The Emerald Street Community Farm

Urban Agriculture in East Kensington

A Photo Story by Cara Kishter

In 2008, Elisa Ruse-Esposito started the Emerald Street Community Farm at the site of multiple vacant lots on the corner of Emerald and Dauphin Streets in East Kensington, Philadelphia. Local community members engaged with the farm to create a communal growing space in the neighborhood. In 2011, Nic Esposito, Elisa’s husband, joined the farm’s efforts. Today, Elisa and Nic co-manage the farm, which is officially owned and protected by the Neighborhood Gardens Trust. The farm provides the community with fresh food, educational opportunities, and a sanctuary for anyone willing to roll up their sleeves.

Nic Espostio talks to farm volunteers as they work in the garden on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Volunteers can come to farm days on Wednesdays from 5 PM until sundown.

Elisa (R) talks to Valentina (L), an involved member of the Emerald Street Community Farm, on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Valentina’s dog, Lucy, is a regular member of the farm community as well.

Elisa Ruse-Esposito (R), helps a volunteer thin beet plants.

“Once you like, make something grow food wise, it’s just like, it’s just amazing, you can’t ever, it’s a very impacting experience,” Nic said. Volunteers express similar feelings of joy associated with gardening at the farm.

According to Nic, Elisa knew other people creating similar garden projects in Philadelphia. Interested in urban agriculture and building community through farming, Elisa bought a house next to an empty lot with a vision of creating a farm in the unused space.

Naomi “The Chicken Whisperer” plays with a water gun at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

“Bye, enjoy the greens!” Nic Esposito says to volunteers as they leave the garden on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.

“You’re getting a double benefit, because you get food, so it’s great to have fresh, amazing food, that’s super important, but also it’s a community space,” Nic said. “So you can see there’s people like, half the people sitting here right now are sitting here talking, and that’s fine, we’re not like, ‘get up, you gotta work’, it’s like no, we’re here to chill, hang out, have fun, and get some stuff done.”

Children are an important part of the community at the Emerald Street Community Farm. The neighborhood around Emerald Street houses many families with young children. Kids from the neighborhood have been a part of the farm from the beginning.

Nic said, “When Elisa first started, she always jokes, it was her, her friend Patrick who helped her start it, and a bunch of kids.”

Felix, or “Sharky”, as he’s referred to by his family and friends, holds a water gun as Lucy the dog stands behind him. Naomi (L), Phoenix (Center), and Erin (R), Phoenix’s mom, stand in part of the garden on the other side of the fence.

Emerald Street has evolved considerably since the farm was created in 2008. Nic Esposito comments on how many of the people that lived in the neighborhood when the farm was born are no longer residents.

“This neighborhood’s changed a lot,” Nic said. “Sadly enough, a lot of neighbors that were here couldn’t afford to live in the neighborhood. A lot of people were renting.”

Despite the changes the East-Kensington neighborhood has endured, Nic is grateful for their local community.

“We’re very thankful a lot of great families have moved in,” Nic said. “There’s a really great sense of community here...everybody’s having kids in this neighborhood, so there’s tons of kids running around.”

Naomi feeds grass to chickens at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

Phoenix (R), runs away from friends Luca, Felix, and Yasko, after getting a bucket of water dumped on his head.

Naomi (L) and another child look at the farm’s new chicks.

Phoenix climbs the fence at Emerald Park across the street from the farm on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.

Naomi waters plants in the garden with a water gun on Wednesday, April 12, 2022.

Volunteers and visitors of the farm hold and play with chicks at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

Asparagus plants are labeled with a wooden sign in the garden at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

Two farm volunteers sit on either side of Lucy the dog (L) and Valentina (R).

Compost bins at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

Klyde (L), watches a chicken walk through a row of plants at the Emerald Street Community Farm on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.

“When egg prices are currently like, six dollars a carton, getting eggs from the chickens every Friday is great right now” Klyde said.

Klyde has been a volunteer at the Emerald Street Community Farm for roughly nine months after discovering it was two blocks from his home. On his first day volunteering, after asking about the chickens, another volunteer asked if he wanted to join the Chicken Committee. Now, he helps take care of the chickens every Friday.

“My favorite thing is getting, I guess is technically two things, but getting my hands dirty while talking to really nice great people.”

Klyde explains how the farm is community oriented with an “open door” policy. Anyone who wants to come volunteer, join the committee, or take home food is welcomed and encouraged to. One of the aspirations of the grower’s committee is to find the best way to distribute leftover food grown at the farm to members of the community.

Jen gives one of the chickens at the farm a bath in a Home Depot bucket.

Aura holds a chick at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

kisses one of the farm’s new chicks.

Valentina (L)

Moving to Philadelphia over a year ago, Valentina was looking for volunteer opportunities and community farms in her new neighborhood. Today, she’s the secretary of both the executive committee and the board and is part of the grower’s committee for the Emerald Street Community Farm.

“I came for the first time and I met Elisa, and she was so lovely, and everyone was so lovely, and I was like, ‘yep, this is my place,’” Valentina said.

Valentina sits in an adirondack chair at the Emerald Street Community Farm and talks to other volunteers on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.

“This is my happy place.”

When Valentina moved to the city, she didn’t know anyone. The strong community aspect of the farm and the culture of working with the person next to you gave her the opportunity to make friendships and connections with members of her community who shared her interests.

“That’s the cool thing about this farm, you know, it’s different from the other farms in that we all actually work together, because other farms you know you have your own plot, where as here, you have to talk to people to know what to do.”

Community farms and gardens exist across the city of Philadelphia, but Emerald Street Community Farm’s emphasis on communal growing and harvesting makes them special.

Similar to other volunteers, Valentina expresses gratitude for the peaceful environment and the produce provided by the farm.

“I think for a lot of people it’s just kind of like, a safe space to come and grow some food and you know, when Kale’s getting expensive, you’re like ‘well, I can come get some kale here’,” Valentina said.

“It kind of just feels like a family,” Valentina said.

Farm volunteers are currently growing a variety of vegetables including asparagus, radishes, carrots, beets, and kale.

“Happy farm season!” volunteers exclaim at the Emerald Street Community Farm on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.

Aura watches the chickens at the farm on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.

Fragrant lavender plants that volunteers are encouraged to take home at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

A volunteer at the Emerald Street Community Farm tends to plants in the garden.

The Emerald Street Community Farm from

Lucy the dog’s perspective.

Lucy, or Lulu, as she’s referred to by Valentina and other volunteers, can usually be found by Valentina’s side at the farm. Valentina adopted Lucy in France, and the two have traveled to several countries together and eventually ended up in Philadelphia as active volunteers of the Emerald Street Community Farm.

Lucy (L) and her owner Valentina (R) at the Emerald Street Community Farm on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.

Luca and Felix are Nic and Elisa’s children, and the family lives right next door to the farm. Felix is affectionately referred to as “Sharky” by his family and friends. A group of kids who are children of the farm’s volunteers can likely be found playing baseball across the street or playing with water guns. Naomi is usually busy running around with the chickens.

Luca (L), Felix (Center), and Yasko (R) play baseball with their friend Phoenix (not pictured) at Emerald Park, which is visible from the farm across the street.

Naomi “The Chicken Whisperer” holds a chicken at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

A volunteer at the farm carries Luca on his back while Yasko kicks around a soccer ball.

Felix (R) sits in a chair with a chicken while Naomi (L) supervises.

A volunteer holds a chick at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

A volunteer tends to plants in the garden at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

Jen is a regular volunteer at the Emerald Street Community Farm working on the chicken committee and is currently raising the farm’s newest generation of chicks in her home.

Chicks at the Emerald Street Community Farm sit in a plastic bin.

When Jen walked through the farm’s gate with the chicks, the volunteers stopped what they were doing to take a look and hold one for themselves. The farm recently had a “Pics With Chicks” event, where anyone was welcome to stop by the farm and interact with the chicks.

Naomi (R) and her father (L) hold chicks at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

Aura is another active farm volunteer. She recently became co-chair of the grower’s committee with another volunteer named Dee Dee.

“It’s a really big deal because we’re both minorities here,” Aura said. “So to come together is really powerful so we can open up the space to more of the community and have it be more inclusive and accessible and comprehensive for people who are just starting out."

Aura moved to the neighborhood in July and was looking for opportunities to volunteer. She saw the kids running around the farm on a walk one day, found out about weekly farm days, and decided to start volunteering.

"It took off a lot of stress off of us because we were able to just harvest and not worry so much about groceries," Aura said. "We were recovering from a crisis and dealing with heavy depression, so it was very helpful along with the community fridges that are in the neighborhood."

Aura holds a chicken in her lap on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.

The farm allows members of the community to take control of their narrative in North Philadelphia.

Aura said, “We deal with a lot of fear mongering in the media, and so this is a great way of off setting that and taking control, taking matters in our own hands, and knowing that whatever happens, we have food, we have our basic needs met, and it just brings people together.”

Naomi spends time in the chicken coop and tries to lure one towards her. She struggles as the chicken runs when she gets close, but she persists.

Valentina and Lucy at the Emerald Street Community Farm.

Multiple volunteers expressed gratitude for the food cultivated at the farm as groceries become more and more expensive. The Emerald Street Community Farm aims to give the community the ability to provide for themselves and each other.

The sun sets on the Emerald Street Community Farm on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.

From left to right: Phoenix, Yasko, Luca, and Felix play baseball at Emerald Park.

Luca climbs the fence at Emerald Park.

Supplies organized in labeled bins at the farm. The farm holds events geared towards children and families.

Luca (L) and Phoenix (R) climb the fence at Emerald Park.

Garden gloves sit among other farming supplies in the farm’s storage area.

Naomi supervises as Jen gives a chicken a bath.

“I call East Kensington the Brooklyn of Philly,” one volunteer said.

Nic replied, “I call Brooklyn the East Kensington of New York.”

Nic Esposito waters plants with a hose at the Emerald Street Community Garden.

A mural painted by Dimitri Kadiev for the Emerald Street Community Farm in 2017 titled, “Building the Beloved Community.”

Felix, or “Sharky”, ran around with my camera while Yasko, Phoenix, and Luca continued to play baseball. Below are some of the photos he took.

Luca playing baseball at Emerald Park photographed by his brother Felix.

Citations

All photographs taken on April 12th and 19th of 2023.

Emerald Street Community Farm is preserved! Neighborhood Gardens Trust. (2021, April 26). Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://www.ngtrust.org/ emerald-street-community-farm-is-preserved/

Komar, M. (2019, May 9). Changes cropping up at Emerald Street Community Farm. Star News. Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://starnewsphilly. com/2018/03/19/changes-cropping-up-at-emerald-street-community-farm/

Above photo by Felix: Luca (L) and Phoenix (R) playing baseball.