjoy what we do,” says the manager of the familyowned Smucker’s Meats, a slaughterhouse in Mount Joy, Pa. Smucker isn’t referring to the slaughter, but rather to the enjoyment of operating a small-scale, USDA-inspected facility that handles only seven animals per hour (big meat plants typically process around 1,000 pigs an hour). Smucker takes pride in providing a crucial service to link farmers and their consumers and, as he explains, “being good stewards of what we’ve been given.” Stewardship and respect are key concepts in the burgeoning agricultural and culinary movement known as “snout-to-tail,” which promotes buy directly from farms. In October, I joined Fair humane farming as well as the purchase and use Food and a lucky group of city-dwellers (includof the whole animal, instead of a few popular ing special guest Wicks) on a Snout-to-Tail Tour. cuts. While use of the whole animal is centuries The day included a trip to Smucker’s as well as old, the rise of industrial agriculture pushed the a visit to Sweet Stem Farm in Lititz, Pa. and a practice out of popularity. In Philadelphia, the pork dinner at Green Meadow Farm in eastern snout-to-tail movement has made a resurgence Lancaster County. largely due to the efforts of Judy Wicks, founder A married couple who have worked together of the White Dog Cafe. full time since 2005, Sweet Stem Farm owners Wicks calls her 2003 decision to begin pur- Philip and Dee Horst-Landis raise sheep, pigs chasing whole pigs from a local organic farm and cows on 60 acres of land. Sweet Stem adjoins for the White Dog, and to encourage other busi- Meadow Run Farm, where Dee’s brother raises nesses to do the same, as “the turning point in my poultry—our arrival is welcomed with a highwhole life.” Initially, Wicks hoped to capitalize on pitched chuckling of turkeys, bickering, nibbling responsible use of humanely raised meat as an and huddling together on an open pasture. incentive for customers (a unique offering among Leading us to a pen of 40 boisterous pigs, Philip Philadelphia restaurants at the time). What she explains the balancing act of economics and anirealized is that humane and environmentally mal welfare when running a small-scale, organic sound food practices shouldn’t be trade secrets, operation. “How much are we going to strive for but “systematically available,” shared among efficiency?” he asks. “We don’t want to lose touch many homes and businesses. with the sense that we know all the animals.” Fair Food, which was founded in 2001, is one Sweet Stem Farm sells 1,500 pigs a year (raisof the outgrowths of Wicks’ activism. In addition ing up to 800 at a time) to markets like Whole to their farmstand in the Reading Terminal, Fair Foods, the Fair Food Farmstand and local coFood acts as an aid to restaurants who want to operative food markets. In about 100 days on 10

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One happy pig at Meadow Run Farm

the farm, piglets grow from 60 pounds to 260. Philip and Dee also raise grass-fed beef and sell 250 lambs annually from their 150 ewes. Though raising more animals would increase profits, Philip and Dee have purposely kept the populations small. “We want to be able to see all the animals, twice every day,” says Philip. “That’s the size of the farm.” What Philip and Dee call “high-touch farming” gets expensive, including the use of hard-to-find organic, non-genetically modified corn and soy feed. They also ensure veterinary care to any animal in need, regardless of overall cost-effectiveness. At Sweet Stem, it’s important that the animals be allowed to express their natural behaviors. The barn floor is covered with hay, which pigs love to root through with their snouts, and the pen is roomy enough for the pigs to break into a run. Philip fondly indicates a pig splayed on its side, nudging the hay with its snout: “That’s a happy pig.” ph otos by al be rt y e e

But even the happy pigs have to meet their end. And it’s an important step for the meat consumer to learn about as well. At a recent snout-to-tail discussion panel, “This Little Piggy Went to Market,” hosted by Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences, Bruce Arndt, slaughterhouse proprietor and president of Stoney Point Farm Market in Littlestown, Pa., touted the benefits of humane farming and slaughter. When animals arrive at his facility they’re healthy and so calm that his cattle prod is rusted with disuse. Arndt expressed a gratitude that balances the often grisly nature of his work. He calls the livestock holding room the “transition room,” not simply for the transition from life to death but “from living to life-giving.” At his facility, Smucker makes a point to be present when animals are dropped off. Each animal is individually tracked, allowing the farmers to directly market their own animals. Bison and beef hang for two weeks, and his facility slices and packages myriad cuts in addition to curing ham and bacon and performing specialty processing like jerky. During a tour of the slaughterhouse, Smucker likens the work of the killing floor to an expert dance, everyone playing a different part. “It’s hard work,” he says, “but it’s good work.” Slaughterhouse proprietors are the “unsung heroes of the food supply

If the snout-to-tail movement sounds more like an ideal than a realistic approach to cooking, Jessica Moore, founder of Philly CowShare (PCS), wants to help. PCS sells 100 percent local, grass-fed, dry-aged beef to both retail and individual customers. The cows, guaranteed free of growth hormones and antibiotics, come from local farms in Lancaster, Chester, Delaware, and Mercer counties. But it’s not just the product that makes PCS unique, it’s how you buy it—in eighth, quarter, half, or whole shares. “Our business model revolves around the concept of moving whole animals,” explains Moore. The CowShares are designed to accommodate different sized families, and provide a variety of cuts for easy incorporation into meal planning. Customers have two options when buying from PCS: buy a fraction of a cow as a single purchase, or organize a group to split a whole cow, conveniently packaged into individual shares. Groups receive a discount, dropping the cost per pound lower than what you might find at an average natural foods market. PCS purchases cows from the farm as whole units, not just the most popular cuts. In doing so, they pay farmers based on the cost of production, not commodity pricing. “We’re paying the farmer more than what they would get at auction,” says Moore. “Our goal is to allow farmers to continue farming. That means we have to change the economic equation.” Philly CowShare currently sells cows (naturally), but if beef isn’t your thing, stay tuned: Moore plans to start selling pigs in 2012.

Join in the snout-to-tail revolution at www.phillycowshare.com/order.

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chain,” says Marilyn Anthony, Eastern Regional Director of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and a former professional chef who champions snout-to-tail purchasing and cooking. She recalls times in Philadelphia’s past when small-scale butcher shops were a common sight and an integral part of the community. Anthony also has plenty to say about the benefits of snout-to-tail purchasing for modernday consumers. “Farmers struggle for a way to get value from that vast landscape of the animal’s body,” she says, noting that the most popular cuts often make up only about 30 percent of the animal. If consumers always choose New York Strip and tenderloins, instead of roasts and briskets—or pâtés, belly, cheeks, organ meats and trotters, popular in cuisine outside the U.S.—the waste piles up and farmers’ profits go down. But consumers who want to eat more sustainably face a perceived obstacle: price. “We want to support humanely raised meats,” says Anthony, “but we think it’s too expensive.” Shoppers dismayed at the price of pastured bacon, pork chops and steak should realize that not all cuts of meat—even organic, humanely raised ones—are expensive. For easy, affordable dinners, Anthony urges consumers to break out the slow cooker. This cooking method, which has

A look at the processing floor of Smucker’s Meats in Lancaster

seen a resurgence in popularity, offers a way to use cuts that are less in vogue. As a chef, Anthony also calls ignoring lesserused cuts “criminal” from a flavor standpoint. She particularly enjoys liver and sausage—an especially good snout-to-tail choice, as the trim that comprises sausage makes up a large percentage of the animal. “I couldn’t care less if I never ate another steak in my life,” she says. Farm tour participants discovered this for themselves at the concluding Snout-to-Tail Tour dinner. Even the headcheese, a gelatinous, briny, savory meat concoction that included pigs’ feet,

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This recipe is from Long Way on a Little: An Earth Lovers’ Companion for Enjoying Meat, Pinching Pennies and Living Deliciously, by Shannon Hayes (Left to Write Press, September 2012, grassfedcooking.com). The secret to this recipe is a good sear, followed by time in the slow cooker with very little liquid, resulting in concentrated beef flavor, and intensely flavored sauce. serves 4-10 1

(3-5 lbs) beef pot roast, bone-in or boneless (chuck roasts or brisket are ideal) 2 Tbsp coarse unrefined sea salt 1 Tbsp ground black pepper 2 Tbsp lard, butter or tallow 1 cup meat broth 1 large yellow or white onion, sliced in rings

Wipe the roast well with paper towels and rub the salt and pepper into all sides of the meat. - Heat a skillet over a medium-high flame, add the fat and swirl to coat. Sear the meat 3 to 4 minutes per side. Put it in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the broth to the pan and simmer about 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits and in- corporating them into the juices. When the broth is reduced by about one third, add it to the slow cooker. Layer the onion on top of the meat, cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, until tender. Serve the meat with the juice spooned over the top.

This recipe comes from Dee Horst-Landis, owner and manager of Sweet Stem Farm. She recommends the use of sausage because it’s affordable, and a good choice for sustainable eating since the trim used to make sausage accounts for about 35 percent of the whole pig. 1 3 1 1

lb Sweet Stem Farm Smoked Sausage cut into 2 in. lengths cooking apples, thickly sliced head of red cabbage, shredded onion, sliced cup brown sugar tsp salt tsp black pepper cup apple juice

Layer the sausage, apples, cabbage and onion (in this order) in a slow cooker. Sprinkle the brown sugar, salt and black pepper on top. Pour the apple juice over all the other ingredients—do not stir. Cover. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. january 20 12

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gift guide How lucky we are to live and shop in Philadelphia. We can bypass box stores and their buffet of bland and cheaply made goods and instead, we can choose thoughtful gifts, sold to us by our neighbors. When we give our gifts, we’ll know our family and friends will recognize the thought and care taken in our selections. And the best part—the whole time we will be stirring the local economy. When compiling our gift guide, we asked four questions of every item: 1 Is it locally made? 2 Is it made from sustainable

materials? 3 Can it be purchased from a

locally-owned business? 4 Is it awesome?

If the answer was “yes” to question four, and at least one other, it had a chance to make the cut.

We organized the guide by personality type: The Foodie, Bookworm, Nester, Pipsqueak, Fair Lady, Chic Geek and Gardener. The list is by no means comprehensive. There are oodles of things we would have loved to include if we had infinite space. But we hope the guide gives you the spark to take to the streets, enjoy where you live and find your holiday treasures.

written & curated by Katie Winkler • photos by Lucas Hardison & Melissa McFeeters

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3 1

5 4

6 15

13 14

8 9

Nester Ikea gift certificate? C’mon, you can do better than that. Once the tinsel comes down that special homebody on your list will be thankful to have new (or old) curios and oddities to deck the halls. Making use of antiques is a great way to lessen your impact this gifting season, and classy! 1 Bird and Blossom Pillow Women in

the rural Kathmandu Valley of Nepal sew recycled fabric into lovely pillow covers with help from the Association for Craft Producers, which provides design and marketing services to low-income artisans. $38 at Ten Thousand Villages

2 Napkin Rings Designed by Pennsyl-

vania makers Jonathan and Julia Spoons, these cherry wood napkin rings feature decorative carvings and flame-blackened edges. $18 at Center for Art in Wood

8 Crates Sturdy vintage wooden crates

houseware (and great gift) from an online Philadelphia antique shop. $28 at Hoof and Antler on Etsy

that make great rustic display pieces and fun forms of storage. $30 at Hoof and Antler on Etsy

4 Mio Culture Grid Wallpocket A

9 Philadelphia Map Hand-drawn, screen-printed posters, maps, charts and diagrams by Peaceful Traveler/Wicked Wanderer. $26 at Fabric Horse or peacefultraveler.org

great way to keep those office necessities close to your desk. Made from recycled felt. $70 at AIA Bookstore 5 Candle Holder Recycled glass mosaic candleholder made by artisans working with Noah’s Ark in Moradabad, India, an organization that provides education and medical treatment for artisans and their families. $16 at Ten Thousand Villages

vaged wood and screen-printed in fun colors and designs. $28-$32 at Nice Things Handmade or Red Boots Design on Etsy gr idp h il ly.c o m

ing the seconds until the end of class, but would be a great addition to a workshop or home. $45 at Hoof and Antler on Etsy

3 Vintage wind up alarm clock A fun

6 Red Boots Design Wall-Mounted Bottle Opener Handmade from sal-

7 Vintage General Electric Schoolroom Wall Clock Reminds us of count-

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10 Glass Containers Vintage-inspired glass apothecary jars with aged metal lids. $18-$20 at Three Potato Four 11 Take A Seat Coasters Wooden coasters, hand-rubbed with tung oil. Hand drawn chairs have been etched on the cherry wood and tiny pieces have been cut away. Set of four. $28 at Art Star Boutique

12 wilson’s soaps A failed attempt to open a biodiesel plant in Philadelphia led to making soap the old fashioned way— with soybean oil, coconut oil and natural plant-based essential oils. $4 at VIX Emporium or wilsonssoap.com 13 Green Moss Ornament Vibrant green reindeer moss encased in a threeinch round glass ball ornament made by Square Pin (also available in red). $8 at Square Peg Artery & Salvage 14 “Brain Column” Bowl Daniel Teran’s etched pottery reminds you to slow down and enjoy life. $45 at The Clay Studio 15 Letterpress letters Vintage wooden letterpress type blocks, wonderfully weathered and perfect for a home or office. About $4 per letter at Hoof and Antler on Etsy

Bookworm What do you do for the literati on your list? You gave them all Snuggies® last year. Well, Philadelphia has no shortage of cozy bookstores to spend a little quiet time on your shopping spree. Complete the scene with a blanket and cup of tea and you’ve just made winter somebody’s favorite season. 1 Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods Through Design The Com-

munity Design Collaborative highlights 20 of their 600 projects from the past two decades to show how design is bringing positive change to Philadelphia neighborhoods. $24.99 at AIA Bookstore 2 Rishi Loose Leaf Tea Bags Easy to

fill, chemical-free, fully biodegradable natural tea filters made with cellulose and manila hemp. $5 at Cook

3 Urban Apiaries Honey Made by city-dwelling honeybees, this honey is labeled by zip code. $5-$10 at Milk & Honey Market, Green Aisle Grocery, Fair Food Farmstand 4 Organic Fair Trade Teas These loose

leaf teas from Cook come in blends like Earl Grey and Chamomile Medley. Bonus: The tins are reusable. $8 at Cook 5 Fabric Horse Bag This handmade backpack pairs old-school class with a durable and water-resistant waxed canvas and cordura fabrics. Allow three weeks for custom orders. $78 at Fabric Horse (other Fabric Horse products found at Bicycle Revolutions, Firehouse Bicycles and Bell’s Bike Shop) 6 Blanket Woven from alpaca wool

fibers by families in the tiny village of Katakora, Bolivia. Ten Thousand Villages sells the villagers’ work and offers product design assistance. $195 at Ten Thousand Villages 7 Coffee Mug Ceramic mug by Ken Beiler, a member of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen-Haverford Chapter. Microwaveable and oven-safe. $16 at VIX Emporium

8 MoonSpoon Cherry wood honey

13 Peg and Awl Bookends Made of oak reclaimed from old shipping crates, painted with milk paint and finished with tung oil. Silhouettes come from profile shots of infamous female criminals. $60$75 at Peg and Awl on Etsy

spoon with decorative carvings and flame-blackened edges designed by Pennsylvania makers Jonathan and Julie Spoons. $18 at Pennsylvania General Store in Reading Terminal Market 9 Wooden Bookmarks Crafted from

high-quality scrap hardwood, these bookmarks by Beacon Bookmarks (Beacon, N.Y.) feature original drawings and prints from vintage rubber letter stamps. $7 at Art Star Boutique 10

Little Otsu Weekly Planner No

ordinary planner, each weekly spread features a different drawing to inspire organization. $18 at Art Star Boutique 11 No Click Mechanical Pencils Lead drops automatically during writing. Made from recycled paper and recycled rubber. $4.99 at Big Green Earth Store 12 Glasses Case Keep your glasses cozy and protected in one of these Philly-made cases hand-sewn from recycled materials. $12 at Samantha Moore on Etsy

14 Library Book Notebooks Overdue Industries takes cast-off books and gives them new life as journals filled with recycled paper and bound by recycled steel. $18 at VIX Emporium 15 David Copperfield Find your favorite bookworm a special read at one of Philadelphia’s fine used bookstores. Wooden Shoe, Brickbat Books, Bookspace, Book Trader 16 Seeds of Discent A novel about rebuilding cities greenward in the face of America’s failing economy. Written by Nic Esposito, a Philadelphia urban farmer. $20 at seedsofdiscent.com 17 The Meowmorphosis The latest in the remixed classics series from Old City’s Quirk Books, The Meowmorphosis features Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, but with a man-sized kitten. $12.95 at Headhouse Books

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Foodie Stuff that stocking with delectables and equip your favorite foodie with the finest kitchenware Philly has to offer. Or, if you’re looking to keep those gastrophiles busy this winter, set them up with a canning system… or even better, a homebrewing kit. Festive!

1 Preserving Set The Ball Utensil Set

helps you safely and easily handle hot jars and lids, measure headspace and remove air bubbles (jars sold separately). $17.50 at Greensgrow Farms, Rittenhouse Hardware, 10th St. Hardware and Fantes.

2 Stargazers Traditional Brut Star-

gazers Vineyard in Coatesville, Pa. uses sustainable practices to grow their grapes, and solar power provides electricity for the winery and their home. The Traditional Brut is a blend of Pinot and Chardonnay. $21 at Stargazers Vineyard 3 Reanimator Coffee Fishtown’s Re-

Animator Coffee provides freshly roasted, sustainable, single-origin coffee delivered by bike. $15 at Green Aisle Grocery, Quince Fine Foods, Sue’s Produce Market, One Shot Coffee, Grindcore House and Whipped Bakeshop 4 Jin-Ja This all-natural, herbal tonic is a blend of ginger, cayenne, lemon, mint, green tea and sugar. The creation of Philadelphia lawyer Reuben Canada, Jin-Ja claims to increase metabolism, improve digestion and reduce arthritic inflammation. $15 at Green Aisle Grocery and Pumpkin Market

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5 Celebrate Vegan Dynise Balcavage makes vegan cooking for traditional celebrations more enjoyable with this collection of recipes from holidays across the globe. $17.95 at Joseph Fox Bookshop 6 Almost Meatless Not interested in going vegetarian? Here’s some recipe inspiration for a more modest intake of meat. By Philadelphia’s Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond. $22.50 at Cook

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7 Rhuby In 1771, Ben Franklin sent John

Bartram America’s first rhubarb seeds. Bartram brewed a garden tea from the seeds. This year, Art in the Age took Bartram’s recipe and created a unique certified-organic spirit. $30+ in most liquor stores. 8 Whiskey Stones Made from natural

soapstone by Vermont craftsmen, these stones put a slight chill in your whiskey without diluting it or adding unwanted flavors. $19.95 at Art In The Age

9 Towel Flour sack kitchen towels by the Philadelphia-based designer Girls Can Tell feature ingenious diagrams of everyday technologies, foods and places. $14 at VIX Emporium, Nice Things Handmade, Girls Can Tell Shop 10 Homebrew Beginner’s Equipment Kit Pick up a new hobby and create a

fresh brew with this beginner’s setup. The kit and ingredient package provide almost everything you need to start brewing (bottles not included). $69.95 at Home Sweet Homebrew

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11 Wood Burned Spoons Fun and quirky designs burned into wooden spoons by Philadelphia’s Lorraine Daliessio. $18 at VIX Emporium

14 Strawberry Vanilla Syrup Local fruit syrup made by the La Copine brunch truck. A great addition to holiday morning pancakes. $10 at Green Aisle Grocery

12 Cutting Board Made from the beams of demolished local factories, these Philly-crafted cutting boards by Bolle Designs have amazing character. $30-$200 at Art In The Age

15 Lamb Ragu Green Aisle Grocery partners with area restaurants to carry some of their specialty products, like LeVirtu’s Lamb Ragu, made from Lancaster County lamb shoulder. $13 at Green Aisle Grocery

13 Ginger Pear Preserves Preserves from La Copine made with Bosc pears from Three Springs Fruit Farm in Wenksville, Pa. $10 at Green Aisle Grocery

16 Core Bamboo Bowl Crafted from 100% organically-grown bamboo this bucket bowl is chic, practical and great for salads and snacks. Small $28, Large $45 at Center For Art In Wood 17 Philadelphia Chocolate Collection Philadelphia has seen hundreds of

confectioners, and this box of chocolates represents some of the best still in operation today. $25.99 at Pennsylvania General Store

18 John & Kiras Chocolate Bees Salted caramel chocolate bees made with fragrant basswood honey from Draper Family Apiaries in Millerton, Pa. $25 at Cook, Weaver’s Way, Di Bruno Brothers and the Fair Food Farmstand 19 Marcie Blane Chocolates Philly inspired chocolates, including the Skyline, Liberty Bells, Love Park and Pretzel designs. Made with Lancaster County organic cream and butter. 9 Box $17.95 at Verde

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7 Fair Lady

originally designed for sailors at sea. $160-$190 at Art In The Age or Peg and Awl on Etsy

Quality never goes out of style, and nothing says quality like handcrafted garments from your local neighborhood artisans. Do yourself a favor and visit Philly’s charming boutiques instead of clawing your way through the big department store crowds. And the best part? You’ll find better gifts! You know she deserves it.

3 Preloved Mittens Cozy mittens made from sweater remnants and felted for maximum warmth. $26 at Arcadia Boutique

1 Book Jewelry Handmade necklace with a tiny leather-bound book. By Minna Aaparyti, owner of The Craft Foundry in Kensington. Craft classes also available. $58 at The Craft Foundry

using high quality vintage dead-stock wools sourced locally by Chelsea Pearce, owner of Moon & Arrow. $78 at Moon & Arrow.

2 Peg and Awl Tote Sturdy and styl-

ish, this tote, made with antique leather, vintage fabrics and waxed canvas, was

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4 Leather Wingspan Shoulder Dusters Handmade in Philly from recycled

leather by Canoe Crafts. $44 at Arcadia Boutiqe or Canoe Crafts on Etsy 5 Moon & Arrow Poncho Handmade

6 Knit Hat Hand-knit hat by Elissa Kara owner of Nice Things Handmade. $20 at Nice Things Handmade

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7 Big Buddha Moccasins Moccasins with faux-fur lining. Big Buddha products are made with eco-friendly materials and practices in mind. $42 at Adorn Boutique

11 Ann Forseman Scarf Delicate handdyed and painted scarves by Philadelphian Anne Foresman. $55 at The Craft Foundry

8 Jade Yoga Mat The first “green” yoga mat. Made in Conshohocken with no PVCs and from natural rubber. $57.99-$69.99 at Essene Market, Fountain of Yoga Studio & Wellness Center and Studio 34

Hand-dyed vintage lace jewelry — antique charm with a modern edge. $30 VIX Emporium or Tree & Kimball on Etsy

9 Hydros Bottle Gives easy access to

Tree & Kimball Lace Necklace

Eviama Life Spa Gift Certificate

filtered water even on the go. A dollar from every bottle goes to building clean water infrastructure in villages around the world. $22.99 at Save Some Green

Eviama takes a “whole picture” approach to the spa experience, providing a range of body and mind services in their sustainably designed and energy-efficient spa. Gift Certificates available at Eviama

10 In2Green Socks Made from sustainable recycled cotton in the USA and Central America, sweatshop-free. A portion of proceeds support environmental organizations like Leave No Trace. $17.99 at The Big Green Earth Store.

14 U-Bee-Well Lip Balms Bliss for your lips! Made by Philadelphian Barbara Gettes, these balms are olive oil infused with lavender and calendula from her garden, and local beeswax and raw honey. $5.50 at Milk & Honey Market

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Chic Geek Fingerless gloves? Check. Wool socks? Check. Handcrafted hat and shirt? Chic! Don’t be Scrooge-y. That PAmanufactured folding bike isn’t going to put itself under the tree. The stylin’ urbanite in your life won’t know how to thank you. Then you can tell him where to go and how to get there with help from GRID’s good friend, Julie Lorch’s Where to Bike: Philadelphia. 1 Commonwealth Proper Proudly

handmade here in Philly, CP shirts promote timeless style, perfect fit and personalized details. Custom shirt about $175 2 Brooks BioMoGo Sneakers These

sneaks have the first-ever biodegradable midsole, are made with 75% post-

consumer recycled materials, and use water-based adhesives and non-toxic dyes. $89.95 at Philadelphia Runner

two-pack of ravel-free socks will keep you warm forever. $24.99 at I Goldberg

3 Fingerless Gloves Party In My Pock-

sustainably-harvested bamboo, foodgrade silicone and stainless steel. Great for the minimalist. $32.99 at Big Green Earth Store

et’s gloves use wool from WWII-era wrist warmers and deerskin on the palm. Super warm and stretchy. Choose your own wool at pimpgloves.com. $65 at Art in the Age 4 Reload Flight Pack This heavy duty, waterproof backpack has a plush, lightweight and waterproof liner inside and waxed brown canvas outside. $215 at Reload Bags, Bicycle Revolutions, Bicycle Therapy and Firehouse Bicycles 5 Endless Hats Made by Emily Weisger-

ber of Bloomsburg, Pa., these handcrafted hats are a great addition to anyone’s winter wardrobe. $45 at Bicycle Revolutions 6 Woolrich Socks Durable socks with

a lifetime guarantee. The Pine Creek

7 Klean Kanteen Reflect Crafted from

8 GreenSmart Komodo Laptop Sleeve Made from 100% recycled plastic

bottles. Has a specially designed gusset so your laptop can breathe. $49.99 at The Big Green Earth Store 9 Where to Bike: Philadelphia Embark on an adventure with this guide of more than 80 bike rides in and around the city. $29.99 at Keswick Cycle and other bike shops and bookstores 10 Vers Ear Buds Sleek earbuds crafted with sustainably sourced hardwoods & bamboo. For every tree used Vers plants

100. $50 at Adorn Boutique 11 Rogue Theory VERT These hip handmade wallets come in dozens of patterns. Made by Philly gals with a passion for design and functionality. $8 at Nice Things Handmade or RogueTheory on Etsy 12 Xooter Folding Bike Made in Pennsylvania, this folding road bike is super light and stable. A great eight-speed ride. $749 at Philadelphia Electric Wheels 13 Blackburn Flea Perfect for any cyclist, this compact rechargeable tail light has four super-bright red LEDs, and includes a USB and solar charger. $39.99 at Keswick Cycle 14 Madrobes Jacket Made from recycled bottles and built to handle chaotic weather during everyday commutes and workouts. $140 at Bicycle Revolution

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Green Thumb Winter can be a trying time for the gardener, but you can give the gift that keeps on growing. Cultivate some holiday cheer with gifts from Philly’s best local garden centers. Keep it up and you’ll be a perennial contender for Santa’s favorite little helper. 1 Jump Start Grow Light System

Great for starting seedlings, Hydrofarm’s grow light system is easy to assemble and comes with a one-year warranty. $69.99 at Primex 2 Stainless Steel Planter Phila-

delphia-made Shift Space Herb Garden is perfect for a beginner’s vertical wall

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garden. $98 at City Planter 3 Worth Transplanter This sturdy

garden tool is made of heavy duty cast aluminum with standard and metric measurements. $12.95 at Urban Jungle 4 Tote Bag Support Cloud 9 Farm, a

rooftop farm project in West Philly, by buying a tote bag. $10 @ cloud9farm. blogspot.com 5 Birdhouse Recycled Rowhouse trans-

forms unwanted furniture into one-of-akind birdhouses. $50-$89 at Greensgrow, Heirloom Home & Studio, or Recycled Rowhouse on Etsy 6 Mud Gloves Made from super-soft

organic cotton with an extra tough latex coating. $12 at City Planter

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7 Green and Red Succulents Bring some red and green indoors this

season with a vibrant Aeonium (green) or Crassula capitella (red) succulent. $3.95 each at Greensgrow 8 Living Wall Planter Made in the U.S.

from 100% recycled plastic bottles, Mini Woolly Pocket’s wall planter is for indoor or outdoor use. $18 + at City Planter, Primex, Urban Jungle, Greensgrow 9 Plastec’s Eco Herb Garden Kit Ideal

for bringing some herb garden green to a winter window. Contains 100% recycled materials. $9.99 at Primex 10

Seed Bombs Comprised of clay and

compost, seed bombs are fun and easy ways to transform vacant places into green oases. $2.50 each at City Planter

11 Quakertown Planters A cast stone planter from Peter’s, a family-run business in Quakertown dedicated to quality and service. $28+ at City Planter 12 KidsWork Gardening Gloves Natural cotton gloves with reinforcement

on the fingertips and palm. They even have a spot for your littlest gardener’s name. $13 at City Planter 13 Round Wallarium Created with loving care by the folks at City Planter, these little wall terrariums can also become simple vases. $12.99+ at City Planter 14 Mushroom Kit Grow-at-home mushroom kit lets you grow up to 1 1/2 pounds of gourmet mushrooms in as few as 10 days. $19.99 at Primex

pipsqueak

2 Owly Shadow Puppet A perfect ac-

6 Needlings Owl Plush owls made by

companiment for storytelling time. $12 at Art Star Boutique

You’ve made your list and checked it twice, but it doesn’t really matter if they’re naughty or nice—you still have to get something for the rugrats. It’s actually not that hard to avoid the trappings of Saturday morning cartoon merch and drop something special down the chimney. The kids are gonna love it.

3 Color Your Own Plush Greenstar Studio combines two favorite toys: coloring book and a stuffed friend. $15 at Square Peg Artery and Salvage

hand with eco-friendly felt in Canada. $30 at Nice Things Handmade or Needlings on Etsy

1 Little Monster Hoodie & Plush Toy Hand-stitched by Philadelphia’s

5 Green Toys Toolset No job is too big with this environmentally-friendly tool kit. 15-piece set. $19.89 at Save Some Green

Diane Koss. Hoodie $45, toy $29 at P.POD (located inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art) or Cutesy But Not Cutsey on Etsy.

4 Longboard Arbor skateboards and

snowboards use sustainable-certified wood cores and water-based finishes. Decks are gripped with crushed recycled glass. $135-$170 at Human Zoom

7 Powerhouse This interactive kit lets kids build models of a greenhouse, a solar cell array, a wind power generator and more. $129.99 at Franklin Institute Gift Shop 8 Septa Wooden Railway What kid

isn’t fascinated by trains? Give them the gift of these classics with a Philly twist! $14.99-$26.99 at O’Doodles or Franklin Institute Gift Shop

9 Venus Fly Trap This itty-bitty Venus Fly Trap will bring endless hours of entertainment. $7-$10 at Primex Garden Center and City Planter 10 Critter Carriers Made by Jurgita Cenkute of BedHeadSheep using wool felting techniques. $45 at Art Star Boutique 11 Knit Animal Mittens The only mittens that come as opposing animal rivalry pairs. Made by Vs. Mittens. $30-$40 at Square Peg Artery and Salvage

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directory

Hoof and Antler etsy.com/shop/ hoofandantler

AIA Bookstore 1218 Arch St. 215-569-3188 aiabookstore.com

The Craft Foundry 701 Belgrade St. 267-977-8499 craftfoundry.com

Human Zoom 4159 Main St. 215-487-7433 humanzoom.com

Adorn Boutique 1314 Frankford Ave. 215-739-2120 sarahlewisjewelry.com

Cutesy But Not Cutesy etsy.com/shop/dkoss2

I Goldberg 1300 Chestnut St. 215-925-9393 igoco.com

Art Star Gallery and Boutique 623 N. Second St. 215-238-1557 artstarphilly.com Bell’s Bike Shop 1320 E. Passyunk Ave. 888-901-9990 bellsbikeshop.com Bicycle Revolutions 756 S. Fourth St. 215-629-2453 bicyclerevolutions.com Bicycle Therapy 2211 South St. 215-735-7849 bicycletherapy.com Big Green Earth Store 934 South St. 267-909-8661 biggreenearthstore.com The Book Trader 7 N. Second St. 215-925-2080 phillybooktrader. googlepages.com Bookspace 1113 Frankford Ave. phillybookspace. blogspot.com Brickbat Books 709 S. Fourth St. 215-592-1207 brickbatbooks.blogspot. com Canoe Crafts etsy.com/shop/ CanoeCrafts The Center for Art in Wood 141 N. Third St. 215-923-8000 centerforartinwood.org City Planter 814 N. Fourth St. 215-627-6169 cityplanter.com The Clay Studio 139 N. Second St. 215-925-3453 theclaystudio.org

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Rittenhouse Hardware 2001 Pine St. 215-735-6311 rittenhousehardware.com

Cook 253 S. 20th St. 215-735-COOK audreyclairecook.com

Art in the Age 116 N. Third St. 215-922-2600 artintheage.com

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ReLoad Bags 608 N. Second St. 215-625-2987 reloadbags.com

10th St. Hardware 257 S. 10th St. 215-922-0720 10thstreethardware.com

Arcadia Boutique 819 N. Second St. 215-667-8099 arcadiaboutique.com

Homesweet Homebrew 2008 Sansom St. 215-569-9469 homesweethomebrew.com

Di Bruno Bros. 1730 Chestnut St. 215-665-9220, dibruno.com Essene Market 719 S. Fourth St. 215-922-1146 essenemarket.com Eviama Life Spa 262 S. 16th St. 215-545-3344 eviama.com Fabric Horse 1737 E. Passyunk Ave. 215-694-9034 fabrichorse.com Fair Food Farmstand 12th and Arch Sts. 215-386-5211 ext. 120 fairfoodphilly.org Fante’s Kitchen Shop 1006 S. Ninth St. 215-922-5557 fantes.com

Joseph Fox Bookshop 1724 Sansom St. 215-563-4184 foxbookshop.com Keswick Cycle 4040 Locust St. 215-397-4191 keswickcycle.com Milk and Honey Market 4435 Baltimore Ave. 215-387-6455 milkandhoneymarket.com Moon and Arrow 727 S. Fourth St. 215-200-1617 moonandarrow.com Nice Things Handmade 1731 E. Passyunk Ave. 267-455-0256 nicethingshandmade.com Needlings etsy.com/shop/needlings

Firehouse Bicycles 701 S. 50th St. 215-727-9692 firehousebicycles.com

O’Doodles 8335 Germantown Ave. 215-247-7405 odoodles.com

Fountain of Yoga 9259 Roosevelt Blvd., 2nd Fl., 215-259-8403 fountainofyoga.com

One Shot Coffee 217 W. George St. 215-627-1620 1shotcoffee.com

Franklin Inst. Gift Shop 222 N. 20th St. 215-448-1200, fi.edu

Peg and Awl etsy.com/shop/pegandawl

Girls Can Tell 1141 Pierce St. girlscantell.com Green Aisle Grocery 1618 E. Passyunk Ave. 215-465-1411 greenaislegrocery.com Greensgrow Farm 2501 E. Cumberland Ave. 215-427-2702 greensgrow.org Grindcore House 1515 S. Fourth St. 215-839-3333 grindcorehouse.com Headhouse Books 619 S. Second St. 215-923-9525 headhousebooks.com Heirloom Home & Studio 2227 Mt. Carmel Ave., Glenside, 215-572-0371 heirloomhomeand studio.com

Pennsylvania General Store Reading Terminal Market 215-508-1881 pageneralstore.com

Rogue Theory etsy.com/shop/ RogueTheory Samantha Moore etsy.com/people/ SamanthaMoore Save Some Green 2005 Chestnut St. 215-454-2258 savesomegreen.org Square Peg Artery and Salvage 108 S. 20th St. 215-360-5548 squarepegartery.com Stargazer’s Vineyard 1024 Wheatland Dr., Coatesville 610-486-0422 stargazersvineyard.com Studio 34 4522 Baltimore Ave. 215-387-3434 studio34yoga.com Sue’s Produce Market 114 S. 18th St. 215-241-0102 Ten Thousand Villages 1122 Walnut St. 215-574-2008 philadelphia. tenthousandvillages.com Three Potato Four 376 Shurs Lane, Building A 267-335-3633 threepotatofourshop.com Tree and Kimball etsy.com/people/ treeandkimball Urban Jungle 1528 E. Passyunk Ave. 215-952-0811 urbanjunglephila.com

Philadelphia Runner 1601 Sansom St. 215-972-8333 philadelphiarunner.com

Verde 108 South 13th St. 215-546-8700 verdephiladelphia.com/ verde

Primex Garden Center 435 W. Glenside Ave., Glenside, 215-887-7500 primexgardencenter.com

Vix Emporium 5009 Baltimore Ave. 215-471-7700 vixemporium.com

Pumpkin Market 1610 South St. 215-545-3924 pumpkinphilly.com

Weaver’s Way Co-op 559 Carpenter Lane 215-843-2350 weaversway.coop

Quince Fine Foods 209 W. Girard Ave. 215-232-3425 quincefinefoods.com Recycled Rowhouse etsy.com/shop/ recycledrowhouse Red Boots Design etsy.com/shop/ redbootsdesign

Whipped Bakeshop 636 Belgrade St. 215-598-5449 whippedbakeshop.com Wooden Shoe Books 704 South St. 215-413-0999 woodenshoebooks.com

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urban naturalist

by bernard brown

A Tall Cool One

often feel hemlock trees around me before I look up and identify them. I’ll be hacking my way through the woods, sweating in summer heat. Then the underbrush opens, the light dims and a slow, refreshing breeze washes over me. I’m under the tight canopy of a hemlock standing alongside a stream. I love that dark, cool atmosphere on a hot day, and so do the wildlife—in particular, stream denizens such as trout that rely on cold water. Hemlocks keep it cool, and they take their time. They grow slowly, sometimes taking a couple hundred years to reach maturity, and then living upwards of 800 years. The Wissahickon Valley is a great place to check out some hemlocks (named for their scent, which is similar to that of the poisonous plant that killed Socrates). There are shrubby examples along the trails and some real giants presiding over the creek. This time of year, when few other trees have any leaves, it’s easy to spot the evergreens with the short, flat needles. My wife Jen and I walked along Rex Avenue, and I inspected the trees we passed. (Want to weird out your neighbors? Walk really slowly and fondle the trees.) I was looking for the tiny pest killing the trees: the hemlock woolly adelgid (pronounced a-DEL-jid). Starting in late autumn, these ittybitty insects with a bewilderingly complex life cycle make themselves easy to spot by producing cottony white balls to protect their eggs in between the needles, which looks sort of like the trees got a pedicure. It might take four years, or it might take 10, but those little white balls spell death for the tree. The adelgids slowly suck the life from the hemlocks, killing them branch by branch. On a vacation to Western North Carolina, we visited a waterfall in Pisgah National Forest. Death was slowly sweeping up the creek valley, the deep green of intact trees upstream fading to the sickly tan of dead ones downstream. Our hemlocks are dying, but not quite that fast. Kelli Holland, an entomology professor at Penn State explains, “the impact is greater the further south you go.” New England hemlocks have been spared the worst of the blight so far. Pennsylvania is in the middle, with particularly high mortality in our region, the warmest corner of the state. The sinister woolly adelgids (it’s hard to think of something “woolly” as sinister, but trust me) hail from East Asia and arrived in eastern North America with no predators, except out West, to keep them in check. Insecticides can control the 26

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Shade-providing hemlock trees are under siege from the sinister woolly adelgid

adelgids on a small scale—say in a garden— but in a forest, the best chance may be the adelgid’s natural enemies, including tiny adelgid-egg-eating beetles from China. Holland’s lab is working to test these beetles and figure out how to deploy them on a large scale. Other labs are studying other predators, some of which have already been released. “We’re going to need a guild of predators,” Holland says, and indeed the U.S. Forest Service has been funding work with a wide range of adelgid enemies.

Losing hemlocks means more than just losing a beautiful tree. The cascade of effects on our forests and waterways is terrible to contemplate, but in 1931 the Pennsylvania legislature chose the hemlock as our state tree. If there’s any place to take a stand for hemlocks, it’s here. 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. ph oto by f li c k r user nichol a s t

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dec

The Whispering Wood Opening

The Waldorf School of Philadelphia presents a multi-sensory conceptual shopping environment melding the core aspects of Waldorf Education with handmade toys and gifts. Visitors will be transported out of the ordinary with unique sound and music, the scent of essential oils, together with the sight and touch of natural elements and materials. The Whispering Wood opens in its permanent location at the Waldorf School of Philadelphia on Wednesday, December 14.

09 10 11

→→ Fri., Dec. 9, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sat. – Sun.,

Dec. 10 – 11, 9 a.m. -5 p.m., Green on Greene, 6819 Greene St. For more information, visit phillywaldorf.com/the-whispering-wood

dec

Arcadia Holiday Party, Jewelry Show & Art Opening 09 Trunk Join Arcadia in celebrating the holidays with the opening of their winter exhibition, curated by local artist and Arcadia shop girl Mallory Lawson. Check out a trunk show featuring two of Arcadia’s favorite jewelry designers, Angela Monaco and Linda Smyth (formerly of Topstitch Boutique). Plus, music and food and drinks to make the party merry! →→ Fri., Dec. 9, 7 – 9 p.m., Arcadia Boutique,

819 N. 2nd St. For more information, visit

Greensgrow Holiday Bazaar Looking for local, handmade gift ideas 10 from some of the neighborhood’s most 11 talented crafters and artists? Make a 17 dent in your Christmas shopping at 18 Greensgrow’s Holiday Bazaar. The nursery will be bursting with evergreen swags, gorgeous trees and beautiful bows for all your December décor needs. Pick up local gift items like rosemary bushes, dwarf Alberta Spruce, mini-evergreens, cyclamens, amaryllis, Christmas cactus and paper white bulbs.

dec

→→ Sat. - Sun., Dec. 10 - 11, Sat. – Sun., Dec. 17 –

18, Mt. Airy Art Garage, 11 W. Mt. Airy Ave. For more information, visit mtairyartgarage.org

17 – 18, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Greensgrow Farms, 2501 E. Cumberland St. For more information, visit greensgrow.org

dec

Toad Detour Documentary miss the the first public screening 10 Don’t of the official Toad Detour documentary, produced by filmmaker Burgess Coffield to raise awareness of the plight of toads trying to maintain ancient migratory routes in a modern world. Local residents, Schuylkill Center staff and Toad Detour founders/volunteers were interviewed. Coffield will answer questions and Detour founder Lisa Levinson will make an important announcement about the future the project. →→ Sat., Dec. 10, 4 – 6 p.m., Schuylkill Center

for Environmental Education, 8480 Hagy’s Mill Rd. For more information, visit toaddetour.com and schuylkillcenter.org

dec

Lecture on Water Quality the Wissahickon Creek 13 of Dennis Pennington has more than 38 years of experience in hazardous waste and ground water investigations and remediation. In this lecture, he will address the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association (WVWA) water quality monitoring program. WVWA has 11 sampling stations along the Wissahickon and Sandy Run, its largest tributary. Pennington will address how WVWA intends to use the data to plan restoration and identify areas of environmental concern.

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Inn, West Valley Green Rd. To register, email Friends of the Wissahickon at magnuson@ fow.org or call 215-247-0417 ext. 109.

dec

The Philadelphia Craft Market 17 Independent With over 45 vendors and four live bands, The Philadelphia Independent Craft Market is a fun and entertaining way to get your holiday shopping done. Scout out art, handmade and vintage gifts while listening to the Spinning Joneses and Hezekiah Leaves, Sisters 3, the Great Unknown and Levee Drivers.

→→ Sat. – Sun., Dec. 10 – 11, Sat. – Sun., Dec.

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The Best Holiday Art Market the first three Saturdays and 10 During Sundays in December, Mt. Airy Art Garage will open its doors and offer the community a diverse selection of fine arts and handcrafts created by artists from Germantown, Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill.

→→ Tues., Dec. 13, 6:30 – 8 p.m., Valley Green

→→ Sat., Dec. 17, 1 – 8 p.m., 2424 Studios,

2424 York St. For more information, contact phillycraftmarket@gmail.com

dec

2011 Winter Solstice Celebration The Land Conservancy for South22 Join ern Chester County (TLC) in celebrating the longest night of the year and the beginning of the winter season at the 82-acre Stateline Woods Preserve. Enjoy a bonfire while sipping hot chocolate and view the wonders of the winter skies through stargazing equipment. Free and open to the public. Musical instruments welcome. →→ Thurs., Dec. 22, 5 – 7 p.m., The Land Conser-

vancy of Chester County’s Wood Preserve, 814 Merrybell Ln., Kennett Square. For more information, visit tlcforscc.org

dec

Academy of Natural Sciences All Star Week 27 The Academy of Natural Sciences cele28 brates its most popular attractions with 29 live animal shows, museum specimens, craft-making and storytelling. Join them for Dinosaur, Animal and Butterfly days, where you’ll see an array of live specimens and have a chance to learn from the experts. →→ Tues. – Thurs., Dec. 27 – 29, The Academy

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

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g r id p h il ly. c o m

The Rule of Three by ron bishop

uring our very happy, almost 15year marriage, my wife Sheila and I have given each other every possible gift. Some, like my drum kit and handsomely battered briefcase, are revered. Others have been loved for a time or shelved and then, kindly dispatched to Goodwill. To avoid ending up on the TV show “Hoarders,” a new “rule of three” regarding presents to each other will go into effect this Christmas. We think it’s pretty straightforward: Three presents, one of which can be expensive. Congress should be able to write such a succinct law. My nine-year-old son may still be exempt; that amendment is still in committee. A second impetus for the rule is the discourse that informs and the behavior that attaches to gift-giving, at least in how the media tell the story. What we see and read suggests thinking about giving as an act of acquisition and distribution, a by-product of consumption, and in some homes, almost a blood sport. While it’s been true for some time that to adequately express your love for someone, you have to buy them something, it seems now you have to kill yourself to buy them something expensive, and definitely more than one. Or, perhaps how you go about obtaining the gift has become more important than the gift itself. Shrinking in our cultural rearview mirror are less aggressive tales of giving—The Gift of the Magi, for example, or A Charlie Brown Christmas. Stories like these, and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, are quaint, but they have to be amped up—or in the case of The Grinch re-mastered (and soul-altered) into a frantic Jim Carrey version— if they’re to sustain the volume of the media’s holiday onslaught. Holiday-themed ads seem to hit the air days after the Fourth of July. Stores erect their Christ30

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mas trees and menorahs seconds after that. And a decade ago, after this nation’s worst terrorist attack, we were urged to confirm our patriotism and ease the country’s pain by heading to the nearest mall. That’s a lot of pressure. Then, there’s the coverage of giving and, a little more broadly, the holidays. What are we told as the holidays approach? That traffic will be impossible as our friends and neighbors clog the roadways trying to get to the mall, and later, to grandma’s house. That the nation’s weak economic recovery depends on how much we contribute to the coffers of area merchants. Everywhere you look, more pressure. Shouting loudest is the frantic coverage of Black Friday, and of late, the weeklong lead-up to Black Friday. Don’t worry about the risk to your personal safety, we’re told—set four alarms and climb over your family to get to the mall as early as possible! Camp out the night before if you have to! The best deals on items you didn’t know you wanted await on the other side of these doors. Later, news helicopters scour shopping mall parking lots. They fix their cameras on shoppers robotically heading in and out, emptying their wallets and filling their carts. When defining news in my journalism class, I include the phrase “breaks through the routine.” Unless someone is killed in the crush of humanity struggling to buy the year’s hot toy, as has tragically happened a few times, the fact that lots

of people are scrambling to buy gifts at holiday time simply doesn’t live up to that phrase. Yet we’ve been educated to think that this annual rite of holiday madness is worth the hours of breathless coverage devoted to it. And finally, there’s the morning—or eight days and nights—we all wait for, and have since we were kids. In ads, movies and shows, presents are tossed to their recipients; gift bags are gathered for reuse and wrapping paper is decimated; its shards float to the ground in a tiny tickertape parade. Loud thank-yous and quick kisses are exchanged. The booty is then bagged, trucked to the car and taken home. Through it all, there’s not a lick of simplicity, of calm, of bright—no scale whatsoever in the media’s story of our gift-giving tendencies. Even though it’s more accurate to say the media tells us what to think about rather than what to think, we’re made to look as though we’re crazed, covetous shopaholics who have adopted a mercenary approach to what must at one time have been a simple, kind act. Hence the “rule of three.” Check back after the first of the year to see how we did. ron bishop is a professor in Culture and Communication at Drexel University. He is the author of more: The Vanishing of Scale in an Over-theTop Nation (August 2011, Baylor University Press). Send comments to bishoprc@drexel.edu. i llust rat i on by dan i el hu ghe s

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