HOW PHILADELPHIA APPROACHES FOOD AND AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION

State and City governments, large nonprofits, and grassroots communities all work to support agricultural production, though there is still much to be done. Since 2019, Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture has offered funds to improve agricultural infrastructure in urban areas through the Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program, an innovation that arose out of the first Pennsylvania Farm Bill.38 Through the program, individuals or single entities can apply for micro-grants of up to $2,500, and groups of several partners can apply for collaboration grants up to $50,000. Additionally, the Penn State Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener Program provides horticultural research, education, knowledge, and technical skills to residents and interested gardeners, especially in the Philadelphia area. They focus on best practices in sustainable horticulture and environmental stewardship.

There are also several City initiatives that support urban agriculture production. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (Parks & Rec) offers free mulch, compost, and lumber through the Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center and hosts the Community Propagation Program at Fairmount Park Horticultural Center, where city growers can apply to share greenhouse facilities at a nominal fee. In 2019, Parks & Rec also launched the Community Compost Network, which currently supports public composting at 13 sites across Philadelphia, with plans to expand. (For more information, see the Food Waste Reduction & Recovery chapter.)

Additionally, the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) offers several opportunities to help growers access water for their gardens and farms. PWD’s Rain Check program offers rain barrels that can be connected to home gutter systems to support stormwater retention and provide water to residential growing spaces. PWD also provides growers with fire hydrant permits on a case-by-case basis.

As of 2017, City legislation made community gardens eligible to receive a 100% discount on stormwater management service charges (the Stormwater Exemption) for parcels classified by PWD as Community Gardens following an application (which must be renewed every three years) and approval.

In an effort to support community-led efforts that address food apartheid, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention partnered with The Reinvestment

Fund to offer grants to local food justice and community organizations, gardens, farms, and businesses. The Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative (PFJI) funds community-driven solutions “informed by health justice, the collective movement to heal society and remove barriers that prevent individual and community well-being.”40 The initiative has funded dozens of projects throughout the city.

Some City regulations prevent or place constraints on people growing produce and raising animals in the city. For example, the Philadelphia Land Bank’s Disposition Policies do not allow accessory structures for urban agriculture by right,41 preventing the installation of greenhouses for seed starts, tool sheds and storage, temporary high and low tunnels for season extension, and infrastructure for washing stations and refrigeration unless expressly permitted in the agreement. City regulations also make it unattainable to keep egg-laying hens in Philadelphia.

WHY “FOOD APARTHEID” AND NOT “FOOD DESERT”?

“Food deserts” are generally defined as lowincome areas with little access to nutritional foods and large grocery stores. This term has been used by many organizations, academic institutions, and government entities, including the USDA and food movements. The term “desert,” however, may give the impression that these food landscapes are naturally occurring, when in fact they are a result of compounding systemic injustices and racism. The co-founder of Black Urban Growers, Karen Washington, has said, “Food apartheid looks at the whole food system, along with race, geography, faith, and economics. When we say food apartheid, the real conversation can begin.”39

According to the City’s code, “farm animals,” including “any chicken, goose, duck, turkey, goat, sheep, pig, cow, or other farm animal”42 are allowed only on parcels of land that are three or more acres in size—bigger than the average city block—or at a facility used for education or scientific purposes.43

LAND NEEDS: physical & ecological infrastructure

PEOPLE NEEDS: skills, training, support & resources for growers

COMMUNITY NEEDS: resources for cultivating relationships

SYSTEM NEEDS: support navigating institutional regulations & resources

Gardenandfarmneeds,prioritizedbyparticipantsat thesecondpublicmeeting

Philly-area nonprofits also have several programs that support urban agriculture production. The following are just a few examples:

> Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) offers classes that teach introductory gardening skills as well as urban agriculture and gardening support through its Community Gardens Program. Gardens can apply and access resources, tools and other materials including seedlings grown and distributed through the City Harvest Initiative.

> The West Philly Tool Library established in 2007, loans tools to community members so they can perform simple home maintenance, tend their yards and gardens, build furniture, start projects, and learn new skills in a safe and affordable manner.

Community-based organizations and businesses practice and promote urban food production as a means of preserving traditions and culture—and of resistance against racist and discriminatory systems. Food production enables communities to decide for themselves what foods are relevant and nourishing, and to promote health and identity from the grassroots up. The following are just a few examples of the many community based organizations and programs that engage in urban agriculture with a focus on its social, cultural, and health impacts.

> Sankofa Community Farm Resilient Roots Farm and Urban Tree Connection each host farms and community gardens that provide fresh produce to their communities through farmers’ markets and community-led food distribution, while also offering workshops and programs to learn about cultural seed keeping and preservation, agroecology, and more.

Growing Home Gardens is a collection of community gardens across South Philadelphia that offer a safe space for refugees putting down roots in the city. Originally established by the Nationalities Services Center in partnership with Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the City, the gardens are now managed by Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition (SEAMAAC) and serve over 300 gardeners, more than 70 percent of whom are refugees44 from Bhutan, Burma, Nepal, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among other nations. With seeds for vegetables and herbs from their home countries, families are able to extend their food budgets, grow the food and flavors of home, and maintain connections to their cultures and traditions.45

Seed-keepingcanmaintainconnectionstoculture, tradition,andancestralpractices.

> Truelove Seeds is a farm-based “profit-sharing seed company that grows, preserves, and sells rare and culturally significant seeds.”46 The seeds are collected from over 50 small urban and rural farmers who share a commitment to “community food sovereignty, cultural preservation, and sustainable agriculture.”47 Through TrueLove, farmers share seeds and stories of their “ancestral and regional crops,” while also earning additional income from the sale of these seeds to others.

> In 2021, Soil Generation released a manual titled Agroecology From the People: Volume 1, which shares the history of the group’s organizing and formation, technical and culturally based farming practices from growers around the city, and political organizing strategies.