Two veterans of the sustainable food movement share how they’ve persevered through the decades

There is nothing easy about running a small business, especially when that business revolves around food. In most restaurants, there’s the mountain of to-dos that must be accomplished before the doors even open; the never-ending puzzle of scheduling employees; the toothy-smiled rigor of providing seamless hospitality; and actually serving up good food. For producers and

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6 mins read
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Native plants and organically-based repellents can keep deer from making a feast of your garden

Even the most dedicated naturalists have their boundaries when it comes to cohabitating with wildlife. And for many home gardeners, deer are enemy number one. It’s possible to acknowledge that we’ve largely taken over deer habitats and, simultaneously, feel a potent ire while watching your landscaping efforts blithely munched by these creatures. According to Penn

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2 mins read
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Where to see native plants growing in Philadelphia and beyond

We’ve sung the praises of native plants numerous times in these pages. Because truly, what’s not to love? Native plants — or “regionally-appropriate” plants, as Ryan Drake, McCausland Natural Areas manager at Morris Arboretum, urges us to call them — have abundant ecological benefits. They attract pollinators, sequester carbon, promote biodiversity, prevent erosion and require

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5 mins read
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Germantown-based designer turns forlorn garments into meaningful treasures

When Moth Snow was in college, they would spend afternoons scouring thrift stores for discarded sartorial gems. Perusing the racks, they’d perform a kind of tactile divination, feeling the hem of a sweater or collar of a blouse, then guessing its fiber content. Was it cotton? Wool? A polyester blend? Their fingertips would seek answers,

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4 mins read
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Electrified kitchens are safer, healthier and greener. Will Philly’s restaurants and institutions make the switch?

In a scene from the PBS docuseries “NOVA: Chasing Carbon Zero,” Chef Chris Galarza removes an ice cold frying pan from a freezer and places it on an induction burner. Only a moment later, he tosses some chopped peppers in the pan, which immediately start to sizzle. This impossible-seeming trick is one that Galaraza has

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5 mins read
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Six summer beers brewed with Philly H2O

Thirsty for great local beer? Here’s a six-pack of brews from members of the Brewers for the Delaware Association, all made using water from the Delaware River. Circadian 2SP Brewing Company  This New England-style IPA is brewed with oats for a creamy texture and hazy appearance. The addition of rye lends a subtle spice, and

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2 mins read