words by Char Vandermeer photo by Neal Santos
THE BASICS
green thumbs
GROWING STEADY
FARMERS MARKETS, CONTAINER GARDENS AND COMMUNITYSUPPORTED AGRICULTURE ENCOURAGE A MORE SUSTAINABLE PHILLY. Yo, drop that cheesesteak and grab a hoe: Join the budding masses of Philadelphians dedicated to eating, growing and living green. Catch the gardening bug by grabbing a few discarded 5-gallon buckets (go trash-picking, you’ll be surprised) and plopping a nice San Marzano tomato into one; herbs like basil, oregano, chives and cilantro into another; and an impossible-to-kill jalapeño into the third — you’ve got an instant salsa-and-sauce garden. Worried your thumb isn’t green enough? Attend a few of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s (pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org) free Gardening Series workshops held throughout the spring and summer months, and you’ll be hoeing like a pro. And by all means, avoid the big box stores’ anemic seedlings and place an order with Startin’ Yer Garten (startinyergarten. wordpress.com) — you’ll receive regular status updates as capable hands lovingly raise your
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CITYPAPER PRIMER 2010 - 2011
garden-to-be into hardy, transplant-ready sets. If you’re feeling truly ambitious, start from scratch and pick up a few packets of Happy Cat Organics (happycatorganics.com) seeds at your local farmers market. Speaking of which, reduce food-mile fuel consumption and support The Food Trust’s (thefoodtrust.org) efforts to bring local, affordable produce into just about every Philadelphia neighborhood by grabbing a tote bag and going shopping. Do yourself a favor and try Culton Organics’ chartreuse fractal wonder of a romanesco at the Headhouse Square Farmers Market; all Food Trust markets accept WIC, Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers and EBT access cards. If the enthusiastic crowds impede your ability to grab the perfect turnip, join a CSA (which stands for Community-Supported Agriculture). For about half the year and roughly $25-$30 per
week, you can stock your fridge to overflowing with fresh, leafy deliciousness. Greensgrow Farm (2501 E. Cumberland St., 215-427-2702, greensgrow.org) collaborates with a wide network of area farmers, brewers, cheesemakers and apiarists to offer members all sorts of treats that go beyond the traditional zucchini-chard-andcucumber mix. They offer full and half shares, as well as reduced-cost work shares and low-income shares to qualifying members. If meat’s your thing, check out Keystone Farm (keystonefarmcsa.org) and pick up your pre-packaged share at Clark Park’s farmers market (pictured). And if keeping your weekends free is a priority, the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative (lancasterfarmfresh. com) delivers to sites throughout the city. All that healthy eating produces a surprising amount of leafy waste. Fret not and give back to the Earth that’s been feeding you so well: Sign up for Bennett Compost (215-520-2406, bennettcompost.com) and compost elves will appear at your doorstep once a week to remove a bucket’s worth of future goodness. Or, follow the DIY path provided by the good people at Philly Compost (215-703-SOIL, phillycompost.com).