PHILADELPHIA NEEDS STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT PEOPLE IN THE URBAN AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY

The people who practice urban agriculture in Philadelphia are diverse. They include young people looking to learn about farming and elders with knowledge and experience to share. They are formerly incarcerated residents in need of work and new community connections. They are Indigenous people whose ancestors first inhabited and stewarded this land. They are Black and Brown residents, be they lifelong Philadelphians or relative newcomers, immigrants and refugees from Asia, Africa, South America, and elsewhere. For many, agriculture is a cultural and spiritual practice, a connection to home and family, and an act of self-reliance and self-determination. It is necessary for this plan to consider how to support people, so they can continue to define and grow the urban agricultural community.

Throughout the community engagement process for this plan, residents have emphasized that growing, foraging, and seed saving are important for learning about and holding onto their cultural traditions. They have expressed the importance of connecting with different methods and techniques their ancestors used to grow food. The relationship between urban agriculture and community building is strong and clear. Participants reported that they value urban agriculture because:

> “It promotes community building, healing, and pushes us to think about our position as environmental stewards, and lastly our social responsibility to one another.”

Additionally, public meeting participants indicated a desire for more agricultural education and training for adults, for young people, and for broader education campaigns about the benefits of urban agriculture across the city. For people of all ages, the benefits of learning about urban agriculture extend far beyond skills for growing food and raising animals. It relates to everything from science to self-reliance, from crop planning to construction, from biology to business skills and offers many health benefits. Parents, elders, educators, and students want to see more agriculture curriculum in schools as well as more funding specifically for agricultural Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, such as those at W. B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences, the U School, Fox Chase High School, and Lankenau High School.

Interest in education is not limited to in-school learning for schoolaged students. Public meeting participants expressed a desire to learn a wide range of skills related to urban agriculture: how to grow fruits and vegetables; how to build raised beds, compost bins, and benches; and how to raise animals. Residents said that growing, foraging, and seed saving are important for learning about and holding onto many of their cultural traditions. Many also expressed an interest in learning more specialized skills, such as building solar panels and plumbing systems, undertaking other larger construction projects, accounting and management or administrative skills, and digital skills such as website and social media management.

“We need education combining historical and ancestral science of growing and foraging to instill in Black and Native and Brown folks and youth especially! Include political education, skills building, and encourage honoring and reverence for the land and ancestors.”

—Public meeting participant

People who make their livelihood in urban agriculture (or who would like to) have expressed a desire for a stronger foundation from which to build their careers. Public meeting participants who have worked in urban agriculture told stories about difficult working conditions, poor wages, and a lack of job security and opportunities to advance. Others described how difficult it can be to break into the field and learn skills while still making a living.

For new business ventures, it was apparent from public meeting participants that it can be very challenging to enter into urban agriculture as a private enterprise. It becomes more difficult when competing with larger businesses, typically owned by white people or people not from Philadelphia. These businesses often have more access to financial resources and capital.

—Public meeting participant