Farmhand Handyman

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

More
2 mins read
//

New Kid on the Block

 
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.
 

More
11 mins read

Can meat be ethical and sustainable?

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

More
1 min read

Earning Her Chops

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

More
3 mins read

Going the Distance

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

More
2 mins read

Chards of Conversation

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

More
2 mins read

Return to Power: Why we need a new Benjamin Franklin

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.

More
2 mins read

City Learning: New fellowship in Philly provides environmental research experience

  Image via esf.edu/urban/Are you a graduate or undergraduate student studying urban and environmental studies? Are you interested in topics like landscape architecture, engineering, conservation and urban natural resources? The new Sustainability Science Fellowship is an ideal opportunity to put those interests to practice right here in Philadelphia. The fellowship, a new program of the

More
1 min read

The Local Tweet: Philly birds in the news

Image via allaboutbirds.orgHere’s something worth tweeting about: The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education is doing a bird census this Saturday, January 7, and they’re looking for volunteers. Don’t worry, budding ornithologists, no experience is required. You can join their birding team to help collect important data about wintering bird populations. My phone is predicting a

More
1 min read