The Emerald Street Community Farm

from The Emerald Street Community Farm

The Emerald Street Community Farm from

Urban Agriculture in East Kensington

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.

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.

“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.

“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.”

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.”

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

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.” kisses one of the farm’s new chicks.

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.

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.

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.

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