Urban Farming in Philadelphia’s History

By Nicole Sugerman

On Grist.org, an environmental news website, farmer and food writer Tom Philpott recently wrote an inspiring article, “The history of urban agriculture should inspire its future”. I urge you all to read this informative and interesting piece. In it, he traces the surprisingly deep roots of agriculture in cities, from 19th century dairy farms in New York City to the 1970’s rise of community gardens in post-industrial Detroit. Philpott is enthusiastic about the current popularity of urban food production and its roots, explaining: “In trendy neighborhoods from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to San Francisco's Mission district, urban youth are nurturing vegetables in window sills, fire escapes, and roofs. . . But growing food in the city isn't just the province of privileged youth -- in fact, the recent craze for urban agriculture started in decidedly unhip neighborhoods.”

Like the cities mentioned in Philpott’s article, Philadelphia has a rich history of food production that often goes unacknowledged in the current moment of burgeoning excitement around urban agriculture. When William Penn originally conceptualized the city of Philadelphia, he imagined it as “a greene Country Towne, which will never be burnt, and allways be wholesome”. Although shipping and industry quickly began to
dominate the agricultural roots of the city’s economy, farms and agriculture remained in Philadelphia. Beyond 40th street, West Philadelphia retained a primarily agricultural character throughout the 19th century, with farms remaining farther west even throughout the 1900’s (http://www.phillyh2o.org/backpages/
OverbrookHistory.htm).

Besides large farms existing within the city’s limits, small-plot urban gardening, for both subsistence and marketing, also has a long history in Philadelphia. In 1897, the Vacant Lot Cultivation Association was founded with the intent to promote land access, youth involvement in gardening, and to foster market gardening (Vitiello and Nairn, 26). Throughout the 1900’s, community gardens in Philadelphia fluctuated in popularity, with spikes in times of economic hardship or war. Urban gardening really took off in the 1970’s, spurred by deindustrialization’s effects on both the availability of jobs and the density of neighborhoods. Gardening was well funded and supported by programs through organizations like the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Penn State Cooperative Extension. This support peaked in the 1970’s, then suffered a sharp decline in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s (Vitiello and Nairn, 34).

As detailed in Philpott’s article for grist.org, and evidenced by increased institutional support, media coverage, and empirical data, urban gardening is undergoing a new renaissance. As Philpott says, this “hip” new trend is not new. However, the face of the urban gardening movement has changed. As the historical trends illustrate, growing food in urban areas has traditionally been based on need, evidenced by its correspondence to times of economic hardship, and cultural preservation; in the Philadelphia Harvest Report, Vitiello and Nairn explain, “The majority of community gardeners in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s came to Philadelphia in the Second Great Migration of African Americans after World War Two, the contemporaneous Great Migration of Puerto Ricans, and the Southeast Asian migrations following the Vietnam War. Gardening offered opportunities for a combination of cultural preservation and, especially where gardens involved a mix of ethnic groups, for social integration as well”(p. 27).

While this is still true to a certain extent, the new poster child of the urban agriculture movement is young and, more often than not, white. The ‘new’ gardeners are growing heirloom tomatoes for personal use, or choosing careers in urban agriculture as conduits for living out personal politics of localism and ground-up change. While there is nothing wrong with these trends in and of themselves, I find myself troubled at times. Asking why there is so much attention paid to urban gardening now, despite the long, rich history of urban agriculture, is important. While perhaps unintentional, obscuring the history of this work by working class people and people of color is very unfortunate and seems unfair. I do not mean to suggest that all the people presently involved in urban gardening are white, nor do I mean to suggest that those of us who are white should not be excited about growing our own food.

However, I do think that recognizing that these ‘new’ trends in food politics- organic food, raising chickens, growing one’s own vegetables—are in fact quite old, is significant, and, furthermore, I recognize that these concepts have often reached
the consciousness of the mainstream only when adopted by upper-middle class, young, white people.

For the urban agriculture and food movement to grow, we must acknowledge, learn from, and continue to support the work happening by all people in all areas of our city—not just the ‘trendy’ neighborhoods, or when practiced by ‘privileged kids’ who get a disproportionate percentage of the attention, support, and ultimately credit for a series of activities and actions that far precedes me—work that has been done outstandingly well by others for a very long time.

Sources:

Levine, Adam. “A Brief History of the Overbrook Neighborhood of Philadelphia, focusing on Changes in the Natural Landscape”. JASTECH Development Services. 2005.
http://www.phillyh2o.org/backpages/Overbrook History.htm

Philpott, Tom. “The history of urban agriculture should inspire its future”. 3 August 2010. www.grist.org

Vitiello, Domenic and Nairn, Michael. Community Gardening in Philadelphia: 2008
Harvest Report. Penn Planning and Urban Studies, University of Pennsylvania. 2009.

Winter Squash!

Winter squash are here! A mystery to everyone—why are they called winter squash when
they mature in the early fall or late summer? Hmm. . .
We grew five types of winter squash this season. The most easily recognizable squashes we grow are butternut, a large, pear-shaped, nutty-brownish-peach squash, and acorn, a small, dark green squash. We also grow sweet dumpling, a white and green striped pan-shaped delicata squash, a green kabocha, a squat, slate-blue squash, and orange kabocha, a dark orange squash with very firm flesh. Enjoy!

Spiced Carrot Salad

Serves 4 to 6
2 cups diagonally sliced carrots
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
Lemon slices
1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add
carrots; boil until barely tender and still
brightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Drain the carrots and immediately run cold
water over them to stop the cooking. Drain
well.
3. Transfer carrots to a large salad bowl. Add the
parsley, cilantro, and mint. Toss to combine.
4. Mix the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cinnamon,
paprika, and cayenne in a small bowl. Stir in
the sugar. Slowly pout in the olive oil in a
thin stream, whisking constantly, until the
dressing is thick and no longer separates.
5. Pour the dressing over the carrots and toss
until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at
least 2 hours.
6. Let salad come to room temperature before
serving. Top each serving with a lemon slice.
From: Farmer John’s Cookbook

Butternut Squash Polenta

3/4 cup finely chopped onion (1
medium)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups winter squash purée
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup instant polenta
• 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-
Reggiano (1/2 cup)
Cook onion in 3 tablespoons butter in a 10-
inch heavy skillet over moderate heat,
stirring, until very soft, about 8 minutes. Stir
in squash and cook, stirring occasionally, 2
minutes.
Bring water, milk, salt, and pepper to a boil
in a 4-quart heavy pot. Add polenta in a thin
stream, whisking. Cook polenta at a bare
simmer, stirring with a long-handled whisk
and turning down heat as needed to prevent
spattering, 5 minutes.
Stir in squash mixture and cook, stirring, 3
minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in
cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4. Gourmet Magazine, 2005

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food
/views/Butternut-Squash-Polenta-
233272#ixzz0y9XnnZc9

Kabocha Squash Cake with Brown Sugar Cream

Bon Appetit, 2007
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/
Kabocha-Squash-Cake-with-Brown-Sugar-
Cream-239812#ixzz0y9WB1UuS
Brown sugar cream:
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3 large egg whites
Cakes:
• 2 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled seeded kabocha
squash (from one 3-pound squash)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup lager (mild-flavored beer)
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For brown sugar cream:
Place 1 tablespoon water in cup. Sprinkle gelatin over.
Let stand 10 minutes to soften.
Stir cream and sugar in medium saucepan over
medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add egg whites and
whisk until mixture thickens, about 12 minutes (do not
boil). Add gelatin mixture; whisk until dissolved.
Strain into large clean bowl. Chill until cold. Cover
and chill overnight.

For cakes:
Combine squash and milk in heavy small saucepan.
Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to
simmer over medium heat. Partially cover, reduce heat
to medium-low, and simmer until squash is very
tender, about 20 minutes. Remove vanilla bean. Drain
squash. Place in processor and blend until smooth. DO
AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray six 3/4cup ramekins with
nonstick spray. Place 1/2 cup squash puree in large
bowl (reserve remaining puree for another use). Add
sugar, oil, beer, and egg to puree and beat to blend.
Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt over; beat
to blend. Divide batter among prepared ramekins.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out
clean, about 18 minutes. Cool cakes in ramekins. Turn
out onto plates. Beat brown sugar cream to firm peaks;
spoon alongside cakes.

Young Swiss Chard with Sesame Seeds

1 ½ pounds swiss chard, washed and kept
whole
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons roasted and very lightly ground
sesame seeds
1 ½ tablespoons white wine or dry sherry
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
Drop in the chard and bring back to a boil.
Cover partially and boil rapidly for 3 to 4
minutes, or until the stems are just tender.
Drain and rinse under cold water. Squeeze out
as much water as possible and put the chard in a
bowl. Separate the leaves, which will be like
strands now.
Combine the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and
wine. Mix well. Pour the dressing over the
chard and toss to mix. Serve at room
temperature or chilled.
Serves 4.
From: World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey