People come to Greensgrow for many reasons, but urban agriculture has always been our claim to fame. We still have a lot to learn, but coaxing healthy vegetables out of what was once a toxic slab of concrete never ceases to amaze staff and visitors alike. Each season we grow over 20 different types of vegetables, totalling over 2000 pounds of fresh produce for the market and CSA.

Our large raised beds continue to be the powerhouses of our growing system, but the hydroponics, containers, green roofs, and our new off-site farms all contribute to a wholistic community of food production in Kensington. We even have greens going year-round in the high tunnels!

We continue to try new and crazier experiments to boost the quality and quantity of our produce. Stop by anytime to see what's growing, and keep an eye out for our educational series and consulting work across the city as Philadelphia learns the value of local food.

Honey From The Hood. Good for what ails you...and the environment.

What to do with it all? ALL the money? No all the waste. 

We all have to go sometimes...And what to do when there's no "flush"....

Water is a major concern for the city of Philadelphia, and how we conserve and protect our water supply will only increase in importance in the future.

Philadelphia maintains a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) system throughout the city to deal with all the household sewers and street drains. A CSO system works very well during normal days, but in periods of heavy rain the system can be overloaded and discharge raw sewage into our rivers.

When Eugenia Perret and Elizabeth Oliver from Minima Gallery (www.acleanbreak.org) in Philadelphia approached us to take part in their critically acclaimed A Clean Break design show we did the proverbial ... "Who? Us?" But the curators were insistent that we were their choice to make use of a cargo container as part of the exhibition featuring innovative design solutions addressing issues of urban infill, 21st century development and sustainability. "It is our aim," says Eugenie Perret, owner of the Minima Gallery "to go beyond merely proposing innovative housing solutions, but to provide the opportunity for Philadelphians to experience them firsthand."

We all like a good basket of French fries now and then and many times we feel guilty about eating them afterwards. Enjoy those pommes frittes from our local restaurtants knowing that you are contributing to the local food system even if you might be also contributing to your waist line. For instance, when you order the fabulous fries at Standard Tap, you are supporting local farmers that supply the restaurant.

In 2008, Greensgrow began an ambitious project to install living roofs on most of our permanent structures.

Living roofs (also called "green roofs") are lightweight plant-based systems that can capture and utilize rainwater at the point of first contact - the roof - while also increasing the insulation value of the structure.

Greenhouse growers at Greensgrow Farms in Philadelphia are benefiting from a pest management program that limits or eliminates the need for chemical pesticides.

New to Greensgrow in 2009 is our incubator kitchen project. As with many Greensgrow projects, it started off with us simply trying to fill a void. For years Greensgrow Farms had been turning out our famous pesto, roasted lemony eggplant dip and cilantro-schirazi hot sauce in the small kitchen of our Firth Street office. As the CSA and Farm Stand grew so did the demand for more and more of our farm made products. So we began hunting for a space to build a kitchen for canning and creating value added products. St Michaels Lutheran Church, located just a few blocks away heard about our search and sought us out.

The Greensgrow Philadelphia Project sponsors a regular series of workshops and master classes on Sustainability Issues.

Utilizing Greensgrow Farms unique facilities and the Kensington Community Kitchen, the Philadelphia Project  welcomes local "green" experts -  such as Michael Haas, Director of USDA alternative biomass plant material, Matt Steiman, sustainability program Director at Dickinson College, and Greensgrow staff specialists, Peace Corp volunteer Erik Kintzel - to lead our Sustainability Series.

The series comprises weekly hands-on workshops, lectures, and master classes, focusing on four main areas:

• Current Environmental Issues
• Food and Nutrition
• Home Gardening
• Green Construction

For upcoming Sustainability Series workshops, please check our online calendar.