growlots

STUDIO NEXT

GrowlotsStudioNEXT : UArts Farm

Written and Illustrated by:

Megan Braley, 2nd Year Masters of Industrial DesignVictoria Perez, 2nd Year Masters of Industrial Design

Kim Forsythe, 1st Year Masters of Industrial DesignJohn MacDuffie Woodburn, 1st Year Masters of Industrial Design

Jared Delorenzo, Senior Industrial DesignAngela Latini Senior Multimedia DepartmentElissa Meyers, Senior Industrial DesignJohn Pender, Senior Industrial DesignAdam Rusisiki, Senior Industrial DesignWesley Thomas, Senior Industrial Design

Michael McAllister, Faculty Advisor - Department of Industrial Design

The University of the ArtsPhiladelphia, PAFall 2009

The Uarts Farm Project began with the intention of connecting separate cultures, neighborhoods, and communities through sustainable living and eduction.

We will explore possible design scenarios for increasing access to local food within neighborhoods that are currently under-served. We will focus on the role design and our University plays in making gardens meaningful to community members and in minimizing the redundancy of separate efforts taking place throughout the city. We feel that these are all important areas that need to be addressed in order to create a sustainable local food system for Philadelphia.

Food culture is an issue of particular importance within Philadelphia. Local food is a hot topic and holds a presence throughout the city in the form of numerous farmers’ market stands,and local food organizations. Because the majority of these efforts are concentrated within Center City, we decided to look at other communities that need more attention concerning this subject, which lead us to Kensington as a potential region of concept development.

Kensington was a center of the textile industry through the first half of the 20th century. Through deindustrialization the area has suffered mass unem-ployment rates, population loss, economic decline, and entire neighborhood blocks have been abandoned. Parts of Kensington are going through a pe-riod of renewal such as Fishtown the southern part of the region which has many new construction projects, unfortunately this causes property values to rise which pushes residents of lower economic status out of their homes through a general gentrification process. At this time a majority of the Kens-ington region is inhabited by Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, African Americans, and a declining Irish population and the region continues to harbor many small shops and businesses, as well as a large number of renovated facto-ries throughout Kensington so there is still a sense of community that exists throughout the area.

Research revealed that within Kensington’s five zip code areas, 19133 which spans from N. 7th to N. Front (west to east) and from W. Allegheny to W. Dauphin (north to south), had the lowest number of high school graduates. This had a direct correlation to the number of jobs held. Approximately 1/5th of the residents in the 19133 are employed.

19133 Statistics

Total Population- 25,786 Education- 2112 without a High School Diploma Employment- White Collar: 4591 Blue Collar: 1260 Total: 5851 Average Household Income- $25,735

History and Demographics

Due to deindustrialization not only does Kensington have a lack of jobs but it has also left the area with multiple lots of blighted or unused land, especially in the 19133 area. Each plot is prime for development unfortunately many of the lots have remained unutilized for many years. Many of these plots show vital signs of plant life. Its easy to imagine how the landscape could be transformed through the expanding and maintaining of green spaces through out the area. With that in mind we decided to focus our efforts on the potential that urban gardening can bring to the table, vs, urban farming which would be larger scale. Gardening through Kensington has the potential increase green spaces on both small and large plots, making it a more practical growing method for the 19133 area.

Greenworks Review

To commence our research we looked into what the city has planned to access the issue of blighted lots as well as their plans from increasing good access. Much of the information was complied in the Greenworks Report is a comprehensive document that compiles the city’s goals for energy, the environment, equity, economy, and engagement in green issues and initiatives.

It was written by the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and many of the plans detailed will be enacted immediately and span a timeframe of the next 5-20 years. Much of the goals relate to the Kensington Project and could support the decisions that will come about to make the project a success the following points are developments of interest for the work ahead.

-Equity in the city is focused on delivering equitable access to healthy neighborhoods, some of those plans include the GreenPlan from the Department of Recreation and Parks to have 100% of residents within a 10 minute walking range of green space. This would require the increase of 500 acres of green space through developing and redeveloping waterways, creating open space in neighborhood development and cleaning & greening vacant lots

-The city also wants to bring local food within a 10 minute walking distance of at least 75% of residents, specifically through joining local food (working gardens + commercial agriculture) with anti-hunger programs

-Greenworks calls for 86% additional local by 2015 and Mayor Nutter has established the Philadelphia Food Charter and the Food Policy Council to encourage and support these efforts

-Greenworks hopes to double the number of High and Low Skill green jobs, presently 14,400 jobs, presently green jobs are those that are well paid, career track opportunities that contribute directly to the preserving or enhancing of the environment. (Ex. Green-roof installation, maintenance, brownfield redemption (Greensgrow), urban forestry, wetlands, and estuary (river shore) restoration, and solar panel installation, and energy related jobs.)

Organizations and programs that involve accessing local produce.

To continue our research we looked into a number of the local food iniatives that are already taking place throughout Philadelphia. Each focused on different subjects such as wholesale of local produce, increase local food knowedge through campaigning and or increasing the number of farmers markets throughout the city. This made us extremely aware of what has already been accomplished as well as how designers could approach this subject in a way what elimates redundancy while stregnthening the exisiting local food system. The following is a quick list of organizations we had in mind while working through this project.

Buy Fresh Buy Local is a program that celebrates local foods

Common Market is a wholesale consolidator, marketer and distributer of food produced in the Philadelphia region.

Philabundance provides food through a network of agencies to people in need in the Delaware Valley region.

Farm to City unites communities, families and farmers through locally grown food in the Philadelphia area.

The Food Trust works to improve the health of children and adults, by promoting good nutrition and increasing access to nutritious foods.

Fair Food brings locally grown food into the Philadelphia marketplace.

Food Coop is being started in Kensington.

The Partnership Community Development Corporation is a group formed to give ex-convicts jobs by training them to maintain green roofs.

Local Food Philly is a guide to the Buy Fresh Buy Local foods in Philadelphia.

Farms in the city of Philadelphia

Greensgrow Farms is an urban farm in Kensington on about a half-acre plot.

Mill Creek Farm is located in West Philadelphia. It is a collectively run urban education farm that utilizes vacant land to improve local access to nutritious foods.

Weavers Way is a community owned market. They also run a farm with Saul Agricultural High School in Roxborough.

The Philadelphia Rooftop Farm aims to transform Philadelphia’s flat roofs into organic farmland.

The Philadelphia Youth Network works to increase capacity and resources for helping the city’s youth thrive in a regional and global economy.

The Urban Nutrition Initiative is a universitycommunity partnership that engages K-16+ learners in gardens throughout West Philadelphia.

Teens 4 Good is a Greater Philadelphia Federation of Settlements program that builds long-term working relationships with students attending Philadelphia’s public high schools.

Grid is a monthly magazine promoting sustainability in the city of Philadelphia.

The Pedal Co-op is a bicycle hauling company based in Philadelphia.

GreenJobsPhilly is an internet database that helps people search for green jobs throughout Philadelphia.

Education Organizations Businesses

Pennsylvania wide organizations

PennState’s College of Agriculture Science created a Cooperative Extension that helps individuals, families, businesses and communities throughout Pennsylvania with information and a broad range of educational programs in food systems.

Next Great City is an initiative dedicated to creating policies that enhance environmental quality, strengthen neighborhoods and increase our economic competitiveness.

The Philadelphia Fund for Ecological Living recieves donations to promote sustainability. Anyone working to promote this can submit an application and may recieve grants.

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission works to foster regional cooperation in a nine-county, two state area. They work together to address key issues such as transportation, land use, environmental protection and economic development.

Neighborhood organizations

Newbold Neighbors is a forum in which members of the South Philadelphia area strive to create a safe, friendly place to live.

Point Breeze Pioneers is an organization formed by the residents and business owners of the Philadelphia neighborhood of Point Breeze, PA.

BioNeighbors Sustainabl Homes, LLC is alocally-owned roofing and home retrofitting com-pany dedicated to helping existing homes use less energy and last longer.

Norris Square Neighborhood Project is a community-driven, bilingual learning center providing quality youth programs for their neighborhood.

Pennsylvania wide organizations

Urban Land Army, grows food, salvages stuff, and works on honing and teaching gardening skills. They started the Bucket Brigade which hands off plant starts to people in old 5 gallon buckets.

Food Routes Network is a nonprofit organization that provides communications tools, networking, technical support and information resources to organizations nationwide working to help build local, community-based food systems.

The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture promotes profitable farms that produce healthy food for all people while respecting the natural environment. PASA helps coordinate PA’s Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter and helps coordinate sustainable agriculture conferences

Slow Food is a non-profit founded in Italy in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life. Slow Food spreads this idea by connecting with producers of excellent foods and creates events and initiatives.

National Local Food Organizations and Models

While interviewing we often referenced Will Allen, creator of the organization Growing Power, Inc. He started the urban farm with money he received from the 2008 MacArthur Fellow. The organization has helped build healthy communities in low- income, urban populations by establishing easy access to affordable local food.

Growing Power is locacd in Milwakee, with just two acres of land he has 14 greehouses that produce a quarter of million dollars worth of food.

A Model of SuccessNational Local Food Organizations and Models

Why

With so many successful initiatives taking place thorough the world and within Philadelphia why is it that gardens can transforming a public trashcan. The answer to that question can from interviews with two professors involved with their own neighborhood gardens. They explained the difference between “public” and “private” community gardens.

Public Vs. Private Community Gardens

• Protocol for getting involved• Land can be a big issue• The fence as a hot topic• Who gets what?• Sense of ownership

Gardens have different ways of handling how the land is used among the gardeners. Some gardens divide the land into smaller plots that are assigned to members of the garden. The members sometimes pay a small fee for the use of their plot. In this type of garden, there tends to be some gossip among the gardeners about things like ‘who has the best tomatoes’ or ‘why hasn’t John weeded his plot’. There are also gardens in which the gardeners share all of the land. The problems with this model is dividing the workload and resulting produce.

Research: Iris Brown,Villa Africana Colobo

Iris Brown is the head gardener of Villa Africana Colobo as well as six other gardens given support by the Norris Suquare Neighbodhood Project. The garden has won a number of competirions and has gained recognition. However the garden still liacks personal investment from community membrers. There is a disconnected dialogue with the surrounding community. She explained that funding for the garden is limirted and that she would love to have volunteers but has very little time to train them becasue there is so much to attend to in the garden.

Gardener Interviews: Mark Risso, UNI

In 2000 a UPenn class led by Ira Harkabee and was centered on creating a healthier community for students. A project through the class turned into establishing a half-acre farm in between Drew Elementary School and University City High School that would increase local food access and decrease diabetes. The farm program includes Sayre High School and also, through a healthy cooking group at UCHS, involves a number of other surrounding schools. The program allows lower income high school students to work three days a week for three hours and get paid minimum wage by the Philadelphia Youth Network. The farm acquires a lot of their money from grants, and has gotten a lot of plant starts and equipment from The Philadelphia Horticultural Society. We met with Mark Risso who currently runs the UCHS farm and learned about how their markets work and what the farms grow. You name it, they grow it (their mint is sold to John and Kira’s Chocolate) and they sell at Muhammad Park where they make a small profit and also at Clark Park where they make around $8,000 a year. Extra money from the program goes into profit shares for the working teens. There are generally 12 students working during the school year and about 30 in the summer. Students can work until the summer after graduating; they go through a college prepare program to help figure out plans after High School.

Mary Ward-Bucher, Hicks St. Garden

In 2007, Mary Ward-Bucher organized her community and inspired them to help clean up an abandoned lot that had become a dumping grounds/ drug use/ etc. area. Mary printed flyers and went door to door to ask for help and spread the word.

The garden is on Hicks street in south Philly. It is primarily a flower garden and serves to give people a place away from the streets and provide some green space in an otherwise grey city. Most of the plants were donated or found in the garbage and rehabilitated. About 6” of compost was used on top of rubble from lot. Compost came from Fairmount Park. Some raised beds were used, but not many.

Mary wrote a letter to the owner of the lot and never heard a response. She and her crew continued to work on the lot; clean it, prepare it, and plant things. When the lot was a lot nicer looking, the property owner became suddenly interested. Mary acquired a land trust through NGA and also received help from PHS. The lot was 17,400 to buy and The Hicks Street Garden is still raising money to pay back this fee they paid.

The garden has mostly flowers, but also some herbs, tomatoes, green pepper, and a blueberry bush. There is a rain collection system in place from the neighbor’s roof runoff. They do not use pesticides and they wish to start composting. They cited a need for signage to let people know what the green lot next to the two row homes is.

Interviews: Kensington Community Members

Adam Rusiski and John Pender took a day and went out to the northern region of the 19133 area to ask community members what their eating habits are and how they feel about community gardens. Their questions didn’t receive a warm reception. Most people were not interested in where they get their food and were not interested in gardening. Interviewees generally spend anywhere from no money to fifteen dollars a week on produce and buy their food from corner stores or Pathmark Sav-A-Center market.

The people who thought a garden would be a good idea for the community didn’t have time to garden or didn’t care to garden themselves. There was a general consensus that the area needed playgrounds or places for young children to go where they could keep out of trouble and keep from getting injured in the littered streets of Kensington. Some liked the idea of teaching kids a useful task while others just wanted a place for kids to go. Gates and land would be essential in any project as protecting a valuable space is of great concern to members of the community. Everyone interviewed agreed that a space for the neighborhood to gather would be a nice addition, especially for events like block parties.

Key Points:

• A garden in the neighborhood would be great, but I don’t have the time• I’m not interested in gardening.• I’m too old to garden.• Gates are needed to keep undesirables out.• Kids need a place to stay out of trouble.• Our neighborhoods need playgrounds.• Events at a garden would be better than in the streets.• Community gardens mean cleaning up the trash in the neighborhood.• Community gardens are neighbors getting together.

Spoke with Lou (head of his block-Hutchinson/Leheigh) Where is the closest supermarket? Huntington & 9th street, Pathmart, Murries How much do you spend on produce? $15 a month Are you interested in gardening? Sort of, but I don’t enough time -What would make it easier for you to start gardening? Gates. We need protection before we can even begin What do you consider a community garden to be? People outside, together, hanging out, enjoying the nice weather Have you ever been involved in a community garden? Yes, I grew perennials Are there gardens in your neighborhood? Not anymore Would you be interested in other events taking place at these gardens? *If they ask about what types of events you could say: block parties, food tastings, workshops, musical venues. Yeah, that sounds fun Would you be interested in having your children participate in a garden to learn more about food and the growing process? I don’t have kids, but anything that gets these kids out of the street is good

Spoke with Latoya (home owner on block-Cambria & 8th) Where is the closest supermarket? Pathmart, the corner store, 12th st, 5th st How much do you spend on produce? $15/week Are you interested in gardening? No, I like the look of gardens but I don’t have time -What would make it easier for you to start gardening? I don’t want to garden What do you consider a community garden to be? A lot of gardens, flowers, benches Have you ever been involved in a community garden? No Are there gardens in your neighborhood? No, we don’t even have playgrounds Would you be interested in other events taking place at these gardens? *If they ask about what types of events you could say: block parties, food tastings, workshops, musical venues. That sounds fine, but what about playgrounds? Would you be interested in having your children participate in a garden to learn more about food and the growing process? Yeah, but kids need to have fun, maybe a playground with some plants growing around the fence would be good

Where is the closest supermarket? 9th street, Reading, Pathmart How much do you spend on produce? $5-10 a week Are you interested in gardening? Nope, my father-in-law gardens, that’s as close as I come. - What would make it easier for you to start gardening? Nothing, I am not interested. What do you consider a community garden to be? People coming together Have you ever been involved in a community garden? No, just my father-in-law Are there gardens in your neighborhood? No Would you be interested in other events taking place at these gardens? *If they ask about what types of events you could say: block parties, food tastings, workshops, musical venues. That would be good for the neighborhood. Would you be interested in having your children participate in a garden to

Spoke with Miss Green (at a church) Where is the closest supermarket? Pathmart How much do you spend on produce? $5/month Are you interested in gardening? No, we are mostly old women around here -What would make it easier for you to start gardening? Land What do you consider a community garden to be? Getting rid of the trash Have you ever been involved in a community garden? When I was a little girl Are there gardens in your neighborhood? No Would you be interested in other events taking place at these gardens? *If they ask about what types of events you could say: block parties, food tastings, workshops, musical venues. It would be nice to be outside, we do most of that in the church Would you be interested in having your children participate in a garden to learn more about food and the growing process? (looked towards her daughter, little girl shook head no.)

Spoke with Natasha (home owner on block-Hutchinson/Leheigh) Where is the closest supermarket? Pathmart or Murries How much do you spend on produce? $10/week Are you interested in gardening? No, I don’t need to be out in the dirt -What would make it easier for you to start gardening? Gates, you have to keep the crack heads out, they’ll eat anything What do you consider a community garden to be? Neighbors sitting in a garden and socializing Have you ever been involved in a community garden? No Are there gardens in your neighborhood? No Would you be interested in other events taking place at these gardens? *If they ask about what types of events you could say: block parties, food tastings, workshops, musical venues. I guess that sounds fun. Block parties would be nicer on grass than on the streets Would you be interested in having your children participate in a garden to learn more about food and the growing process? Yea, get these kids out of the street, they just get hurt out here, playing around glass and what not.

Spoke with a group of menWhere is the closest supermarket? I dunno, down the street How much do you spend on produce? Don’t really buy produce Are you interested in gardening? No, that’s a lot of work -What would make it easier for you to start gardening? Nothing What do you consider a community garden to be? A bunch of gardens together Have you ever been involved in a community garden? Nope Are there gardens in your neighborhood? Right there on that block (referring to really run-down lots filled with litter) Would you be interested in other events taking place at these gardens? *If they ask about what types of events you could say: block parties, food tastings, workshops, musical venues. Will there be women there? Would you be interested in having your children participate in a garden to learn more about food and the growing process? Yeah, I guess it would be good for the kids to get away from the bad stuff.

Spoke with a woman on her front stoop (Arizona st.) Where is the closest supermarket? Pathmart How much do you spend on produce? $10-15/week Are you interested in gardening? No, I can’t be gardening -What would make it easier for you to start gardening? I don’t want to garden What do you consider a community garden to be? A group of people with their own gardens Have you ever been involved in a community garden? No Are there gardens in your neighborhood? No Would you be interested in other events taking place at these gardens? *If they ask about what types of events you could say: block parties, food tastings, workshops, musical venues. That would be nice. Would you be interested in having your children participate in a garden to learn more about food and the growing process? My grandchildren aren’t here enough to keep a garden.

Interviews: Organizations

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

Norris Square Neighborhood Project Urban Nutrition Initiative

Milk and Honey

To complete our observations we interviewed a number of organizations which explained the logistices of Philadelphia’s urban gardening/ farming movement. As well as how businesses utilize local foodsheds to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.

While speaking with a representative from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society were learned that although future gardeners are supplied with knowledge and the physical supplies of getting a garden started. They lack a personal connection to other gardeners. As an organization they saw the need for new gardeners to be mentally and emotionally supported as much as physically or financially supported. There’s just more to gardening than dirts and shovels.

Increase Urban Agriculture

More Community Gardens/ Farms

Local Foods in Cornerstores

Vacant Lots Turned to Gardens

Publicizing Local Food Sources

Put Local Food in Reach for Residents

Expand Neighborhood Markets

More Effective Communication

Cataloguing Info for the Next Generation

Connecting Students from Agricultural Programs to Jobs of Interest

Build Community

Better Nutrition

Create a Place for the Youth

Increase the Amount of Food Nearby

Beautification of Neighborhoods

Gardens &Agri-Programs

CommunityMembers

Office of Sustainability

Jobs

BeautificationDevelop Vacant Lots

Communication

Connecting Needs

By mapping our interview responses we were able to identify the overlapping needs of the community, gardeners, and the city. The main needs were development of vacant lots, jobs, beautification and improved communication between people and their local food. Each of these needs directly influenced our concept development.

Initial Concept

Once we gathered a substantial amount or research we began to conceptrualize what could come of all that we learned. Although each of our interviews were insightful, one conversation with the Urban Nutrition Initiative stood out from the crowd. They are working on the concept of a green resource centers that will act as garden nurseries with educational components. We were excited by this concept and wanted to expand what the centers could be, based on the needs of the city, gardeners, and community members. UNI was interested in our discussions of expanding the potential benefits offered by the Green Centers. We have developed scenarios of where green centers would be located, who they would serve, and how they would work.

Gardeners that have completed classes and are employeed to produce local food

Community Green Center

A job center to recruit and send out new gardeners

Produces some and Flowers, Herbs, Veggies, Fruit

Produces compost for member gardens and for sale

Provides Information and Classes for Learning

Small Plots on sight for Testing Gardening Knowledge

A Retail Center for Garden Supplies

Local Produce Market

A Community Space

Government Funding

Skilled Gardeners

Volunteers

Produce

Supplies

Agro-Program Grads

High School Volunteers

Local Residents

Plants/Food

Restaurant Food Waste

Funding for Start-Up, Operational Costs, Salary of Green Center Coordinator, Teacher, Sales Clerk, and Gardeners

produce and supplies sold would be sent back to city hall

Help existing gardens, clean vacant lots for new gardens and clean neighborhoods

Sold to community residents and surrounding restuarants

Sold to gardens and gardeners

Jobs for Graduates from UNI or Teens4Good interested in gardening

volunteering requirements at gardens

Residents interested in volunteering, planting, working, or buying produce

At least 50% of Plants and Food grown in the gardens are sold at the center

Restaurants give/pay a small fee to have food waste removed

Green Education

New Volunteers

Produce/ Supplies

Government Employed Gardeners

Agro-Program Graduates

High School Volunteers

Local Residents

Restaurant Food Waste

Food/Plants to be Sold

GreenCenter

GreenCenter

GreenCenter

GreenCenter

Schools

Restaurants

Community Members

GovernmentPhiladelphia

We started of with a government funded business model, in which the city would provide the green centers with capital to get the business up and running as well as to keep it alive. The diagram to the left illustrated how the money would go out to the green centers and how that money would be used in the gardens and for people/organizations of importance. However after a secondary meeting with Mark Rizzo we were promted to examine alternative funding models. This lead to an analysis of how the green centers function as a sustainable business.

Green Centers

Green Centers will be vehicles of job creation and improved community health. Often they will occupy 3-4 adjacent abandoned lots (3/8 - 1/2 acres). These Green Centers have an Office/Storage Area, an on-site Garden, two High Tunnelsunnels, and a small Greenhouse for starts. The following pages will give information on each part and explain what role each part of the bukding plays.

Constructed of simple shipping containers, the housing used for the office and storage is affordable, or free. These crates are retrofitted with windows, doors, and an insulating barrier.

The Office is a place for meetings, accounting, and payroll management. Solar panels can optionally be installed depending on budget/needs

Storage for the Green Centers could be contained underneath the office. Existing crate doors double as a good access for large equipment. Could be used for tools, seeds, plant containers, tarps, netting, garden posts, etc.

Food produced at the Garden goes to CSA shares, farmer’s markets, local resaurants, and food stands.The green center will sell the food to sustain itself and restaurants that recieve the food will distingush themselves from the surrounding competition.

Resturants, food stands and farmer’s markets can also send their food wast back to the green center for the compost pile. Compost is produced on-site behind the garden.den

High Tunnels (alternately Hoophouses) are basically unheated greenhouses. They provide a longer growing season for gardeners by preventing precipitation and weather from affecting crops/soil.

Typically the frame is plastic (primarily PVC), wood, or metal. There is a plastic film that is draped over the frame

An on-site Greenhouse can be used for starts prior to the actual growing season. Sunlight is trapped in the glass structure and heats up the crops within. Vents on the roof are capable of efficiently achieving the optimal growing temperature at all times.

Green Center Occupations

Farm/Garden SupervisorCoordinates the relationship between surrounding gardens to the center and to other gardens in the area.

Experience: Agricultural Program Graduate, College or minimum of 7 years in the farming field.

The Green Center will be financially sustainable after its start-up year due to the money made from the Center’s food intensive gardens. The Green Center will also sell supplies and plants, however it will not function as only a retail outlet to the community. The Green Center will offer a number of services that help build and sustain community growth and education. For the centers to run smoothly they would need the following employees.

The Information SpecialistWill be in charge of organizing and educting volunteers about basic gardening/farming skills so that they can begin working right away once they get to a garden. Connects people to other urban gardening programs. Experience: Community Organization, some College, Educating people

Garden/ Farm TenderHeads the construction and organization of the gardens.

Experience: College or Agricultural Progra Graduate

Retail ManagerManages produce and garden supplies. Determines that produce is acceptable to put on sale and makes sure that the rented tools are returned to the center.

Experience: High School Degree, Organizing Co-op output, Excel, Payroll, Crop Records

How Green Centers Function

The Green Center will involve the community by organizing information about surrounding gardens and supporting communities that want to start a green space. The Center will be an information hub for sharing skills and agricultural knowledge.

The Green Center will focus on spreading agricultural education throughout the community. The Center will connect with surrounding schools, offering them healthy, local food and a place to send their students for mandatory community service.

The Green Center will increase green spaces throughout the city of Philadelphia by restoring vacant lots. The Center will increase

access to affordable, healthy, local food in all neighborhoods.

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CompostPlantsTools

Volunteer

sStart-u

p

Knowledge

Supplies

Knowledge

Gardening Skills

Communication

Managing Assets

Recruiting Volunteers

Services

Communication

Recruiting Volunteers

Knowledge

Gardening Skills

Managing Assets

Tools for Rent

Compost in Exchange

Portion of Crops

The Green Center will help achieve the City’s goals of increasing green jobs by connecting recent high school and college students to Green Center jobs and internships. Young professionals will train to become either the Farm/Garden Supervisor, Information Specialist, Garden Coordinator, or Retail Manager. Students will

train in groups of four to learn how to work collaboratively.

The Financial Plan

The initial startup capital that will be needed for an Urban Garden Center is $333,000.00/year that is broken down into salaries, education, equipment/materials/tools, office/greenhouse, compost facility, and down

We derived the expenditures from several similar businesses in Philadelphia: Greensgrow, Mill Creek Farm, and Urban Nutrition Initiative, each of which are sustainable businesses that are growing at a healthy rate. Therefore justifying our required start up cost for the Garden Center.

 

The Business Approach

Net Expenditures

Cash Flow

Start Up Costs

Operational Costs

Renting Garden Tools

Finished Compost(soil)

Plant Starters and Seeds

Produce (CSA, Farmer’s Markets,

and Local Businesses)

Salaries/Wages

Equipment/Materials/Tools

Compost System(If there are extra funds)

Startup Capital(1st Year)

Office, greenhouse, high tunnels, garden

Income$340,000

Brochures/Literatureor Education

$10,000

$35,000

$150,000

$145,000

$200,000

$25,000

$35,000

$20,000

$330,000

$20,000

Downpayment$30,000

Renting Garden Tools

Finished Compost(soil)

Plant Starters and Seeds

Produce (CSA, Farmer’s Markets,

and Local Businesses)

Salaries/Wages

Equipment/Tools

Operational Cost(after 1st Year)

Rent or Taxes

Income$340,000

Brochures/Literatureor Education

$10,000

$35,000

$150,000

$145,000

$220,000

$90,000

$10,000

$20,000

$330,000

Sixty percent, $200,000.00, of the startup capital is tied into salaries and wages. The graph breaks down the allocated salaries to run the Garden Center: Director at $40,000, 2 full time Managers at $60,000 ($30,000 each), 2 full time teachers at $60,000 ($30,000 each), 1 full time staff at $20,000, and 5 part time seasonal staff at $10,000 ($2,000 each).

The director of the Garden Center will be driving the force of keeping the mission and vision of the Garden Center alive. The full time managers will be in charge of daily operations of the Garden Center that involve tending to the plant starters, guiding volunteers, organizing the tasks of full time and part time workers, tending to the compost facility, organizing weekly CSA’s, and organizing the crops to sell. The seasonal part time staff will be working during the peak season of the Garden Center – late April till mid October – 8 hours a week for a total of 24 weeks. This seasonal staff will help with the garden, farmer stands, packaging the CSA’s, and immediate needs of the Garden Center.

The remaining forty percent of the expenditure is tied into the functional material necessities of operating a Garden Center.

 

Salaries and Wages

 

A down payment of $30,000.00 is an estimate of what is required for an average $250,000.00 mortgage. Obtaining ownership of the land furthers makes the Garden Center sustainable while helping farms, gardens, and a Philadelphia based agriculture work force. $25,000.00 will be used for educational development, $35,000.00 for equipment/materials/tools, $5,000 for office area and greenhouse, $4,000.00 for insurance, and $20,000 for compost facility. Equipment/materials/tools involves garden tools, carpentry tools, office supply, 2 laptops, printer, scanner, office furniture, planting pots, soil, and plant starters/seeds. The office area will be made from a new architectural ideology of sustainable materials by fabricating shipping containers into an aesthetic and usable office space. This will allow the Garden Center to be able to keep the development of the office in realm of the budget of $4,000.00. Furthermore, the idea of reusing material of a shipping container is in line with the Garden Centers focus of sustainability.

Net Startup Revenue

  

Yearly Net Income Total Yearly Revenue

The five year operational cost, $340,000, of the Garden Center ties in the required necessities of having a sustaining Garden Center. Several of the startup costs are a one time cost such as a down deposit on land and compost facility. With this extra capital in the budget, the idea of expanding the educational division is able to happen as well as hiring an extra full time staff that goes only with appropriately expanding the educational division.

Yearly net income for the Garden Center will be derived from produce sells, plant starters/seeds, finished compost, and renting the tools from the Garden Center.

The total yearly revenue from selling produce is $145,000 that breaks down into selling CSA shares, produce at Farmers Markets, and produce at restaurants and grocery stores, and food stands.

The CSA shares will bring in $35,000/annual, assuming that the Garden Center is able to sell 50 CSA shares at $700/season. Forty percent, $90,000.00, of the produce revenue is generated from selling the Garden Center’s produce to local restaurants and grocery stores. The idea of renting tools was developed from the model of the West Philly Tool Library that has been in business for two years now. They currently charge a yearly membership fee of $20/year and the members are able to borrow tools and a weekly basis. The Garden Center model would have a monthly fee instead of a yearly fee. This tool rental will off set the yearly tool cost. The total net revenue of $340,000 balances with the expenses of the operational cost of running the Garden Center.

Picking a Lot to Get Started

Take the lot at 5th St. and Cecil B. Moore St. as a pilot for a Green Center for many reasons. The lot is one half acre and is located just south of Kensington.

The size allows for us to begin modeling a monetary cycle, based off of an existing model UNI, which is also a half acre.The lot Is just a few blocks from Temple University Campus, which affords an existing infrastructure for support and resources. It is also located minutes from Norris Square Park, which can help promote and distribute produce and information within the Kensington and Fishtown Communities.

Also The Piazza is an apartment complex with a central European style plaza, that supports, community, culture, the arts, markets, and vendors which is open to the public. The half acre was appraised by the Redevelopment Authority of Philadelphia for $250,000. This cost could be avoided if donated by the city. The lot is also located at the epicenter of many blighted lots, which allows for the start up of many close satellite gardens which will feed into the Green Center. Located a block a and a half to the south is Ludlow James Elementary School, which can help influence community and help educate children about nutrition and the importance of a local food system.

Half Acre LotLocated between 5th st and Randolph st. on Cecil B. Moore

G.C.

G.C.TEMPLE

THE PIAZZA

G.C.TEMPLE

PARK

LUDLOW ELEMENTARY

STETSON HOSPITAL

SEQUOYA AND JAYLIN’SGOURMET BBQ SAUCE

A block north of the lot is Stetson Hospital, a small hospital that can help support the local food web. Local restaurants and food producers like Sequoya and Jaylin’s Bar B.Q. Sauce, right around the corner, can also access local food for their small business. All of these institutions can also make use of the Green Centers Compost System, reducing waste streams to local landfills. By choosing this lot we are able to inspire many people by creating a space between two major communities in need.

Building Social Capital

Increase Urban Agriculture

More Community Gardens/ Farms

Local Foods in Cornerstores

Vacant Lots Turned to Gardens

Publicizing Local Food Sources

Put Local Food in Reach for Residents

Expand Neighborhood Markets

More Effective Communication

Cataloguing Info for the Next Generation

Connecting Students from Agricultural Programs to Jobs of Interest

Build Community

Better Nutrition

Create a Place for the Youth

Increase the Amount of Food Nearby

Beautification of Neighborhoods

Gardens &Agri-Programs

CommunityMembers

Office of Sustainability

Jobs

BeautificationDevelop Vacant Lots

Communication

Increased Communication

Beautification

Develop Vacant Lots

Create Green Jobs

Classes on health and nutrition for residents

A meeting place for gardeners and urban farmers

A forum for neighborhood meetings and events

A place for volunteers and future employees to connect to future urban agricultural opportunites

Will improve the physical appearance of the area

Could help the city to be more appealing to outsider inhabitants

Improve the health of those who take advantage of the Green Center retail center

Induces a sense of pride and safety through its support of community green spaces

Directs high school and community member volunteers to clean lots and garbage on the streets

Will send an educated staff to create and maintain Green Centers

Lots will grow enough produce for surrounding community members ,neighborhing schools, or cafes.

Will expand to serve the health needs of multiple neighborhoods

Will create a support of services for community gardens to sustain themselves more sucessfully

Uses high school students with agricultural interest the skills they need to work their way up the system

within the Green Center, while presenting path to more indelpth studies of agricultre such as vocational schools

or college

Teaches agricultural students from colleges how to fill any of the green center sections and reconnects these

individuals to their local community.

Increases commerce between the residents as well as with resturants in the area

The Green Centers success would add to the local economic system of Philadelphia

If the centers were successful this model would be replicable in nieghboring communities, creating a new

niche in Philadelphia’s green job market

Next Steps

In the following weeks we will be recieving feedback on this project. We will take those critiques and revise our plans. Afterwards we aim to present this information and design to multiple large scale organizations that we would be able to work in partnership with such as the Office of Sustainability and the Pennsylvnannia Horticultural Society. Most importantly we plan on going back into Kensington to share the designs we have come up with to the residents to get thier reactions. This is in hopes that the residents will take an interest in what they see and be open to co-designing how this facility would best serve a particular neighborhood.

Growlots is a concept based on collaborative design that meets the needs of multiple stakeholders. A systematic approach to a complex problem. We hope Green Centers will continue to develop as an extension of existing local food iniatives which will reinforce their success in areas of the city that need them most.

Appendix

Links:

Philadelphia Orchard Project: http://www.phillyorchards.org/

Neighborhood Garden Association: http://www.ngalandtrust.org/

City Harvest: http://www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org/phlgreen/city-harvest.html

Greensgrow Farms: http://www.greensgrow.org/

Weavers Way Coop: http://www.weaversway.coop/

Philadelphia Rooftop Farm: http://philadelphiarooftopfarm.wordpress.com/

Buy Fresh Buy Local: http://www.buylocalpa.org/

Farm to City: http://www.farmtocity.org/

Kensington Food Coop: http://fishtown.us/node/12471

Common Market Philadelphia: http://www.commonmarketphila.org/

The Food Trust: http://www.thefoodtrust.org/

The Partnership CDC: http://www.thepartnershipcdc.org/

Philabundance: http://www.philabundance.org/

Fair Food: http://www.whitedogcafefoundation.org/fairfood.html

Local Food Philly: http://www.localfoodphilly.org/

Philadelphia Youth Network: http://www.pyninc.org/

Grid: http://gridphilly.com/

Urban Nutrition Initiative: http://www.urbannutrition.org/

Pedal Coop: http://www.pedalcoop.org/

Teens 4 Good: http://teens4good.orbius.com/

Green Jobs Philly: http://www.greenjobsphilly.org/

Growing Power Inc.: http://www.growingpower.org/

The Edible Schoolyard: http://www.edibleschoolyard.org/

Urban Land Army: http://www.urbanlandarmy.com/

Food Routes Network: http://www.foodroutes.org/

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture: http://www.pasafarming.org/

Slow Food: http://www.slowfood.com/

Zillow Local Info: http://www.zillow.com/local-info/PA-Philadelphia

GreenTreks Network, Inc. : http://www.greentreks.org/allprograms/roughterrain/urbangardening/index.asp

Pennsylvania’s Bigger Cities: http://www.city-data.com/city/Pennsylvania.html

Urban Farming: http://www.urbanfarming.org/

Striaght from the Farm: http://straightfromthefarm.net/2008/06/21/philadelphia-urban-farm-bike-tour-08/

About.com: http://philadelphia.about.com/od/foodshopping/a/farmers_markets_2.htm

White Dog Cafe: http://whitedogcafefoundation.com/fairfood.html

PlanPhilly: http://www.planphilly.com/comment/reply/8368

Real School Gardens: http://www.realschoolgardens.org/en/index.html

Univ. of California Co-op Extension: http://cesandiego.ucdavis.edu/Schlgrdn/HomePage.html

School Gardens Network: http://www.schoolgardens.org/

City Sprouts: http://www.citysprouts.org/

Urban Nutrition Initiative-Cornerstore Project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7_I9PfysRU

San Francisco Chronicles: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/17/MNF619OSF4.DTL

University of California, Agricultural and Nutrtional Resources: http://news.ucanr.org/newsstorymain.cfm?story=476

Los Angeles County Co-Op Extension: http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/

PDFs and Annual Reports:

1) Mill Creek Farm 2007 Annual Report, Philadelphia: Mill Creek Farm, 2009

2) Neighborhood Garden Association 2007 Annual Report, Philadelphia: Neighborhood Garden Association, 2009

3) Neighborhood Garden Association 2006 Annual Report, Philadelphia: Neighborhood Garden Association, 2009

4) Pennsylvania Horticuluture Society 2008 Annual Report, Philadelphia: Pennsylvania Horticulture Society, 2009

5) Urban Nutrition Initiative 2004 Annual Report, Philadelphia: Urban Nutrition Initiative, 2009

6) Johnston, Francic., Ira Harkavy, Frances Barg, Danny Gerber, and Jennifer Rulf. “The Urban Nutrition Initiative: Bringing Academically-Based Community Service to the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Anthropology.” Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning Summer (2004): 100-106.

7) “Greenworks Philadelphia Plan”. Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. September 18, 2009 <http://www.phila.gov/green/greenworks/PDFs/Greenworks_OnlinePDF_FINAL.pdf>.

8) Horst, Megan. “Growing Green: An Inventory of of Public Lands Suitable for Community Gardening in Seattle, Washington”. University of Washington, College of Architecture and Urban Planning. September 27, 2009 <http://www.cityfarmer.info/?p=1546>.

Special Thanks

Iris BrownAlice EdgertonTony GuidoKelsy HarroReed Davaz McGowanJonas Milder Mary Bucher WardMark RizzoKensington Residents who were willing to be interviewed

Pennslyvania Horticultural SocietyThe Urban Nutririon InitativeMilk and HoneyWhite Dog CafeMugshotsThe Deleware Valley Regiona Planning CommissionNorris Square Neighborhood Project

growlots

STUDIO NEXT Urban Farm

The University of the ArtsFall 2009