grid magazine august 2012 [#040]

august 2012 / issue 40 gridphilly . com

S u S ta i n a b l e p h i l a d e l p h i a

t a k e o n e !

Frontier market

inveStor quitS Wall Street

to Farm

buy local

SWitch to reneWable

energy today

diy make your oWn kitchen

cleaner

A look inside Mayor Michael Nutter’s vision for a green Philadelphia

Plus Four city government leaders who champion sustainability

alSo inSide

Meet the

Mayorexclusive

interview

2 g r i d p h i l ly.co m au gust 2 0 12

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gridphilly.com august 2012 / issue 40

10 community PRooF Positive: A West Philly rowhome experiments with rooftop farming | Barrels of Fun: Rain barrels go from bland to beautiful | Down the Drain: A new program to keep food waste out of landfills | City Blotter: Sustainability legislation passing through City Council

12 green living Counter Intuitive: DIY toxic-free kitchen cleaner | Recycling Challenge: VCRs

14 energy Power Surge: How to buy local, renewable energy

16 Food Summer Grills: Set fire to your meals this season | Preservation Act: Take on canning with a new book from local food blogger | In the Zone: New Jersey local food distributor connects farmers and chefs | Cheese of the Month: Cranberry Creek Chevre | On Tap: Summer Bock

36 urban naturalist Falcon Crest: The world’s fastest air predator makes a home in City Hall

38 Shoots & ladders Hooked on Brassicas: Early spring plantings find a new season thanks to climate change

40 events Grow your green thumb with gardening workshops. Plus an annual local food and beer event you won’t want to miss!

46 dispatch There’s No Place Like Home: Experiencing Slow Food in Philly and abroad 32 dream team

Meet four members of Mayor Nutter’s team, and the projects and issues they champion

28 Sustained commitment Now in his second term, Mayor Nutter continues to make green work

24 taking Stock An ex-investor makes the financial case for sustainable agriculture

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mayor nutter photos (including

cover) by gene smirnov, taken on

the rooftop of the friends center

in center city.

au g ust 2 0 12 g r i d p h i l ly.co m 5

Hosted by

Nic Esposito Urban Farmer and Novelist

Alex MulcahyGrid Publisher

drinks provided by co-sponsored bysustainable

19103

featuring

musical guest

The Spinning Leaves

t h e c i t y o f p h i l a d e l p h i a

mayor’s office ofsustainability

you’ve read the magazine, now see the show!

Thursday

July 26trinity memorial church22nd and spruce sts.

doors open at

7 p.m.sHow starts

at 8 p.m.

tickets

$5.00Order online at

bit.ly/gridalive72612

Katherine Gajewski Director of the

Office of Sustainability

Mike DiBerardinisDeputy Mayor for

Environmental and Community Resources

Karen RandalDirector of the

Office of Business Attraction and Retention

gridalive_full_2012.08.indd 1 7/3/2012 9:56:12 AM

6 g r i d p h i l ly.co m au gust 2 0 12 p h oto by g e n e s m i r n ovp h oto by g e n e s m i r n ov

a year into mayor nutter’s term, Philadelphia’s sustainability world heard some gut-wrenching news: our first Director of Sus-tainability, Mark Alan Hughes, was stepping down. A bright academician and a gifted speak-er, Hughes was both educator and entertainer, charming audiences who might not otherwise be exposed to these ideas, and expressing them with well-articulated and easy-to-understand arguments. He’d just put together the bold and comprehensive Greenworks Philadelphia, the plan to make our city the greenest in the country. Then suddenly, he was gone.

Rumors swirled about his departure, includ-ing some troubling possibilities that could follow. With the City experiencing extreme financial duress, was Mayor Nutter feeling pressure to abandon the notion of an Office of Sustainabil-ity? Who, if anyone, would take Hughes’ place?

It turns out that Hughes’ departure was sched-uled. All along, he had planned to finish Green-works then, end his time as the Director of Sus-tainability. And if Mayor Nutter was feeling any pressure to fold the office, he never succumbed to it. So, the Office of Sustainability survived, and Katherine Gajewski was named his successor.

Gajewski’s skills as a networker and organizer made her the perfect candidate to implement a document as ambitious as Greenworks. Just last week I was on a panel with her for the Energy Co-op (we’re both members, and you should be, too!) and I was struck anew by her talent. The opportunity didn’t arise, but I felt the urge to blurt out that our city is lucky to have Mayor Nutter, and he, in turn, is very lucky to have Ms. Gajewski working in this post. But honestly, I think he knows that.

There are two things that I hope to highlight about our Mayor. One, he made a commitment to sustainability from the start, and he’s stuck to it in times that were politically challenging. Second, even though he’s not necessarily go-ing to make his own kitchen cleanser (p. 12), he understands the relevant issues and he has consistently surrounded himself with excellent people. This month, we highlight four of them: Rina Cutler, Karen Randal—whose history rub-bing shoulders with sustainability leaders Ray Anderson and William McDonough deserves more ink—Katherine Gajewski and Mike DiB-

erardinis, who have all helped the Mayor shape his policies and execute his plan.

Finally, don’t think this praise is coming with-out a critical eye. For example, composting isn’t on our good Mayor’s radar—which means he’s overlooking the goldmine in our garbage cans. However, he recognizes that organic waste is a problem, as shown by the newly launched Clean Kitchen, Green Community program (p. 11), and that is something to build on. So, take a look in the metaphorical recycling bin. Decide if Phila-delphia’s bin is 19.5 percent full (up from seven percent when the Mayor took office in 2009), or 80.5 percent empty. Even if you have criticisms, it’s impossible to deny the progress.

alex j. mulcahy, [email protected]

Taking the leadpublisher

Alex Mulcahy 215.625.9850 ext. 102

[email protected]

managing editorLiz Pacheco

[email protected]

art directorJamie Leary

[email protected]

designerMelissa McFeeters

[email protected]

distributionAlex Mulcahy

215.625.9850 ext. 102 [email protected]

copy editorAndrew Bonazelli

production artistLucas Hardison

writersShaun Brady

Bernard Brown Tenaya Darlington

Anna Herman Lauren Mandel

Julianne Mesaric Amy Stansbury

Leah Troiano Char Vandermeer

Samantha Wittchen

photographers Neal Santos

Gene Smirnov Albert Yee

illustratorDaniel Fishel

internsJesse Kerns

Amy Stansbury Amanda Stillwell

ad salesAlex Mulcahy

215.625.9850 ext. 102 [email protected]

bookkeeperAlicia McClung

published byRed Flag Media

1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107

215.625.9850

g r i d p h i l ly . c o m


Innovation” might not be the first

word Philadelphians associate with SEP-

TA—two tokens sold in a plastic bag that

says “Go Green” seems, um, not innovative—

but that reputation deserves to change. SEPTA

is piloting a cutting-edge regenerative braking

project that saves energy and money, and posi-

tions Philadelphia as a global leader in public

transportation sustainability.

This change couldn’t come at a better time.

In August, Philadelphia will host the 2012

American Public Transportation Association’s

“Sustainability and Public

Transportation Workshop.”

As hundreds of the indus-

try’s leading sustainability

and environmental policy

professionals descend on the

city, SEPTA will showcase its

progress on the Wayside En-

ergy Storage System, a regen-

erative braking and energy

storage system implemented

at one of SEPTA’s electrical

substations on the Market-

Frankford Line.

The project began in 2010

when SEPTA announced a

partnership with local pow-

er technology firm Viridity

Energy. Backed by funding

from the Pennsylvania Energy Development

Authority and the federal government, the pilot

is set to reduce electrical usage at the substation

by 10 percent. The project will conclude by the

end of 2012.

Regenerative braking itself isn’t new. New

York, Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles all cur-

rently employ this technology, and SEPTA uses

it to power the lights and air conditioning on

trains. What makes SEPTA’s pilot system inno-

vative is its use of a large battery

to store the electricity generated

by braking trains. Viridity will

monitor the battery using their

software to determine whether

it’s more cost-effective for SEP-

TA to use the energy for power-

ing trains or to sell the energy

back to the grid.

Here’s how regenerative

braking works on SEPTA

trains: Instead of using brake

pads to create friction to slow

the train, the braking mecha-

nism puts the electric motor

in reverse, turning it into an

electric generator. The genera-

tor can then provide electricity

to a variety of applications, like

lights, air conditioning, other trains and storage

devices (batteries). Any excess electricity that

can’t be stored is sent to a resistor bank on top of

the train car and converted to heat. In the SEPTA

pilot project, electricity stored in the battery can

then flow to the grid.

The technology’s scalability is what makes

it so important and potentially transformative.

There are more than two dozen substations

where this technology could be replicated, ex-

plains Andy Gillespie, SEPTA’s chief engineer

for power, which would fundamentally change

the way SEPTA manages power for its subways

and trolleys.

The project may also save SEPTA a good

chunk of change. Between reducing electricity

costs and revenue generated by selling electric-

ity, they’re expecting a net annual benefit of

$300,000. The savings will provide the capital to

fund future projects at other substations, creat-

ing a positive loop of savings. The demonstration

phase began on March 1, and the transit industry

is closely watching this project to see if it can be

a model for other transit systems throughout the

country. The workshop in August will be a great

opportunity to further the project (by attracting

more federal transit dollars) and demonstrate

Philadelphia’s growth as an innovative sustain-

ability leader.

Now, if we could just talk to them about those

tokens.

Electric Wizards

SEPTA generates

revenue through

cutting-edge technology

by samantha wittchen

EnErgy

“

There are more

than two dozen

substations where

this technology

could be replicated,

which would

fundamentally

change the way

SEPTA manages

power for its

subways and trolleys.

TricklE down EffEcTThere’s a new renewable energy source in town and it’s coming from

a surprising place: our sewage. In April, NovaThermal Energy, a Phila-

delphia-based company, installed a wastewater geothermal system at

the Philadelphia Water Department’s Southeast Water Pollution Control

Plant. This is the first facility in the country to have a system of this kind.

Just like traditional geothermal technology, heat is transferred directly

from the source (in this case, the sewage channel, not deep water wells)

to heat the building.

While wastewater may not be as glamorous as solar or wind, it’s a

valuable energy source; the system is expected to provide heat for ap-

proximately 50 percent of the current cost, which amounts to $18,100

savings annually. —Liz Pacheco

14 g r i d p h i l ly.co m J u N E 2 0 12

Slow love: don’t forget about hansjakob WerlenI always enjoy reading your magazine when I get the chance. I just picked up a copy with the most influential people in the “History of the Phila-delphia Food Movement” on the cover. I did not notice any mention of Slow Food Philadelphia or it’s founder Hansjakob Werlen. Through my affiliation with Slow Food Philadelphia I have gotten to know about the various organizations mentioned, personally been introduced to these leaders, traveled with and volunteered to help

Fermentation: What doesn’t kill you…

I am a local student who has in the past written about sustainability and local business, and I am startled by your re-cent [June 2012] profile of Sandor Katz. The article demonstrates little or no grasp of fermented foods and processes, and an ignorant person who relied on it for truth could easily kill himself.

Homemade low-acid canned goods and pickles are the leading cause of food (as opposed to wound) botulism poisoning. In the absence of oxygen and in low-acid conditions, the bacteria flourish and often cannot be tasted or smelled. The only way to keep wet food safe for long periods (as opposed to fresh products like kefir) is to pressure-can it according to the directions given by the USDA. Yet Mr. Katz actually writes that inexperienced cooks can make their own salami! Botulism was named af-ter sausages (botulus) for a reason. Making your own, without proper training, is the equivalent of picking up nickels in front of a steamroller, especially if you don’t add nitrate. It might not get you the first time, and indeed you’ll never hear from the peo-ple it does kill; but it happens every year. —maia smith

editor’s response: Sandor Katz and the publisher of The Art of Fermentation issue a disclaimer acknowledging that while the book is “based on years of experimentation, expe-rience, and research,” Katz is not a trained professional. We don’t suggest starting your fermentation career by making salami, but we agree with the premise that, with practice and diligence, it’s within reach. Obviously, it’s essential to be careful when practicing the art of fermentation and, as Katz acknowledges in the interview, “Reclaiming fermentation is empowering ourselves with ancient wisdom for how to use food in safe and effective ways.”

support their worthy causes. Additionally, I personally have patronized many of the restau-rants and events mentioned while taking part in Slow Food Philadelphia excursions organized by Dr. Werlen himself. I have been so inspired by this teacher as to organize eating events of my own accord as well as for Slow Food Phila-delphia that support ethno-traditional eating adventures within our local community. To omit Hansjakob Werlen from you story is to omit part of the truth that you have tried to highlight! —lyle namroff (a.k.a. ross)

A Fare Point: maybe tokens aren’t so bad

Samantha Wittchen’s piece [in the June 2012 issue] about SEPTA tokens seems to conflate “innovation” and “sustainability,” failing to distinguish the important ways these terms differ. It’s true that SEPTA

tokens are pretty old-fashioned. However, the implicit assumption that inno-vative ideas are somehow better for our environment is flawed.

Flimsy, plasticized “smart cards” (probably covered with BPA) are not better for the environment than reusing metal tokens that last decades. And what will be the cost and environmental impact of replacing all of the fare machinery on the whole SEPTA system?

SEPTA has never made it easy for neighborhood stores to sell tokens, or installed token machines on the street in neighborhoods. Why would things be different if we got rid of reusable tokens in favor of smart cards? I think it would be great if Grid did a hard-hitting and fair piece weighing the pros and cons of a switch to a smart card fare system from a sustainability perspective.—ray murphy

1 0 g r i d p h i l ly.co m au gust 2 0 12

Rooftops are becoming prime locations for Philadelphians to fulfill their tomato- growing obsessions. While prominent

rooftop gardens in Center City and Manayunk are already raising crops in containers and buckets, the local organization Phil-adelphia Rooftop Farm (PRooF) is trying another very promising approach.

In April, after two years of planning, PRooF launched their rooftop planter pilot project on the 51st Street rowhome roof of a volunteer mem-ber. The prototype, devel-oped with the Community Design Collaborative, conforms to the rooftop dimensions and weight restrictions of a typical West Philadelphia row-home, which have roofs generally not strong enough to sustain heavy loads. In this project, the long, narrow planter is suspended across the sturdy knee-high walls

(called party walls) between each row home to offset the weight restrictions.

For the pilot project, PRooF volunteers installed plastic lin-ers, drainage panels and separation fabric into a wooden planter frame. They then mixed light-weight soil and covered it with black plastic, which will help retain heat and reduce water loss. Eggplant, cucumber, lettuce, chard, herb and marigold seedlings were planted through slits in the plastic. So far, the plants have grown successfully and are exceeding expectations, says Sand.

PRooF’s plans for rooftop greening don’t end with this first installation. The group will evalu-

ate the performance of the West Philadelphia pilot project, make adjustments and then plans to build more planters around the city. If you’re interested in a rooftop planter of your own, visit PRooF’s website (philadelphiarooftopfarm.

wordpress.com) for more information.

lauren mandel, mla is a project manager and rooftop agriculture specialist at Roofmeadow (formerly Roofscapes, Inc.), the Philadelphia-based

green roof firm. Mandel is writing a series of books on rooftop agriculture, called Eat Up, and blogs regularly on the topic at eatupag.wordpress.com.

PRooF Positive

Rooftop agriculture tested on West Philadelphia rowhome by lauren mandel

community

While useful, the typical blue rain barrel isn’t exactly beautiful. So, when the Philadelphia Water Department donated five barrels to the Mt. Airy Business Improvement District this past April, the Mt. Airy Art Garage, a commu-nity art nonprofit, volunteered their creativity. Neighborhood artists were recruited and soon word spread, attracting more local artists—adults and kids—to be involved. The Water Department has since donated six more bar-rels with plans to contribute another nine. The barrels will be used to water flower baskets and tree wells on Germantown Avenue.

For more on the Mt. Airy Art Garage, visit mtairyartgarage.org.

Barrels of fun Mt. Airy artists beat the blues

PRooF volunteers install planters on the roof of a volunteer member’s West Philadelphia rowhome.

au g ust 2 0 12 g r i d p h i l ly.co m 1 1

Down the Drain City program diverts food waste from landfills by liz pacheco

While the city of philadelphia isn’t planning to start a com-posting program anytime soon (see our interview with Mayor Mi-chael Nutter on p. 12), efforts are being made to divert food waste

from landfills. ¶ In May, Mayor Nutter and the Streets Department launched the Clean Kitchen, Green Community pilot program. The program is based on a partnership between community group Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Program and InSinkErator, a leading producer of food waste disposals.

Save money.

Increase comfort.

Add value to your home.

Improve Your Community.

“I could live with a drafty house if I had to. But I heard about EnergyWorks

through a sustainable living magazine I write for called GRID, and I knew it was just too good a deal to pass up. At 0.99% it would practically be a free loan, so I fi gured I had nothing to lose. I am very satisfi ed.”

- Samantha, Homeowner, West Powelton

www.energyworksnow.com 215.609.1052

Over 1,000 homeowners are bene� � ing from

EnergyWorks!

“Disposers were traditionally conceived, marketed and gained acceptance as a product of convenience,” explains Kendall Christiansen, a senior consultant for environmental affairs at InSinkErator. “But the shift the last several years has been to think of food waste—food scraps—as a resource with a lot of embedded stuff in it, primarily water, but also with nutrients and energy.”

For the pilot, InSinkEra-tor has provided and in-stalled food waste disposers in 200 homes in the Point Breeze and West Oak Lane neighborhoods. “We’re going to measure the impact and see where we go with that company or a number of others who may want to join in,” explains Mayor Nutter.

On average, an American family generates 17 pounds of food waste each week. In Phila-delphia, food waste makes up approximately 10 percent of the waste going from homes to land-fills. Sending food waste to landfills—where it re-leases methane and can’t properly decompose—eliminates the opportunity to harness the energy.

This process also wastes money. The City pays $68 in tipping fees for every ton brought to the landfill. And for families, a food waste disposer uses minimal water and energy.

With the Clean Kitchen, Green Com-munity program, the food waste is pul-

verized in the disposer and travels to the water treatment plant.

There, a majority of the food waste is removed and goes to anaerobic digesters where it’s heated, producing meth-ane. This methane is cleaned and can be used for electric-

ity and heat.“Obviously in some neighbor-

hoods [the program] would work,” says Mayor Nutter. “The question is

how much personnel and equipment would you devote to it and how much pay back do you really get. Those are the economic decisions that we also have to take into consideration.”

For more information on the Clean Kitchen Green Community program and a special rebate deal from InSinkErator, visit philadelphiastreets.com/

ckgc-overview.aspx

Philadelphia Land BankUndeR disCUssion Establishes a single authority to hold and maintain land, simplify-ing the current process. A state bill was passed on April 3, 2012 that will allow individual cities to create land banks. Gov. Corbett has yet to sign the bill into law. Meanwhile, an additional bill (currently under discussion) is proposed in Philadelphia that would bypass the state and put a land bank bill up for a citywide ballot vote.

City BLotter SuStainability legiSlation paSSing through city council

BenchmarkingPAssed JUne 21, 2012Requires commercial buildings of more than 50,000 square feet to track, measure and report energy and water use. Benchmarking is expected to save tenants and building owners money as well as encourage energy efficient practices. Takes effect in one year.

Complete StreetsVote PostPoned Until FAll 2012Revises Philadelphia’s traffic code to meet the state traffic code and provide better protection for pedestrians and cyclists. High-lights include no parking in bike lanes and $100 penalty for bikes running a red light. The bill was proposed May 31, but the hearing is postponed until Council reconvenes in the fall.


Green livinG

How to

→ Fill the spray bottle halfway with water. Fill the rest with white vinegar, leaving about a half inch at the top. add essential oils to the bottle. shake before every use. spray on and wipe off with a damp cloth. (Be sure to test all surfaces prior to use.)

→ the white vinegar does most of the heavy cleaning, but the essential oils offer a great smell as well as anti-fungal and anti-bacterial qualities. this product leaves coun-ter tops and sinks shiny and clean. since all products are edible, don’t worry if food comes in contact with a clean countertop.

clean spray bottle

water white vinegar 10 drops lemon

essential oil

10 drops cinnamon

essential oil

10 drops tea tree

essential oil

If you’re using typical household cleaning products to tidy your kitchen, chances are you’re also using some highly toxic chemi-

cals. In an independent, peer-reviewed study by Silent Spring Institute, a public interest organi-zation, more than 200 products were analyzed for hazardous chemical content. Nearly all the products tested, including many marketed as “green” or “nontoxic,” were found to have one, if not multiple, hazardous chemicals. These chemicals, such as phthalates, parabens and bisphenol A (BPA), are linked with asthma and reproductive hormone problems. What’s worse

is that these chemicals can end up in your lungs or, if the food or your fin-gers touch the “cleaned” surface, ingested. The best way to avoid these chemicals? Stop buying cleaning products and start making your own.

leah r. troiano, a certified cancer support educator, works with people who have cancer or would like to prevent cancer. Lowering toxicity is just one of many ways to get your body in cancer-fighting shape. For more information, visit cancerhealthandWellness.com or e-mail [email protected].

Make your own toxin-free kitchen cleaner by leah r. troiano

Counter Intuitive

You will need

directions

Baking soda for stubborn stainsuse baking soda for stubborn stains and dried spills. simply shake baking soda over the problem area and then, use the spray cleaner to wet the baking soda. You will see bubbles working to loosen the dirt. With a damp towel, scrub the spray/baking soda combo to remove the stain. If needed, give the spot a few extra squirts of spray cleaner to remove any leftover baking soda.

make Your own kitchen counter cleaner


fact The International Association of

Electronics Recyclers estimates that on average 400 million consumer electronic products are thrown out each year.

problemAs more people switch to DVD players and online video ser-vices, VCRs are being kicked

to the curb. But when VCRs go to a landfill, they also bring heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead, which can leach into the ground and contaminate water sources. VCRs are considered e-waste; their disposal contrib-utes to the more than three million tons of e-waste sent to the landfill each year in the U.S. You can’t recycle VCRs in your blue bin, but it’s worth taking the time to find a place that will accept them.

solutionThere are several options for Philadelphians to recycle VCRs. eForce Recycling has

recently opened their doors to consumers, and unwanted electronics can be dropped off dur-ing the week for free (3114 Grays Ferry Ave., 8 a.m.–4 p.m., Mon.–Fri.). This fall, eForce will also be hosting residential collection events throughout the region (visit eforcecompliance.

com for dates and locations). The City accepts VCRs and other electronics at their Household Hazardous Waste events (the next one is July 26 at 8401 State Rd.; visit philadelphiastreets.com/

hazardous-waste-events.aspx for more dates) and at their Sanitation Convenience Centers (3033 S. 63rd St., 300 block of Domino Lane, or State Rd. and Ashburner St., 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Mon.–Sat.). Best Buy also accepts VCRs for recycling at any of their stores.

by samantha wittchen

VCRs


Power surgePhilly energy consumers can now buy green and local by samantha wittchen

Buy local” has long been the rallying cry of the food movement. Now the renewable energy movement has adopted the slogan to encourage residents and businesses to buy their electricity from in-state sources. And with good reason—the wind industry

alone has a big impact on Pennsylvania’s economy. In 2010, it directly and indirectly supported 3,000 to 4,000 jobs, and wind project owners pay $1.3 billion in annual property taxes and more than $2.2 million in land lease payments.

“Switching electricity suppli-

ers can seem like a daunting task. Especially since not all choices are created equal. There are 12 differ-ent companies offering renewable energy in the region, but their ener-gy sources can be vastly different. Your energy purchase could sup-port a wind farm near Scranton or a solar farm in Texas. But the good news is there are two major players in the region: Community Energy and The Energy Cooperative—both offer 100 percent, locally-sourced renewable energy.

Since 1999, Community Energy has been developing wind energy projects in Pennsylvania. At the time, only 10 megawatts (MW) of wind energy capacity existed east of the Mis-sissippi River. By 2006, Community Energy was the ex-clusive marketer of 200 MW of wind to the region. They built the Bear Creek Wind Farm near Scranton, as well as the Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm in Atlantic City. Residents can purchase their renewable energy through 20 differ-ent utility companies in the Northeast, including PECO. In Pennsylvania, they partner with Verde Energy to provide a product comprised of 99 percent Pennsylvania wind and one percent Pennsylvania solar.

The solar component comes from a 6 MW solar installa-tion near Lancaster—the largest solar farm in Pennsylvania. Community Energy will lease farmers’ land for 25 years, providing revenue to the farmers and, when the lease is up, they’ll remove the panels so the farmers can return to farm-ing the land. They see it as a way to expand renewables and “support farm families as generations age,” says Jay Carlis, vice president of Community Energy’s retail division.

Like Community Energy, the Energy Cooperative pro-vides local energy comprised of 99 percent Pennsylvania wind and one percent Pennsylvania solar. But there are a few differences. The Energy Co-op requires membership ($15 for residents) to purchase energy directly from them, not through a partnering utility company. They also don’t develop any wind or solar farms themselves. Their wind

energy comes exclusively from the Highland Wind Farm in Cambria County, and the solar is supplied from a very local source—the rooftops of Co-op members. Last year, the Energy Co-op sourced their energy from a portfolio of wind, solar, low-impact hydroelectric and an anaerobic digester, but a survey of members revealed overwhelming support for wind and solar. As a result, the Energy Co-op changed their EcoChoice100 energy product to reflect members’ preferences.

This change slightly increased their price per kilowatt-hour at the beginning of the year, but Alex Fuller-Young, the Energy Co-op’s electricity program manager, explains that the higher prices haven’t really affected their member-ship levels. “That’s a testament to how connected people feel to our organization,” he says. “We’re not your standard energy supplier.”

Purchasing local, renewable energy is one of the best ways you can support the growth of clean energy in Pen-nyslvania. As Carlis points out, “If you want more clean en-ergy, sure you can vote for people who support renewables, but the best thing you can do is buy it yourself.”

Samantha Wittchen is partner and co-founder of iSpring (ispringassociates.com), a sustainability firm serving companies and organizations in the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys.

enerGy


brand profile: local food with a mission soltane breads and spreads brand development / graphic design logo / packaging / print collateral signage and storefront coffee and wood fired baked goods tasting

The Living Principles

610.705.3606 barbergale.combcorporation.net/barbergale barbergale.prosite.com

designing sustainable brandsBarberGale

Soltane Breads and Spreads is a unique bakery in downtown Phoenixville, PA, specializing in artisan breads made with organically-grown grains, baked to crusty perfection; and staffed with a dedicated crew of bakers and baristas from Camphill Soltane, a non-profit organization based in Glenmoore, PA. Camphill Soltane’s mission is to give individuals with special needs the opportunities to uncover their talents and grow their capacities so they can take their place in the world as meaningful and valued contributors.

BarberGale is privileged to support a brand that speaks to the heart of what is possible at a place like Camphill Soltane.


Now that summer is in full swing, it’s time to get out of the kitchen and retreat to backyards and beaches to

cook dinner (and even breakfast!).Think slow-smoked brisket, wood-fired

pizza, rotisserie chicken, sausages, kebobs, fish tacos, skillet potatoes, grilled vegetables. Even eggs and toast, grilled fruit and choc-olate banana paninis can easily be cooked outside over hot coals. There is no need for a fancy grill, but I do use hardwood charcoal or wood rather than gas. Wood burns hotter, and the wood smoke adds key flavors.

Inspired by many a campfire cookout, I “built” a simple backyard fire pit during an afternoon a few years back. This modest hole in the grass, with neat stacks of bricks along three sides and a scavenged grate, still cooks many a fine meal. Over the seasons, I have added two adjustable grates and a rotisserie. I often have several grates propped above the flames at differ-

ent heights to sear, slow cook or smoke vari-ous appetizers, side dishes and desserts.

When visiting the beach, I can always find a spot to dig a big hole in the sand. I’ll make a bonfire and carefully place foil packets—filled with farm fresh vegetables and herbs (or fresh caught fish), lots of gar-lic and olive oil—on a rock stuck right into the hot coals.

Here are three ways to take advantage of the summer grilling season. Use these as suggestions—be creative, rely on what’s in season and enjoy the fact that watching the sun set over a cook fire can make mid-week meals feel like a mini-vacation.

anna herman consults, cooks, gardens, writes, and raises children, chickens and bees in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. Read more about her work at annasedibleadventures.com

Grilling tipStart the coals early enough so the grilling surface has time to pre-heat. hardwood charcoal burns hot, but fast. if you are grilling several batches, plan to add hunks of charcoal throughout the grill-ing session. grilling is always most successful over a hot fire.

a clean grill is also essential. use a wire grill brush regularly. rusty grills can be re-sea-soned. try my brother dave’s trick: cut a lemon in half, stick a fork in the skin side and dip the cut side of the lemon into a small dish of oil. rub the oiled lemon along the hot grill as needed.

food

Summer Grillsthis season, make sure a

few meals go up in smoke

by anna herman

photos by emily wren


grilled Haloumi with summer stone FruitHaloumi cheese is salty and firm, and can be grilled or pan-fried without melting. It has a unique soft and chewy texture, which complements fruit well. Grilled Haloumi is also excellent served alongside cold melon or grilled figs. Serves 4

1 package haloumi cheese (about pound)4 peaches, apricots or plums (or an assortment) juice of lemon olive oil

tsp fresh thyme leaves, picked from stem1 tsp fresh mint leaves, removed from stem and

finely minced salt and pepper optional: salad greens

�� Slice the cheese into half-inch pieces. Slice the fruit, remove pits and gently toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.�� Grill the cheese and fruit over hot coals un-

til well browned on both sides. If using greens, place on platter. Transfer the grilled cheese and fruit to serving platter, drizzle well with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped herbs. Lightly salt the fruit, and grate fresh pepper over the fruit and cheese. Serve immediately.

spicy Lamb sausage Kibbie PattiesThis mixture can be shaped like meatballs, burgers or sausages depending on how you will serve them. They make a great appetizer and are also good in a pita or alongside rice pilaf. Serves 4

3 tbsp fine bulgur wheat1 pound ground lamb2 tbsp minced raisins or dried cherries1 tbsp toasted pine nuts finely minced (optional)3 cloves of garlic, finely minced 2 – 3 tbsp sweet paprika1 tbsp ground fennel seeds2 tbsp ground cumin

tsp ground cinnamon – 1 tsp ground aleppo pepper or cayenne

3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced1 tbsp sea salt

tsp freshly ground black pepper

�� Place the bulgur in a small pan and cover with boiling water. Put lid on pan and leave wheat to soak for two to 12 hours.�� Drain bulgur and mix with

remaining ingredients. Form into meatballs, patties or sausage-shaped logs.�� Grill over hot coals until well

browned and cooked through. Serve with grilled onions and pep-pers, grilled vegetable salsa and thick yogurt with cucumbers.

grilled Pepper salsaThis sauce can also be made successfully under the broiler. Makes approximately 2 cups

1 large onion, peeled and cut in quarters6 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole3 red peppers, halved, seeded and cored4 plum tomatoes, cored and halved1 jalapeno or other chili pepper, with tops cut off

(seeds can be left)1 bunch cilantro, washed, trimmed and coarsely

chopped cup olive oil

salt and pepper

�� Grill all vegetables until very well browned, almost black. Place vegetables in the bowl of a food processor (do not peel off the blackened bits) with remaining ingredients. Pulse until well pureed. Scrape down the sides and season well with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.


food

Preservation Actdebut book from local food blogger extols the virtues of canning by amy stansbury

Summer is here, but before long the season will pass and so will the sweet taste of sun-ripened fruit. For years, food blogger—and Grid contributor—Marisa McClellan has been sharing her recipes, tips and

secrets to keeping those fruits (and much more) available all year long through canning. Now, McClellan is sharing her insights in a new book, Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year Round. Filled with endearing stories of her personal love affair with jams and jellies, the book is stocked with mouth-watering recipes (including chapters on foods like pickles and syrups) specifi-cally for small batches in tiny kitchens. Grid recently had a chance to talk with McClellan during her book tour and find out more about canning culture.

Why preserve food in jars? Marisa McClellan: It is all about the practice of buying low and selling high. In the summer you can buy large amounts of cheap produce and then enjoy it all year. You also support local farmers and extend your fresh produce season.

Aren’t jams and jellies only for spreading on toast? How else can they be used?MM: You can whisk them into olive oil and vin-egar as a salad dressing, you can use them as glazes for meat and you can use them to fill a tart. My favorite way to eat jam is to mix it into yogurt for breakfast.

Jelly, jam, marmalade—what’s the difference?MM: Jelly is made from fruit juice, jam is pre-serve made with whole fruit, marmalade is made from citrus with the rind, and preserves are made without pectin and are much runnier and chunkier.

What is the easiest canning recipe for beginners?MM: Start small and start with pickles. Refrig-erator pickles are the easiest because they don’t require processing. Then delve deeper into can-ning and try out new things.

Any other advice for those new to canning? MM: A lot of people try to reduce the sugar, but jams and jellies won’t set without it, and so they end up as syrup. My biggest advice is that no batch is ever a failure; just change your expec-tations about it. Be flexible.

For more, including McClellan’s book tour plans, visit foodinjars.org

Food in JarsPreserving in Small Batches Year Round

by marisa mcclellan (running press, 240 pp., $23, may 2012)

2 0 g r i d p h i l ly.co m au gust 2 0 12 P H oto BY a L B e rt Y e e

In the Zone Zone 7 acts as matchmaker to farmers and chefs by liz pacheco

Thirty-seven floors above Philadel-phia, Zone 7 founder Mikey Azzara is talking local food. He’s at R2L restaurant

in Liberty Towers, overseeing the delivery of po-tatoes, greens and herbs to Chef Daniel Stern. Azzara and Stern spend a few minutes chat-ting, mostly about the difficulty Stern once had in sourcing locally. Some farms would deliver directly to R2L, but Stern often did pick-ups him-self—neither option ideal for the farmer or chef. Thanks to Azzara, this has changed.

“I’ve always just loved that connection be-tween the farm and the chef,” says Azzara, ex-plaining the passion behind his business. Today, Zone 7, his New Jersey-based food distribution company, connects area farmers with restau-rants and markets in Philadelphia, New Jersey and, most recently, New York City.

Zone 7 was founded in Spring 2008 after a dinner at the home of Mark and Judy Dornst-reich, owners of Branch Creek Farm in Perkasie, Pa. At the time Azzara was outreach coordina-tor for the New Jersey chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) and a garden teacher in Lawrence Township schools. He had also recently launched the Lawrenceville Farmers Market. At NOFA, Azzara introduced farmers and chefs, but found they had trouble developing successful partnerships. So, the Dornstreichs asked Azzara to personally lead a new venture to strengthen those ties.

With support from the Dornstreichs, Azzara

soon had a business plan and even more im-portantly, a truck. “We started with 10 the first year—the 10 best farmers [in New Jersey] that I knew,” says Azzara. From there the number grew to 20, then 30. This past year they worked with 50 farms—about 15 in Pennsylvania and 35 in New Jersey. “We’re just looking for good grow-ers,” explains Azzara. “A lot of times it’s word of mouth. [If] we need more cauliflower, we’ll ask the growers themselves, ‘Do you know anybody else that has good cauliflower?’”

Zone 7 operates year-round and delivers produce, eggs, honey, cheese and other farm products. After his stop at R2L, Azzara helped unload bunches of greens and cases of hydro-ponic tomatoes at the Reading Terminal Market’s Fair Food Farmstand. Other deliveries that day would go to Nomad Pizza, Triumph Brewery, White Dog Cafe and the Food for All Collective, among others.

“There is great value in the ability to sell the product and [provide] the distribution,” says Az-zara. If farmers try to deliver themselves, they need an in-house sales employee, a delivery per-son and a truck. Zone 7 continues to grow, both because of demand and Azzara’s own passion to create chef/farmer partnerships. “The first day I was farming back in New Jersey, the farmer said, ‘Why are you so into this chef thing?’” recalls Azzara. “[Because] they want it, and we have it.”

For more about Zone 7, visit freshfromzone7.com

PHILADELPHIAUNIVERSITY

MASTER OFSCIENCE IN

SUSTAINABLEDESIGN

ONLINE GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN

SUSTAINABLEPRACTICES

A COLLABORATIVE,MULTIDISCIPLINARY

LEARNING EXPERIENCE

“The principle of sustainability is reshaping the way we think

about the world, encouraging us to improve the way we

design, build and live in the 21st century”

— Rob Fleming,Program Director

Become proficient in Green Building Materials,

Energy Efficiency, Construction Systems and

Sustainable Design

VISITwww.PhilaU.edu/greengrid

Zone 7’s Bill azzara (Chief Financial officer), sarah Carden (sales) and

Mikey azzara (Founder and owner) show off some local goods in their

new warehouse in ringoes, N.J.


BECOME AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONAL

• Restoredamagedecosystems

• Growcommunityfoodcrops

• Renewurbanneighborhoods

• Designandbuildstormwatergardens

BS Landscape ArchitectureNationally accredited professional program

Department of LandscapeArchitecture and Horticulture

School of Environmental Design

www.temple.edu/ambler/lahort

MLArch Information Sessions held last Wednesdays of the month

Master of Landscape ArchitectureFocused on Ecological Restoration

BS and AS in Horticulture Plant science in a living environment

267.468.8181

71194 Temple Ad.indd 1 9/28/11 12:41 PM

www.farmtocity.org

Good Food, Good Beer and The Rest Is History Saturday July 21st 6 - 9 pm

The Shambles, Headhouse Square2nd & Lombard, Philadelphia

DON’T MISS

Advance tickets available on line at brownpapertickets.com/event/254558

a collaborative fundraising event for

“It’s Meltdown Romantic!”

Featuring Gourmet Food Trucks and Regional Breweries

www.farmtocity.org

Good Food, Good Beer and The Rest Is History Saturday July 21st 6 - 9 pm

The Shambles, Headhouse Square2nd & Lombard, Philadelphia

DON’T MISS!

Advance tickets available on line at brownpapertickets.com/event/254558

a collaborative fundraising event for

Featuring Gourmet Food Trucks and Regional Breweries

and

SUMMER FARMSTANDS TWICE A WEEK!Thursdays • 2pm–7pm Saturdays • 10am–3pm

W W W. G R E E N S G R O W. O R G

local produce from the region’s finest farms & greensgrow grown produceexpanded selection of locally produced dairy products & meatgreensgrow made pickles, preserves, dips, baked goods, sauces & more!


it’s summer in the city and why yes, now that you mention it, it is dirty and gritty. No worries, we’re going to set you up with a cold crisp lager brewed right here in Philly, just a short walk from Grid HQ, as a matter of fact. No packaging, no delivery trucks, just some stainless steel tanks and a row of tap handles.

Triumph’s Summer Bock is light in color,

but nevertheless a full-bodied, stronger-than-you’d-think beer with subtle, spicy pepper notes. In this lager, the cold-fermented yeast has little effect on the flavor, allowing the pil-sner malt and German hops to come through focused and clean—an

excellent remedy for a day spent sweating in the city heat. —Lucas Hardison

For more, visit triumphbrewing.com/philadelphia

Word of a new cheesemaker travels fast at Headhouse Square Farmers Market. There, amid the flowers and fresh vegetables, you’ll find muffins of beautifully-crafted fresh goat cheese by Mary-Jean Bendorf and Jeff Henry. Bendorf and Henry travel from their Pocono farmstead to offer raw goat’s milk and an assortment of raw and pasteurized cheeses, including a tart little natural-rinded goat cheddar. They’re also experimenting with an Ap-penzeller twinged with blue, for a crazy jackalope of a cheese.

Bendorf and Henry are in their second season of cheesemaking. “We started with one cow, but then we discovered goats!” Bendorf beams. Her affection for her animals is evident—she enjoys walking her

goats in the forest—and you can taste that joy in her cheese. The plain chevre is herbaceous and delicate without much tang—similar to the Loire Valley goat cheeses that are so famously balanced. The batch I tried had a hint of wild onion.

Try crumbling Cranberry Creek Chevre on a lightly dressed salad of fresh herbs and greens, or spread it on thickly cut toast with some rhubarb jam. With a wheat beer or a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, this chevre is summer incarnate. –Tenaya Darlington, madamefromage.com

Cranberry Creek Farm, 112 Henry’s Crossing Rd., Cresco, Pa. 570-595-7748; cranberrycreekfarm.com

Cranberry Creek Chevre

food cheeSe of the month

Summer Bocktriumph Brewing Company., Philadelphia.

Helles Bock / 7.0% aBV

on tap

www.weaversway.coop

Visit our Outdoor Produce Market and Pop-up Grocery at 555 Carpenter Lane while our main store closes for renovations in July and August.We’ll have a lot of everything you need, and if you need a little more, our shuttle van will take you to our Chestnut Hill store.

Party Time!It’s a party all summer long: Music, Crafts, Food Trucks, Grilling, Kids’ Events, Parties and More!

Mt. Airy Village

Loyalty CardTo keep things popping for the rest of the neighborhood, for every 10 purchases of $5 of more at Mt. Airy Village businesses, we’ll give you $5 off of any WW purchase of $50 or more. Buy Local and Save Local!

Visit our new Pet & Wellness store, and check out our new look and our HUGE new bulk section when renova-tions are finished in September!

Pop UpSTORE

Mt. Airy Is

Popping!


LOCALLY GROWN AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCE, MEAT, DAIRY, PET, HEALTH AND BEAUTY PRODUCTS.

4824 Baltimore Avenue | M-F 10am–9pm | Sat-Sun 10am–8pm | 215.729.2121 | mariposa.coop

Corn G R O W N AT

B U Z B Y FA R M S,W O O D S T O W N , N J

S O L D 3 0 M I L E S A W AY AT

Local First

MARIPOSA FOOD CO -OP

(Non-GMO)

Taking Stock

An ex-investor makes the financial case for sustainable

agriculture by shaun brady

photos by neil santos

A cow emerges from the shadow while grazing on pasture.

Dean Carlson, owner of Wyebrook Farm, stands next to an infernillo where he roasts meat for guests on Sunday afternoons.

Red sex-link laying hens and a rooster roam the pasture near the mobile hen house.

Week-old Freedom Rangers are kept warm in a brooder house for three weeks before they’re transitioned to pasture.

Heritage breed Ossabow piglets roaming at Wyebrook Farm.


After 15 years working as a bond trader for Susque-hanna International Group, Dean Carlson quit the financial world to become a farmer. Now, instead of de-rivatives, he deals in cattle, poultry and heritage pigs on a 355-acre farm in Chester County.

Taking Stock

An ex-investor makes the financial case for sustainable

agriculture by shaun brady

photos by neil santos

Visitors stand at the edge of the picnic area, overlooking the 355-acre property.


while the sudden shift in lifestyle may seem like a Green Acres-style flight of fancy, Carlson came to the decision through some careful calculations.

“The world’s population keeps increasing and the amount of arable farmland in the world is de-creasing,” says Carlson. “We’ve run out of virgin territory to exploit, so food prices are going to go up—it’s really the only thing that can happen. But when I looked at conventional agriculture it just seemed wrong to me. It’s premised on this idea of cheap oil, that we have infinite amounts of resources, which just doesn’t fit reality.”

Like so many people, Carlson discovered the concept of sustainable agriculture by reading Mi-chael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Unlike the majority of his fellow readers, however, Carl-son’s lucrative job meant he had the capital to put the book’s message into a large-scale practice.

Carlson is the first to admit there has been a learning curve. “It would be stupid to say it was anything other than steep. There’s a lot to know and there’s a lot I still don’t know.” Each book he read on the subject led to others, and through the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agri-culture, he met neighboring farmers who shared his commitment to a less resource-intensive ap-proach to farming. Still, he insists there are ben-efits to stepping into agriculture as an outsider.

“I hadn’t been told all along by extension agents and agricultural schools that this is how you do things,” he says. “I also didn’t have a lot

of money invested in infrastructure associated with conventional agriculture. Part of the prob-lem is that farmers are locked into the system because they’ve borrowed money to build these buildings and feel like they have to use them. It’s really hard to make that switch.”

Creating a new “farm fresh”Wyebrook’s 300-strong, grass-fed herd largely consists of Devon cows and crosses between

Devon and other breeds. These breeds marble best when able to graze on grass pastures. “Ultimate-ly, if grass-fed beef isn’t as good or better than the grain-fed product people are used to, then it’s not going to ever become an acceptable product to a large enough audience,” explains Carlson. “There will always be people who

buy it because it’s better for them and for the en-vironment, but to reach a larger audience I think it needs to be a better product. And it can be.”

The farm’s 100 pigs are a variety of heritage breeds, including Ossabaw—a breed known for its adaptation to heat and humidity, and abil-ity to survive seasonal scarcity of food—which are raised in woodlots to allow for exercise and foraging. The roughly 500 broiler chickens are mostly Freedom Rangers, a breed that grows slowly but is famous for its flavor.

After taking over the 200-year-old farm, Carl-son spent two years renovating the salvageable buildings and taking down others. He erected more than 10 miles of fencing, and added solar panels that now meet roughly half of the farm’s energy needs. Overgrown pastures were re-stored to grass, while a variety of water sourc-es, including springs and a gravity-feed holding tank, were installed to replenish the pastures without using electricity.

Carlson also renovated one of the stone barns on the property, opening a market, butcher shop

The central hub of Wyebrook Farm is the renovated barn that houses a market, butcher shop, outdoor café and restaurant.

Chef Crandall at the butchering table within the kitchen of Wyebrook’s market.

The thing about sustainable [agriculture] is it’s not really scalable, but it is replicable. If we want to raise more food like this, there’s going to have to be more farmers.” —dean carlson

A customer shops at the butcher counter housed in the original barn.


and café to sell their meat. He now has five full-time and seven part-time employees. Before coming to Wyebrook, chef and butcher Janet Crandall was a butcher for Pat LaFrieda, host of Food Network’s Meat Men, and an instructor at the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan. She met Carlson at a class on the Mangalitsa pig, a Hungarian woolly variety, and began doing occasional events at Wyebrook before she was persuaded to join full time.

“It’s challenging,” Crandall says. “I’m butch-ering whole animals now as opposed to cleaning or cutting meat that wasn’t as large. I also had to come up with a menu that would work utilizing our meats. We only have so many animals and we have a time frame to sell them because we don’t want to freeze anything; we want every-thing fresh. I like challenges like that.”

Crandall’s signature dish is the Wyebrook Farm Burger, topped with a roasted corn dress-ing, cherry tomato pickled with ginger and ja-lapeño peppers, shallot onion rings, and sweet and dill pickles fried in tempura batter. She also serves pulled pork, hot dogs, cheesesteaks and other fare fresh from the pasture, including chicken nuggets fried in the fat she rendered from the farm’s animals. Local produce and cheeses are available, while a small produce gar-den supplies the café with additional ingredients.

“In a perfect world I would sell everything we raise from our store here on the farm,” Carlson says. “That way 100 cents of the food dollar stays on the farm.” Until he reaches that goal, he will continue to sell some of his meat to restaurants in Philadelphia and Downingtown, and is starting a weekly drop-off at COOK in Center City for online orders.

inspiring a future of farmersAttracting consumers to his farm rather than distributing food is key to Carlson’s philosophy.

“I think it’s important for people to have a con-nection with where their food comes from,” he says. “When you go to the grocery store, you’re relying on that label ‘organic.’ That means some-thing, but it may not mean what people think and it may not mean the same thing tomorrow. Farmers markets and Whole Foods are great, but you can take it even further when you see with your own eyes where your food comes from.”

In addition, he hopes the visibility inspires others to follow his lead. “The thing about sus-tainable [agriculture] is it’s not really scalable, but it is replicable. If we want to raise more food like this, there’s going to have to be more farm-ers. And that’s a good thing—there are a lot of people unhappy in their jobs who would really enjoy this way of life. So, if I can do something to show that this is a model that works and is economically viable, that’s one of my goals.”

Wyebrook Farm is located at 150 Wyebrook Rd., Honey Brook, Pa. Learn more at wyebrookfarm.com


it’s really remarkable how much has happened in the last four years with sustainability in philadelphia. what is allowing these changes to happen now? mayor nutter: When I was a fourth district councilper-son, 60 percent of the Fairmount Parks system was located within the district I represented. I’m from Philadelphia, I played in our parks. I played in our rec centers. I swam in our swimming pools. You know, Philly is my town. The Schuylkill, the Delaware, Wissahickon Creek, all these wa-terways and green spaces are things that I grew up with. So, one, I know about them. Two, I care about them. And three, I’m in a position to actually do something about them.

We cannot forget that Philadelphia was William Penn’s green country town. There’s a reason for that. There’s a rea-son for the parks system, which was basically created to pro-tect our water supply. There’s a reason for the Waterworks. There’s a reason that Philadelphia was and has been a leader in these areas. It’s just a part of our history. I’ve made it an essential component of what our city government is about.

I have great team of leaders—Chief Sustainability Officer Katherine Gajewski, Deputy Mayor of Transportation and Utilities Rina Cutler, Mike DiBerardinis, Deputy Mayor for Community and the Environment. All of these leaders know how to get a job done. We’re committed as a team to these goals.

I think people get it. They understand what this is about and we’ve been consistent with it. They know it just wasn’t last week’s idea. It’s a part of how we run the government. People responded to the challenge. I think Philadel-phians are excited that our recycling rate has tripled; that we’re actually making money from recycling…. And, because our recycling rate has gone up, the companies have had to hire more people to sort through the recycling. So it’s about jobs. And a big part of why I’m so focused on green economy, sustainability, energy usage and reduction, is the connection with jobs.

If people want to put new windows and doors and weatherization in their homes, someone has a job as a re-sult of that. If we have more recycling, someone has a job as a result of that. You want solar panels or other alterna-tive energy sources or if you want to put white roofs on peoples’ homes—we have 400,000 flat roofs in the City of Philadelphia because we have so many rowhomes—well someone has to do that work, it can’t be outsourced… It’s putting people to work and we’re saving money at the same time. You just have to be willing to make that in-vestment up front, but you’re going to make that savings on the back end.

On his first day in office Mayor Nutter announced his intention to make Phila-delphia “the greenest city in America.” Now, four years later, with his Greenworks plan in full swing, the Mayor has proven he’s serious. Our Green City, Clean Waters

program is revolutionizing how cities handle their ancient stormwater systems. The growing number of urban gardens and farms is making access to local, fresh foods not just possible, but commonplace. Our recycling program is actually making money. And our plans for energy efficiency, whether through retrofits, new construction or renew-able energy sources, are promising to significantly reduce our reliance on traditional fossil fuels. Recently, Grid had the chance to catch up with the Mayor and talk with him about his connection to Philadelphia parks, his at-home recycling habits and why there’s still hope for solar projects in the city.

SuStained COmmitment

I’m from Philadelphia, I played in our parks. I played in our rec centers. I swam in our swimming pools... Philly is my town.

Now iN his secoNd term, mayor Nutter coNtiNues to make greeN work

interview by liz pacheco • photos by gene smirnov

P h otos ta k e n o n t h e g r e e n r o o f at t h e f r i e n ds C e n t e r i n C e n t e r C i t y. au g ust 2 0 12 g r i d p h i l ly.co m 29

talking about recycling, it’s been a huge win for the city, although it still has a long way to go. But what about composting? Does the city have any plans to implement a composting program? mn: I think part of the challenge with com-posting in a very dense urban environment, like Philadelphia, goes back to the housing stock. With so many rowhomes—I grew up in a rowhome—[there’s] not much room in the backyard. So where do you put it? How does it function and operate? How do you collect it? How do you get to it? When I was a kid the City actually had two separate trash or garbage pickups. Trash was on the front and garbage was out the back. People came through the alley and picked up your garbage in a little pail, and actually all that food waste went to farms in New Jersey. That eventually got cut out.

We have regular trash and we have recycling. Not exact-ly sure at this point having another fleet of trucks going around, trying to deal with composting when our housing stock doesn’t really accommodate that kind of service. We’re not exactly sure the economics work out too well.

are you composting at home? mn: We have not gotten to that yet, although my wife has actually inquired about it. She keeps talking about wanting to compost. Now on the other hand I could come home tonight and we could have a composting bin in the backyard for all I know, once she decides that’s what we’re doing, that’s what we’re doing.

at home, what kind of sustainable things do you do? Do you bike or garden? mn: Garden, zero. It’s a bit of a challenge and I’ve never demonstrated any particular green thumb. I think every plant I’ve ever had has died. Biking, not a whole lot. My wife is a pretty serious cyclist. Every now and then I go with her or we have Bike to Work Day or a couple other events and activities. But it’s not some-thing I get a whole lot of time to do. I deal with the whole recycling situation in the house, I’ve revolutionized that with a little bit of in-house fighting for a second. Not about recycling, but about what kind of can. I bought something that didn’t really fit with the feng shui of the kitchen. So there were a couple battles about that, but we worked it out.

something that’s more big picture is renewable energy. the solar industry’s financial viability has been seriously diminished. how’s that af-fecting the city’s renewable energy plan? mn: Our goal is to have 20 percent of our [elec-tricity from] alternative [energy sources]. We put solar out at the Southeast Water Treatment Plant, we put solar panels on top of the River-

side Women’s Prison. One of our other facilities is gen-erating somewhere near 85 percent of its energy at one of our plants, and we pur-chased a fairly significant number of wind credits.

I’m not ready to count solar down for the count. I think that as the industry continues to figure out—and I think you’ll see some great research coming out of the Energy Efficiency Hub down at the Navy Yard—they’ve got to lower, obvi-ously, the cost factors that go with the manufacturing and the installation of solar. We see solar panels, even on public housing. I had a rib-

bon cutting at a public housing development in West Philadelphia. It was a townhouse-type structure, every roof had solar on it.

I think you’re going to continue to see, in many instances, governments utilizing [solar] and building in that cost as part of construc-tion. I think that for commercial and residen-tial usage you’ve got to bring some of those cost factors down so that one day some-one would walk into Home Depot, Lowes, wherever you want to go and would be able to seriously say hey, I’d like to install some solar panels on my roof and it’s not a million dollars.

we ran a story not too long ago about a resident who installed solar panels on his roof, although he’s a little bit more tech savvy than most. But someone else did solar hot water and that was much more manageable. mn: I think part of the key to success in this area is in many instances you’ll have your truly committed folks, they’ll do whatever it takes. Others are certainly

very interested, but they’re not looking to be-come space engineers. It can’t take forever and it can’t cost an arm and a leg to do it or be so complicated as to like why would I do this?

the plus is 25 years down the line you’re still going to have this system. mn: Getting people to think about long-term cost benefit as oppose to the out-of-pocket right now is always the challenge. You have to be able to show them this year’s cost-benefit analysis, and can you afford the up-front investment? It’s the conversion going on now between the original light bulbs and the incandescent light bulbs versus the CFLs or eventually going to LEDs. You walk into one of these stores and a light bulb costs $4.69. Well, why would I spend $4.69 for a light bulb? I get this other thing over here for 89 cents. But you’re going to buy 10 of those over the course of the next couple years. Get this one and maybe you’re talking about five, six, seven-year life on that bulb. Again, that’s the education and informa-tion component that leads people to make the longer-term decision when they can see the long-term benefit.

if there’s one gigantic sustainable thing you could achieve just by saying it, what do you think it would be?mn: Stop littering. That’s the one thing that everybody can do. We’d have a much cleaner city if people just put trash in trash cans and not just throw it down on the street. Sounds simple, but apparently some people don’t know how to do it.

Getting people to think

about long-term cost benefit as oppose to the out-of-pocket

right now is always the

challenge.


stat i st i Cs f r o m t h e 2 0 12 g r e e n wo r ks P h i l a d e l P h i a P r o g r ess r e P o rt, phila.gov/green/greenworks

i l lu st rat i o n by m e l i ssa m C f e et e rsau g ust 2 0 12 g r i d p h i l ly.co m 3 1

Since 2009, Katherine Gajewski has been the face of sustainability for the City. When she took the job, Green-

works Philadelphia, the City’s sustainability plan, had just launched. Gajewski was faced with the formidable task of implementing the framework as well as overseeing a spectrum of projects that routinely cross departmental lines.

For some people, that might have been daunting, but Gajewski had been managing city-wide projects, such as the Philly Spring Cleanup and the campaign for smoke-free leg-islation, before accepting her current position. She’s extremely process-driven, which helps her organize tasks and keep things on track—two things especially crucial when working with multiple city agencies.

Gajewski is also a relentless advocate for better communication. Speak to her for just a short period of time, and she’ll likely bring up this missing piece of the sustainability puz-zle—that, as a society, we’re not doing enough to communicate the value of sustainability. It’s undoubtedly what drives her to make Green-works so visible in Philadelphia and move the sustainability conversation forward.

The implementation of Greenworks has

been Gajewski’s bread and butter from the start, and it still continues to define her work to make Philadelphia a leader in sustainability. “Sustainability should be the new norm,” says Gajewski. Thanks to her tireless implementa-tion of Greenworks, the reality is a little closer to that ideal. —Samantha Wittchen

dream teamMeet four MeMbers of Mayor Nutter’s adMiNistratioN,

aNd the projects aNd issues they chaMpioN

Katherine Gajewski

Director of sustainability for the City of philadelphia

Guaranteed energy Savings Project

The Office of Sustainability has been working with the Department of Public Property and the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities to put together an energy management and conservation program for the city.The program will help meet the Greenworks target of reducing city government energy consumption by 30 percent.

The Guaranteed Energy Savings Project kicked off in June and will focus on the City’s “Quadplex” (City Hall, Municipal Service Building, One Parkway and the Center for Criminal Justice). Energy conser-vation measures, such as lighting upgrades, energy management systems, new chillers for the air conditioning and heating system upgrades, will be made in the Quadplex and paid for by the energy

savings generated by the measures. The financing model used will allow the City to realize savings without making a significant investment up-front, something critical in these cash-strapped times.

Projects like this can yield energy savings of 20 percent, which would go a long way towards help-ing the City reach its 30 percent energy reduction target. As Gajewski explains, the project is a great example of how the mayor’s administration, City Council—which had to pass an ordinance to allow the project to move forward—and outside advocacy organizations can all work together to push proj-ects through that make the City more sustainable.

For more information, visit phila.gov

P o rt r a i ts by a l b e rt y e e

city hall is one of four buildings that will undergo energy conservation measures.


Karen randal was raised on sustainability. Her father, an ar-chitect, built their family home

with radiant floor heating and strategically-placed windows that eliminated the need for air conditioning. When her family moved to the Virgin Islands, they used a cistern system for water and learned the importance of energy efficiency since electricity frequently cut out. “That is really where the foundation for my life really began,” she explains.

Here in Philadelphia, in a position newly created under the Nutter administration, Ran-dal is applying that sustainability-influenced upbringing. As Director of Business Attraction and Retention, Randal isn’t just bringing new business into the city, she’s also encouraging a new sustainable business ethic. Randal ex-plains that part of her job is “to help attract clean technology, help businesses go more sustainable if they have bad practices that are polluting everything, [and] make them more

aware of sustainable practices.” With a history of taking on new, previously

nonexistent positions, Randal is a pioneer in the business and economic development fields, and well-suited for the challenges this job presents. She has done work in design, development, sales, marketing, branding, lob-bying, even teaching. Her contacts (which fill more than four oversized rolodexes) reflect years of working with businesses through-out the U.S., such as architecture, design and planning firms, manufacturers and real estate companies.

For something like the manufacturing in-dustry—which once thrived in Philadelphia and Randal argues is still going strong—sustainable practices include reducing the carbon footprint of production, using local, nontoxic materials, and employing neighbors, not overseas laborers. Although this can be challenging, Randal believes Philadelphia is on the path to becoming a hub for sustainable business. —Liz Pacheco

Sa Va

SA VA, a women’s clothing line started in 2005 by Reading-native Sarah Van Aken, has become the poster child for Philadelphia’s manufacturing revival. Van Aken originally made her clothes in a fair trade factory in Bangladesh, but after frustra-tions with production control she began exploring a local option. With support from Randal, SA VA acquired a grant and moved operations to Center City in 2009. Today, the vertically integrated storefront boasts a retail store and design studio with an adjacent manufacturing facility. All items must have at least one element of sustainability, such as organic, fair trade or recycled, and SA VA’s manufacturing has created more than 20 jobs.

Find out more at savafashion.com or visit the store at 1700 Sansom St.

mPC

MPC (formerly Materials Processing Corporation) is an e-recycling business that helps companies dispose of electronic and technology products; they specialize in secure management of intel-lectual property associated with these products. When the Minnesota-based company was look-ing for an East Coast city in which to base their operations, Randal steered them to Philadelphia. Their Northeast processing facility opened in 2011 and initially employed 15 people. The facility is expected to eventually provide 90 jobs.

For more information, visit mpc-e.com.

Karen randal

Director of Business attraction and retention

The sa va manufacturing facility moved to philadelphia with randal’s help.


deputy mayor Michael DiBerardi-nis didn’t grow up in Philadelphia, but his love for the city is unques-

tionable. After graduating from St. Joseph’s University, he settled in Kensington/Fishtown where he and his wife raised their four kids. After spending the late 1970s as a community activist advocating for urban homesteading, DiBerardinis started working for a congress-man. This job led to public administration, and from 1992 to 2000 DiBerardinis was Recreation Commissioner for Philadelphia. “But during that time,” he says, “[the Recreation Depart-ment] had very little focus on sustainability or on energy use, land use, land management.”

DiBerardinis gained more exposure in 2003 when he became secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Re-sources. “That world is really filled with pol-icy, operational questions and demands that relate directly to sustainability,” he says. “It was a big leap for me. It took about six months to really understand it and to manage [from] that perspective.”

During this time, DiBerardinis also became

an unofficial consultant on Mayor Nutter’s Greenworks Philadelphia plan. He worked with Mark Alan Hughes, founding Director of Sustainability for Philadelphia, on initia-tives related to his work in Harrisburg. When DiBerardinis returned as Deputy Mayor for Environmental and Community Resources—a role that oversees the now combined Parks and Recreation Department—he advocated for individual city departments to take leadership roles in reaching the targets.

While a number of Greenworks targets fall under Parks and Recreation, DiBerardinis has focused on three: restoring tree coverage, pro-viding access to public parks and promoting urban agriculture. By working toward these targets DiBerardinis feels his department can reach their ultimate goal: equity. “We want to bring green space, recreation space [and] park space to citizens that don’t have it,” he says. —Liz Pacheco

michael di berardinis

Deputy mayor for environmental and Community resources

Green 2015 and treePhilly

To achieve green space equity for residents, the department has introduced green2015. The plan is to convert 500 acres of vacant and underused land into parks. so far, about 150 acres have been revived and another 100 are planned. one contributor to green2015 is Treephilly—a new initiative to plant 15,000 new trees in 2012. The program is led by parks and recreation with support from the city of philadelphia. The new trees will con-tribute to the greenworks target of planting 300,000 trees by 2015. To reach this goal, all philadelphians are being called upon to plant trees: neighborhoods, businesses, nonprofits, schools, city departments, land-owners and most importantly, individual residents. This spring, the program gave out more than 2,400 free trees to residents. and this september, the department is hoping to give away at least another 2,000.

For more information and to apply for a tree, visit treephilly.org

The TreePhilly initiative is working

to turn more city streets into tree-

lined avenues, like Delancey Street

(shown here).


in her role as Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Public Utilities, Rina Cutler oversees four major entities: the

Streets Department, the Water Department, Philadelphia Airport and the City’s Energy Office. This means large-scale infrastructure projects—like the forthcoming airport expan-sion—fall under Cutler’s jurisdiction, requiring

her to engage engineers, city bureaucrats, com-munity members, state government agencies and regional transit authorities.

Trained as a social worker, Cutler views her-self as a change agent who’s helping to shep-herd Philadelphia into a new era focused on livability—a word she thinks resonates more with the average citizen than “sustainability.”

She focuses on helping people understand and accept that the world is changing, and that we need to work together to change with it. When it comes to city sustainability issues within her control—be they transit, waste or utilities—Cutler feels strongly that part of her job is fram-ing the discussion in a way that makes it real for residents. In her words: “It really is about a long-term effort to make the city a place where people want to live, play, work and recreate.”

Because the Mayor’s Office of Transpor-tation and Utilities (MOTU) is in charge of a diverse group of city departments, the proj-ects defining Rina Cutler’s work are equally varied. During her tenure, the Water Depart-ment rolled out its Green City, Clean Waters program, the recycling rate jumped from five to 19.5 percent, the almost-forgotten South Street bridge project was completed, and the city opened a series of new bike lanes. It’s a portfo-lio of accomplishments that might cause one to become complacent. But Cutler isn’t resting on her laurels. She has a few new projects in the works to support her goal to make Philadelphia more livable. —Samantha Wittchen

Citywide Bike Share

For years, Philadelphians have been pitching the idea for a citywide bike share. Since then, various concept studies have been done, both by the city and outside organizations. While the rollout is still likely a year to 18 months away, the Mayor’s Office of Transporation and Utilities has already stated exploring how to finance a citywide bike share. One option they’re exploring is how corpo-rate sponsorship might work for such a program.

Public transit improvements

MOTU is looking to improve the convenience and accessibility of public transit. They’ll be working with SEPTA to define bus corridors in Philadel-phia and implement preemptive traffic signals to make bus service faster. Cutler has also advo-cated for the renovation of the decaying City Hall station and implementation of an electronic fare system. Although both are still several years out, the projects are already underway.

For more, visit phila.gov/motu

rina Cutler

Deputy mayor for transportation and public utilities

In the coming years expect improvements to SEPTA, such as faster bus service, a renovated City Hall station and an electronic fare system.


Falcon crestA man, a broom and the world’s fastest air predator meet at City Hall’s clock tower by bernard brown

Look up, philadelphia. Study the clock tower at City Hall and the tops of our Center City skyscrapers to witness

the high drama unfolding above the concrete and asphalt. Here the air’s top predators are flying high over rooftops and knocking their prey from the sky at 200 miles per hour.

If you had been looking up from South Broad Street on May 23, you might have seen me. I was stationed just beneath the face of the clock on City Hall, holding a broom. I had been commis-sioned to protect Dr. F. Arthur McMorris, per-egrine falcon coordinator for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, who was tagging a brood of four young peregrine falcons, fastening bands on their legs for future identification. My job was simple: use the broom to discourage the furious par-ents from attacking. Lucky for me, this only amounted to standing my ground as the parents glared from the bal-ustrade a yard away, then om-inously flew a couple blocks out, turning and coming back for another run.

But who was I to keep the falcons from attacking? These are the fastest animals on the planet (topping 200 miles per hour in a dive), with a streamlined form, fierce eyes and clean-edged, slate gray head patterns that look like war paint. The pair in Philadelphia imposes a no-fly zone for a mile around City Hall: no other falcons may pass; seagulls take a wide detour across Center City. Their talons impale pigeons and ducks. I had a broom.

Later, the adult falcons glared through the windows into the tower as McMorris measured the young and clipped bands onto their legs, and veterinarian Keith Hinshaw, the Philadelphia Zoo’s Director of Animal Health, looked them over. As a new father myself, I empathized with the mom and dad. How would I feel if giant

monsters yanked my daughter from her crib and manhandled her while she screamed in terror?

Peregrine falcons have an unusual relation-ship with humans. In the mid-1900s, DDT dev-astated the population and, by 1961, there were no breeding pairs east of the Rockies.

After reintroductions into what’s considered their “natural” habitat failed in the 1980s (for ex-ample, great horned owls picked off the newly released falcons), biologists noticed that urban canyons mimicked peregrines’ natural habitat, complete with an ample supply of pigeons.

Though peregrines are thriving at City Hall and nest under pretty much every bridge

across the Delaware, this is a habitat of conve-nience. “Quite frankly, nesting on man-made structures is not safe,” says McMorris. Plenty of fledgling falcons meet their end by smacking into an office window. Still, enough young per-egrines disperse after they leave the nest to keep the overall population expanding.

Before DDT became popular in the late 1940s there were on average 44 pairs of falcons in Pennsylvania nesting on natural cliffs. Now, we have just 32 pairs in the state with about one quarter living in the Philadelphia area. “This isn’t a very large number,” says McMorris, “but we’re thrilled since it’s more than the last year.”

bernard brown is an amateur field herper, bureaucrat and founder of the PB&J Campaign (pbjcampaign.org), a movement focused on the benefits of eating lower on the food chain. Read about his forays into the natural world at phillyherping.blogspot.com.

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By now there have likely been a few casualties in your garden. But like the Boss says: “Everything dies, baby,

that’s a fact.” It would be a shame to let those con-tainers gather dust until next spring, though, so clean them out, find some fresh, fertile, nitrogen-rich dirt, and get your brassica veggies growing.

Thanks to climate change, Philadelphia was recently promoted to a new zone on the USDA’s Plant Hardiness Zone Chart. The chart is the standard gardeners and growers follow to decide which plants are most likely to thrive in their geo-graphic area. One of the benefits (if you can call it that) of this climate-change-spurred promotion is that Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi, cabbage and other members of the brassica family aren’t restricted to early spring plantings anymore. In fact, they’re good candidates for fall replacement plantings, if you don’t mind a little gambling.

Timing’s everything with the brassica clan, and this weather wackiness makes de-termining a safe planting time for fall crops a guessing game at best. So, with that disclaimer in mind, I’ll give it my best shot.

Once August rolls around, it’s proba-bly too late to consider growing Brussels sprouts and kohlrabi from seed (trust me, I’ve tried). But nice, healthy starts can still do well. Pay a visit to a real nursery, such as Primex or Greensgrow (please don’t go to a box store), and ask around for varieties they’d recommend.

If you’re planning way ahead, and it’s still July, what the heck, give seeds a shot! Look for early-maturing cultivars like Franklin Brussels sprouts, Early Purple or Grand Duke kohlrabi, and stress-tolerant broccoli varieties like Arcadia. Assuming Philly’s first frost is—as the Farmers’ Almanac and last couple seasons predict—in mid-Novem-ber to sometime in December, you can direct-seed your broccoli. So start these indoors 85 to 100 days before the first frost. I’ve found that Brussels sprouts and kohlrabi are a little more finicky, and prefer a nice, climate-controlled start. Plants can be safely transplanted into their final resting pot when they’re about three inches tall or have four to six mature leaves.

Brassicas love cooler temperatures, ideally with highs in the 60s or 70s, and in many cases, their flavor improves after a light frost—evi-dently there’s something about the colder tem-peratures that convert starches to sugars. Be prepared to keep the soil nice and moist; mulch works well both to conserve water and protect from extreme day-to-night temperature shifts.

You’ll still have to keep your eyes peeled for bugs, though. Be sure to flip the leaves over and inspect the undersides carefully—this is where the creepy crawlies like to hide. Soapy sprays work well on aphids, and cabbage loopers (pesky garden-eating worms) move a little more slowly in the fall, so you should be able to handpick them before they wreak too much havoc.

char vandermeer tends a container garden on her South Philly roof deck; she chronicles the triumphs and travails at plantsondeck.com


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jul14 Selecting Perennials

to Suit Your Gardening Goals Learn from experienced gardeners Su-

san Nowland and Conna Clark how site conditions and personal tastes affect choosing perennials.

→ sat., July 14, 9-11 a.m., $10, Fairmount park horti-cultural Center, N. horticultural and montgomery Dr. For more information, visit extension.psu.edu/philadelphia/programs/master-gardener

jul14 Camphill Kimberton’s Hootenanny

Celebrate local culture with a festival of music and food. The day includes

games, face painting, hay rides, folk dancing and live music.

→ sat., July 14, 3-10 p.m., $10 or $8 in advance, free for children 10 and under, Camphill Village Kim-berton hills, 1601 pughtown rd., Kimberton. to purchase tickets, e-mail [email protected] or call 610-935-8660

jul14 Plumbing and Drip Irrigation Basics

Eliminate some of the errors and labor of watering in your garden by learning

plumbing basics and how to set up a drip irriga-tion for garden beds and containers.

→ sat., July 14, 12-2 p.m., $35, includes a drip irrigation kit, greensgrow Farm, 2501 e. Cumber-land st. For more information and to register, visit greensgrow.org/events

jul1415

Mammal, Reptile and Amphibian Discovery WeekendCelebrate the Academy’s bicentennial year with this fun filled weekend. See some weird and wonderful specimens,

help solve a mystery and make an animal mask to take home.

→ sat. & sun., July 14 & 15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., free with museum admission, the academy of Natural sciences, 1900 benjamin Franklin pkwy. For more information, visit ansp.org

jul19 Dollar Stroll

Enjoy live music, street performances and $1 dining specials at this outdoor

street festival in University City.

→ thurs., July 19, 5:30-8:30 p.m., free, university City. For more information, visit universitycity.org

jul19 Kitchen Garden in a Pot

Don’t have space for an in-ground gar-den? Learn how to grow herbs and veg-

etables in a variety of containers, including hang-ing baskets, window boxes and other planters.

→ thurs., July 19, 6-7:30 p.m., $15, the salvation army Kroc Center of philadelphia, 4200 Wissahick-on ave. to register, visit pennhort.net/calendar

jul20 Buggin’ in the Dark Adult Field Study

Embark on a nighttime insect hunt in the New Jersey Pine Barrens with

professional entomologists. Learn how to iden-tify nighttime bugs and see unique beetles and moths.

→ Fri., July 20, 7-11 p.m., $25 members/ $30 non-members, pine barrens, NJ. to register, call 215-299-1060 or visit ansp.org

jul21 8th Annual Good Food Good

Beer and the Rest is HistorySlow Food and Farm to City partner in

this annual local food and beer event. New this year, food trucks will be providing the menu. Plus local brewers, and market and food demos.

→ sat. July 21, 6-9 p.m., $30 in advance/$35 at the door, the shambles, headhouse square market, second and lombard sts. For more information and tickets, visit slowfoodphilly.org

jul21 Philadelphia Zoo

Summer Ale Festival Enjoy summer seasonal beers and local

bites while strolling through the gardens of the Philadelphia Zoo, home to 1,300 rare and endan-gered species.

→ sat. July 21, 6:30-10 p.m, $95 VIp/$65 general/ $35 designated driver, philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. girard ave. For more information and tickets, visit philadelphiazoo.org

jul21 Master Gardeners of

Camden County: Plant ClinicThe Master Gardeners of Camden

County are holding a plant clinic. Stop by with garden questions, sick plants, insects and bug-eaten leaves and flowers.

→ sat., July 21, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., free, Camden County environmental Center, 1301 park blvd., Cherry hill, NJ. For more information, visit camden.njaes.rutgers.edu

jul21 Summer Pruning for Form

This workshop provides hands-on ex-perience pruning old roses during the

summer to shape and control their size. Students should bring pruning shears and gloves.

→ sat., July 21, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., $50 members/ $75 non-members, Wyck, 6026 germantown ave. to register, visit wyck.org/programs

jul21 Edibles in Containers

Learn how to grow beautiful and fresh vegetables in tight spaces and containers.

→ sat., July 21, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., $25 members/ $30 non-members, meadowbrook Farm, 1633 Washington ln., meadowbrook. to register, visit pennhort.net/calendar

Native Trees TourTake a tour of the native trees at Morris Arboretum and learn about the many ways native trees can support increased biodiversity. Offered every Sunday in July.

→ sun., July 15, 1-2 p.m., free with admission, morris arboretum, 100 e. Northwestern ave. For more information, visit morrisarboretum.org

jul15


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jul22 Recycled Crafts Workshop

Local artist Heather Rinehart dem-onstrates how to create practical and

pretty creations from plastic, glass bottles, cans and cardboard.

→ sun., July 22, 12-1:30 p. m., free with day pass, bar-tram’s garden, 5400 lindbergh blvd. to register, e-mail [email protected]

jul26 Nature Uncorked:

Days of Wine and FlowersTour the new Sensory Garden and en-

joy an evening of wine, cheese and nature as you learn about the secrets of flowers.

→ thurs., July 26, 8 p.m., $10 members/$15 non-members, the schuylkill Center for environmental education, 8480 hagy’s mill rd. to register, e-mail [email protected] or call 215-482-7300 ext. 100

jul26 Grid Alive

Join Grid for their monthly live event. Featuring: Katherine Gajewski, Direc-

tor of the Office of Sustainability; Mike DiB-erardinis, Deputy Mayor for Environmental and Community Resources; and Karen Randal, Director of the Office of Business Attraction and Retention. Musical guest is Spinning Leaves and enjoy free local beer form Rolling Barrel Events.

→ thurs., July 26, 7-10 p.m. $5, trinity memorial Church, 22nd and spruce sts. For tickets, visit gridphilly.com

jul28 ART/GAGE:

Celebrate Philly CreativityThe annual festival street fair hosted by

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. The all-day event features music, dance, fire arts, interactive ac-tivities and live art creation, along with unique crafts and local food.

→ sat. July 28, 12-10 p.m., free/$12, $15 for nighttime performances, 1000 block of south street. For more information, visit phillymagicgardens.org

jul28 Cast Your Own Hypertufa Pots

Learn how to easily cast your own pots using Hypertufa, a lightweight com-

bination of aggregates and Portland cement. Materials supplied. Pots can be picked up the next day.

→ sat., July 28, 12-2 p.m., $25, greensgrow Farm, 2501 e. Cumberland st. For more information and to register, visit greensgrow.org/events

jul28 Natural History and Environment

of the Lower Schuylkill RiverUncover the history of Bartram’s Gar-

den with curator Joel Fry, who will lead an in-depth tour on the natural history and environ-ment of the Lower Schuylkill.

→ sat., July 28, 1-2:45 p.m., free with day pass, bar-tram’s garden, 5400 lindbergh blvd. For more information, visit bartramsgarden.org

jul31 Ornamental Vegetable Gardening

Jack Staub, co-owner of Hortulus Farm, will teach a variety vegetable gardening

techniques from designing to staking.

→ tues., July 31, 6-8 p.m., $18 members/$23 non-members, hortulus Farm Nursery & gardens, 60 thompson mill rd., Wrightstown. to register, visit pennhort.net/calendar

aug01 Leaf Casting 101

Capture the beauty of nature with this cast-leaf sculpture class and go home

with a beautiful piece of art to put in your garden.

→ Wed., aug. 1, 6-8 p.m., $30 members/ $35 non-members, Chanticleer, 786 Church rd., Wayne. to register, visit pennhort.net/calendar

The average person throws away 1600 pounds of garbage each year. The average Bennett Compost customer throws away less than half that. Our weekly pick-up of food scraps and other compostable material helps you reduce your impact. Simply place our bucket outside your home or apartment, and we’ll take care of the rest.

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$15 / month! for residential customers

Business owners: call 215.520.2406 for a

customized quote

BENNETT COMPOST www.bennettcompost.com | 215.520.2406

aug0304

Pennsylvania Organic Farm FestCelebrate organic growers and con-sumers with live music, educational activities, a farmers market, hands-on demonstrations and local, organic food.

→ Fri.-sat., aug. 3-4, all day, free, Centre County grange Fair grounds,169 homan ln., Centre hall. For more information, visit farmfest2012.paorganic.org

aug04 Big Brook Fossil Field Study

Uncover mosasaur, shark, and fish teeth from 70 million years ago at Big Brook

Preserve in New Jersey with Ned Gilmore, the Academy of Natural Science’s Vertebrate Pale-ontology Collection manager.

→ sat., aug. 4, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., $35 members/$40 non-members, big brook preserve, Colts Neck, NJ. to register, call 215-299-1060 or visit ansp.org

aug07 Master Gardeners of Camden

County Homeowners Series: Lawn Care Made Simple

Learn all about lawn care in this garden lecture.

→ tues., aug. 7, 7-8:30 p.m., $10, Camden County environmental Center, 1301 park blvd., Cherry hill, NJ. to register, e-mail [email protected]


12th STREET CATERING Catering Sustainable Weddings & Special Events

P: 215.386.8595 www.12thstreetcatering.com

photography by Alison Conklin Photography & 12 St Catering

Fine Tree Care

(610) 485 9067

STONEPA/DE CERTIFIED

THU 10-7 | Fri 10-6 | SaT 10-6 | SUn 10-6 | Mon 10-6

CALL 215.510.0647 OR [email protected]

WWW.THESTOCKGROUP.NET

SUSTA INABLE BU ILD ING &

REMODEL ING

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLYBEFORE IT WAS TRENDY!


1001-13 North 2nd Street Philadelphia PA 19123

267-455-0374 [email protected] www.millesime.us

Furniture

Lighting

Home Accessories

1001-13 North 2nd Street | Philadelphia | 267-455-0374 | www.millesime.us

Furniture

Lighting

Home Accessories

FROM OUR FARM TO YOUR HOME

717.677.7186 R www.threespringsfruitfarm.com

� e fi nest sustainably raised fruits

and specialty vegetables available at

Headhouse Farmers Market (Sundays

10-2) and at like-minded stores and

restaurants throughout the city. Environmentally-Friendly Wood Floors, Naturally

Buy from a local Philly homeowner and SAVE!

(800) 363-6881

Materials installation repairs

the pre-Finished Hardwood specialist since 1985


FRESH, LOCAL FOOD

SEASONAL CUSTOM MENUS

SUSTAINABLE EVENTS

215-435-0331 • [email protected]

U LT I M OC O F F E E B A R

15th and Miffl in Streets in South PhiladelphiaMon-Fri 7-9 • Sat-Sun 8-9 • 215.339.5177

www.ultimocoffee.com

Bog Berry dryer balls

www.BogBerryDryerBalls.com

The eco-friendly alternative to dryer sheetsBiodegradaBle | ChemiCal free | energy savers

decorative & functionalexcellent gifts for wedding and baby showers

HANDMADE IN PHILADELPHIA WITH LOCAL WOOL • www.BogBerrydryerBalls.com

4 6 g r i d p h i l ly.co m au gust 2 0 12 I l lust r at I o N by Da N I e l F I s h e l

Ben Wenk’s peaches are heavy with sweet juice and thick meat, held together only by a thin layer of blushing, copper skin. After a few times eating his peaches, leaning over, juice dripping down my chin, I had one of those moments. “Oh,” I thought, “this is good food.”

That summer with Three Springs Fruit Farm was more than an introduction to peaches. I began asking about food—how it’s made, how it’s eaten and how it shapes our culture. I discovered that people across the world share my curiosity, and that Slow Food, a global nonprofit linking good food with local traditions and sustainable production, has even founded a university on the subject.

Last fall, I enrolled in a one-year masters program at Slow Food’s University of Gastronomic Sciences, an international school located in the small town of Pollenzo, Ita-ly. The curriculum is designed to explore food from various perspectives: eco-nomically, historically, environ-mentally, politically, socially and creatively. There are regular classes, demonstrations, din-ners and field trips meant to encourage direct interaction with food cultures.

The field trips have been an especially important part of the program, pro-viding direct connections to talented producers and growers, whose passions and hard work maintain gas-tronomic traditions and fertile land. During the semester, my 26 classmates (from 16 countries) and I traveled throughout Switzerland, Greece and four regions in Italy. We had rye bread in the Swiss Alps, olive oil in northern Greece, Brunello (a red wine) in Tuscany, Parmi-

giano Reggiano in northern Italy, and dried pasta in Naples. These trips can be mimicked in our own Philadelphia area;

heirloom vegetables in Bucks County, eggs at a farm in West Philly, cheese made in Chester County and Pinot Grigio pro-duced with Pennsylvania grapes. Our food trucks serve chick-en raised in Lancaster County, and our restaurants boast wild mushrooms and produce from fields less than an hour away. And then there’s the home garden—grown in a pot, a yard or a community space—it’s a beautiful way to cultivate your time and passion.

Whether in Philadelphia or Italy, I found place responsible for shaping how one tastes, feels and shares food. In Italy, meals are almost always eaten together. Conviviality—or lack thereof—is a key element to understanding a food culture and something

on which Slow Food puts a lot of emphasis. Some of the best lessons I had came from sitting

around Tuscan tables and on picnic blankets, hearing about dishes

made and eaten by students from all over the world.

Looking back, my expe-rience with Three Springs was more than inspira-tion—it was where I had my first classes. And so, when I return to Phila-delphia this fall I’ll have another opportunity

to continue my educa-tion with a new sense of

gratitude, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Before moving to Italy, Julianne lived in Northern Liberties and

worked in public communications. She will graduate from the University of Gastro-nomic Sciences in November. Julianne can

be reached at [email protected].

There’s No Place Like Home Exploring the meaning of Slow Food at home and abroad

by julianne mesaric

Until my summer working at the Headhouse Farmers Market, I didn’t know what a real peach tasted like. The peaches from my childhood were firm, fuzzy globes—aver-age, unmemorable pieces of fruit bought from the local box supermarket. Working at

the Three Springs Fruit Farm stand changed that.

au g ust 2 0 12 g r i d p h i l ly.co m 47I l lust rat I o N by K I rst e N h a r p e r

OTTO’S MINI305 W. Lincoln Highway Exton, PA 19341(855) 646-4194 OTTOSMINI.COM

© 2012 MINI, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The MINI name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.


What matters most? The environment matters.

Give purpose to your passion at Penn.

The UniversiTy of Pennsylvania’s

MasTer of environMenTal sTUdies PrograM

will arm you with the knowledge you need to address the world’s environmental problems. And you can complete your degree by going to school full time or part time, taking classes during the day or in the evening.

www.facebook.com/UPennEES

@PENN_EES www.upenn.edu/mesor search penn mes

wednesdaysWalk-In

EnvironmEntal StudiES

featured the SEcond

WEdnESday of each month

Open information session for all

LPS programs

12MES003F_mes_ad_grid_august.indd 1 6/25/12 11:56 AM

grid magazine august 2012 [#040]

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