Germantown Philadelphia – Farming in the City

Our 1/2 acre garden provides fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs to our household of twelve as well as the households of our friends and neighbors.

By Natasha Shapiro and Niambi McDonald
Philadelphia Neighbours
June 7, 2011

Excerpt:

Only a few years ago, 215 E. Penn St. was an abandoned lot, overrun by 15-foot bushes and weeds. Now it’s a half-acre farm in the city.

The Germantown Kitchen Garden practices local agriculture, supplying fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs to the Germantown community.

Amanda Staples, 31, and her husband Matt McFarland, 32, bought the property and moved to Germantown in October 2008. After the initial six months it took to clear out the lot and start planting, Staples and McFarland began their project. As well as feeding their own household of 12, they now also sustain a Community Supported Agriculture group and hold a weekly farm stand.

The CSA group consists of eight households that sign up to receive a box of fresh produce every Thursday from May to November. Staples’ CSA box is $20 a week, and usually ranges anywhere from six to 12 items. The farm stand is held in front of the lot every Wednesday, and is available to anyone interested.

Read the complete article here.

See the Germantown Facebook site here.