Illustration by Kirsten Harper
When I got serious about growing our own food four years ago, I had no idea how much it would affect how my wife and I lived and managed our lives and our home. We had already made a conscious decision to shop, cook, and eat as locally and seasonally as possible.
At Spruce Hill Preserves, Molly Haendler concocts delectable jams and jellies
Photo by CJ Dawson Photography
For a while, Spruce Hill Preserves carried itself like some sort of jam and jelly speakeasy, selling jams, jellies, fruit butters and preserves without any licenses, from Molly Haendler’s small kitchen in West Philadelphia. There, she sold her flavorful
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Volunteer and grant writer brings many skills to East Kensington’s Emerald Street Urban Farm
Bryan Thompsonowak says volunteering at the Emerald Street Urban Farm has made him more invested in the neighborhood. | Photos by Jared Gruenwald
When Bryan Thompsonowak, 37, was young, his father, a bricklayer and “all-around handyman-type of a guy,” taught him to
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Liz peruses a products case at the Green Aisle Grocery on Grays Ferry Avenue. | Photos by Megan Matuzak
The electric-green storefront of local food market Green Aisle Grocery on Grays Ferry Avenue is a sign of change. Five years ago, the acupuncture clinic across the street or frozen Greek yogurt shop on the corner would
1 min read
It looks like the wait for Kensington Quarters (1310 Frankford Ave.), an ambitious combination of butcher shop, restaurant and classroom, is about to end. The restaurant is a partnership of Michael and Jeniphur Pasquarello (the owners of Cafe Lift, Prohibition Tap Room and Bufad), and a newcomer to Philadelphia, butcher Bryan Mayer.
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The hungry locavore asks: Can meat be ethical and sustainable? Join us at Philadelphia’s exciting new co-working space The Impact Hub on Thursday, June 26 for a discussion with the leaders of the local meat movement about their practices and the innovative business models they use. Meet Dean Carlson of Wyebrook Farm; Kevin Tucker of Philly CowShare and Bryan Mayer of Kensington Quarters. Also
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illustration by Alexander Ciambriello
I have no interest in slaughtering animals. I have borne witness and it’s intense, hot, primal and best left to the people who are skilled at doing it quickly and humanely. But as a meat-eater, I wanted to “get to know” a whole animal in a visceral way, not just frozen packages
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Last spring, Philadelphia Runner Outreach Director Ryan Callahan read a text from his boss, spurring him to turn on the TV. It was April 15, 2013, and he watched in horror as multiple news stations reported on the devastation of the Boston Marathon bombing. Three people lost their lives, and about 264 others were wounded
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It all started after overhearing a conversation in Nepali. The Bhutanese couple behind me on the bus was talking about their first days in America. I had learned bits of the language years ago when I worked on organic farms in Nepal after high school, so I turned around and said, “Namaste.” Almost immediately they
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At the peak of February’s ice storm, 715,000 households in the Philadelphia region were without power. But is being “without power” the same as being powerless? I live in a Montgomery County neighborhood that has managed to escape weather extremes: no tornadoes, hurricanes or drought-induced wild fires. But icy rain and bitter cold overwhelmed us.
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