Help Odwalla plant a tree in your state!
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Odawalla, the natural juice and smoothie company, is planting trees all across the US this summer with their “Odwalla Plant A Tree” Campaign. Just click on the site below, select your state, and vote using either your email or Facebook accounts. It’s that simple! PA is currently in second place for number of trees planted. The sky’s the limit!
Monthly Green Drinks on Wed, June 2nd.
Green Drinks Philly meets the first Wednesday of every month at Standard Tap in Northern Liberties. Open to anyone who considers themselves any flavor of environmentalist (that’s you, local eaters!), Green Drinks is an opportunity to hang-out, drink, and network with like-minded Philadelphians. Not only is Standard Tap a beautiful building in a convenient location, they source ALL local beers! Hurray! Join this international green drinking movement. And if you don’t happen to live in our fair city, find a Green Drinks in your town HERE.
Standard Tap
6:00 - 9:00 PM
2nd & Poplar St.
Philadelphia, PA 19123
Tel: 215 238 0630
http://www.standardtap.com
http://www.standardtap.com/map.htm
Posted by Erin on 06/01 at 06:06 PM
City Gardens Contest
Friday, May 28, 2010
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s annual City Gardens Contest is going on right now and there are lots of different categories. You can enter your home garden, community garden, vegetable garden, flower garden, combination garden, children’s garden, container garden, park, garden block, “greenest block in town,” or urban farm! The deadline is June 10th, so hop on by the website to fill out the quick online entry form.
(The picture above is The Woodlands Community Garden in The Woodlands Cemetery, 4000 Woodland Ave, and it’s been entered into the 2010 City Gardens Contest.)
Posted by Erica on 05/28 at 11:05 PM
1st Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA Pick-Up
Thursday, May 27, 2010
I’ve been so excited this month, waiting for the Monday when I could finally pick-up my first CSA of the year. While I ordered a full-share last year, I’m growing more vegetables myself and decided to downgrade to a half-share this season. I have to say, I love not having to shop for vegetables. True to the time of year, I received greens, greens, and more greens. I’ll have to eat a giant salad twice-a-day to keep up. The red leaf lettuce - pale pink and speckled on the inside, the purple bulbed scallions, and the strawberries, just perfectly ripe, were the most beautiful this week.
1 pkg microgreens – certified organic – Eastbrook Produce – 2 oz
1 head red lettuce – certified organic – Farmdale Organics
1 bunch green kale – certified organic – Life Enhancing Acres
2 small heads green leaf lettuce – certified organic – Back 40 Ranch
2 bunches scallions – certified organic – Sweetaire and Country Boy Farm
1 bag wrinkle crinkle cress – certified organic – Back 40 Ranch
1 box strawberries – certified organic – Friends Road Organics
Posted by Erin on 05/27 at 01:32 AM
Saving my Spinach
Thursday, May 20, 2010
My community garden plots are bursting with spinach right now. It’s just not possible to eat it all at once, so after I’ve offered it to as many people as I can, the next thing to do is freeze it. Here’s how.
Harvest, making sure to keep as much soil OUT of the bag as possible. Saves time later.
Wash, removing stems and yucky leaves.
Blanch, for 1 minute in boiling water.
Plunge, into an ice-water bath ASAP after the blanching time is over.
Drain, as thoroughly as possible. Squeeze gently if needed.
Freeze, in a labeled and dated bag. Remove as much air as possible.
This process works for all greens. Tougher greens like kale can be blanched for longer, and can be layered and frozen flat.
Enjoy!
Posted by Erica on 05/20 at 10:12 PM
GRID “food issue” party at The Swift Half
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
GRID magazine’s Griddle blog was nice enough to link to my sprout post, and I’m returning the favor - to them and to you - by announcing the release party for the June “food issue.” A whopper of local-food-friendly information at 32-pages, this is GRID’s largest issue yet. The issue promises “farmers’ markets, CSAs, cafes, artisan producers, neighborhood markets, breweries and restaurants. Also included: best buy local brunches and late-night snacks, as well as local cheese/local libations pairings from Marnie Old.” Hurray!
Come celebrate and pick up the new issue this Thursday from 5-7pm at the Swift Half Pub. Drinks are $1 off until 7pm, when local-beer favorite Flying Fish will be tapping a firkin of Summerhouse Ale.
Sprout your own Beans
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Not only to sprouted bean pack a great crunch, they are also higher in enzymes, fiber B-vitamins and protein than cooked or canned beans, an easy protein-pick if you’re eating raw, and easy to make yourself. Garbanzo beans (or chickpeas) work especially well and make a wonderful hummus, as do green lentils. Mung beans, adzuki beans are other popular choices.*
1. Place 1 cup of dried beans in a large jar. Fill with water and soak overnight.
2. Drain the beans, leaving them in the jar.
3. Every day, rinse the beans and drain again.
4. When the beans have sprouted long white tales, they are ready to eat and should be kept in the refrigerator.
The beans will “grow” as they sprout, so make sure to leave extra jar room. I like punch holes in a few jar lids with a hammer and nails so I have a permanent straining solution! Enjoy on salad, in curries, as spreads, in pasta - however you usually eat beans!
* Do NOT eat raw sprouted black beans, kidney beans or soya beans as they produce a poison before they are cooked and will likely make you sick. You CAN sprout black beans and then cook them.
Green cherries
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
This little dwarf sour cherry tree I planted in the backyard 2 years ago was not thriving, so I dug it up in March and moved it to a giant pot out front. Even with the unintentional root pruning it endured, I have way more cherries in development than before. I counted 41. Not exactly a pie yet, but a couple of nice handpies, perhaps!
Posted by Allison on 04/28 at 02:29 AM
Walnut Hill Community Farm
Monday, April 26, 2010
Introducing the Walnut Hill Community Farm! This is a brand new project in West Philadelphia that is a combination community garden and urban farm. In partnership with The Enterprise Center CDC, the Walnut Hill Community Farm is run by the Walnut Hill Grower’s Cooperative and funded by the PHS City Harvest Community Grower’s Alliance grant.
The Urban Farm part of the project is run by West Philadelphia youth who cooperatively farm and sell their produce at the Clark Park Farmer’s Market (look for them starting in mid-May!). The farm is located between 46th and Farragut Streets, and Ludlow and Market Streets, right at the 46th St. Septa station; you can see the whole thing from the eastbound platform.
The Community Garden part of the project is full of Walnut Hill residents who grow produce for their own consumption. In the future, the farm and community garden will both be a part of The Enterprise Center’s Center for Culinary Enterprise on 48th St. The farmers and gardeners will work with people in the CCE program to grow and process local foods and contribute to the local food economy.
To help out and learn more, come to the May workdays on Sat. May 8th from 4-6pm and Fri. May 21st from 5-7pm. We will be going to Local 44 after the work days to celebrate our hard work with local beer!
Posted by Erica on 04/26 at 03:31 PM
Get Your CSA Today
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
There is still time to join a CSA for the summer! Deliveries for most begin in just a few weeks, so now’s the time to stop procrastinating and start participating. CSA’s ask you to pay in advance for your produce deliveries so that farms are able to invest in their crops for the season. All you have to do is pick up your share once a week and enjoy all the exciting, local Delaware Valley produce! Some CSAs with Philadelphia delivery (to a park, farmers market, or neighborhood location) that still have openings:
Lancaster Farm Fresh
Greensgrow Farms
Keystone Farm
Just Fruit Shares:
North Star Orchard
If you missed your favorite farm, put yourself on the waitlist and a spot may open.
Posted by Erin on 04/21 at 05:49 PM
Dandelion Wine
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
All this sun and rain and sun again left me with a bumper crop of dandelions. Before I covered the lot next door with raised beds and obliterated their yellow-bloomed bliss, I decided to use this bright “weed” for something useful. Crouched in the yard on a 70 degree Saturday, my basket of dandelion blooms garnered a lot of attention. Folks walking by stopped to ask what I was doing. A mini-van of curious neighbors pulled over to discuss my harvest, and turned out to be State Representative and her husband. My elderly neighbor got so excited he dug up a giant ceramic crock from his basement and donated it to my wine making effort. But what exactly is dandelion wine, and how do you make it? I’ve done some internet and word-of-mouth research and this is what I’ve discovered:
1. You only use the buds of newly opened, non-sprayed dandelions. If you want less bitter wine, use only the yellow petals.
2. Many old recipes call for the addition of orange juice and zest, cloves, even ginger to enhance the flavor.
3. Dandelion wine needs a LOT of sugar. Depending on how little you use, you can brew with traditional yeast, but a larger sugar addition needs champagne yeast (available at brewers stores) and will produce a drier, more alcoholic wine.
4. The wine needs to ferment anywhere from three weeks to one year.
I’ve started my first batch, but who knows if it will be a success. Have you ever tried dandelion wine? Ever made your own? Post your tips here and we’ll all benefit from this old recipe for “liquid sunshine” that makes good use of a lovely, if bothersome “weed.”
Mason bee house
Sunday, April 11, 2010
I don’t think my garden suffers from a dearth of bees, but this mason bee nest looked fun. I ordered mine from Miller Nurseries in upstate NY (not so local, but family-owned and has good prices and service—my dwarf cherry and raspberries came form there), but there are lots of places to purchase them. The female bee lays eggs in the tubes (usually holes in trees or in reeds) and walls them up with bits of mud, hence the “mason” part. When somebody moves in, I’ll post an update.
Posted by Allison on 04/11 at 08:38 PM
GRID’s First Birthday Party
Friday, April 09, 2010
Farm to Philly loves Grid magazine, Philadelphia’s awesomely free monthly about sustainable city living. And I’m delighted that in the last year they’ve kept up their amazing stories (some by Farm to Philly folks!) and quality and have even increased in size! Come out to show your love for Grid this Saturday and enjoy a cold one at the brand new Yards Brewing Company tasting room, along with free local snacks from our friends at Mugshots, Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op and Birchrun Hills Farm. While you’re toasting a year of good work, you can pick up a new Grid T-shirt (printed on organic cotton by Kenny’s Imprintables) and the May issue, hot off the presses!
WHEN: Saturday, April 10, 5 - 8 p.m; no cover
WHERE: Yards Tasting Room, Yards Brewing Company, 901 North Delaware Ave.
Posted by Erin on 04/09 at 02:05 AM
Heat Wave
Thursday, April 08, 2010
The summer-like heat we’ve been getting lately is sending mixed signals to all of my plants. The cool season crops that survived the record-breaking winter have had only a few short weeks to produce and now they are all bolting! The kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli are all reaching for the sky and opening up their yellow flowers. I’m just going to pinch the flowers and hope for the best. The kale I harvested this week is delicious, despite the developing flowers.
Posted by Erica on 04/08 at 02:01 AM
Compost Matters!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Want to learn more about how composting can save the planet and increase your garden yield? Registerd for the “Compost Matters” one-day conference and learn about current and proposed local compost projects, how YOU can start composting (yes, even in the city) and hear from Will Allen - sustainable urban farming promoter who received a MacArthur “Genius Grant” in 2008 for his efforts. And hey, while you’re in the neighborhood, grab a drink or dinner at The White Dog and support a business that supports local farmers!
Register Here
Schedule
April 9, 2010
8:00 – 8:45 Registration
8:45 – 9:00 Welcome
Nancy O’Donnell, PHS and Linda Knapp, ILSR
9:00 – 10:00 Keynote address; Growing Food and Community in the City
Will Allen, Growing Power
10:00 – 10:15 Break
10:15 – 10:45 Food Composting Projects in Pennsylvania
Patti Olenick and Carl Hursh, PA Department of Environmental Protection
10:45 – 11:15 Wilmington Organic Recycling Center: the Region’s Largest Composting Facility
Nelson Widell, Peninsula Compost Group
11:15 – 12:00 From Kitchen to Farm—A Composting Partnership
Ned Foley, Two Particular Acres, and Marvin Dixon, Four Seasons Hotel
12:00 – 12:45 Lunch (provided on site)
12:45 – 1:15 On-Site Commercial Composting
Maurice Sampson II, Niche Recycling, Inc.
1:15 – 1:45 The Journey to Sustainable Landscapes—Let’s go!
Mark Highland, Organic Mechanics Potting Soil
1:45 – 2:00 Break
2:00 – 2:45 Compost Policy Panel Discussion, with audience questions
Mike Giuranna, US Environmental Protection Agency/Region III
Patti Olenick and Carl Hursh, PA Department of Environmental Protection
Katherine Gajewski, Director of Sustainability, City of Philadelphia
Moderator: Nora Goldstein, Editor, BioCycle magazine
2:45 – 3:00 Closing remarks
Katherine Gajewski, Director of Sustainability, City of Philadelphia
4:00 – 5:00 Tour of Moravian Court
University of Pennsylvania campus, 34th & Spruce streets
