Frecon Farms, a Boyertown orchard profiled in Grid‘s PASA Insert, has launched the first in a series of online videos chronicling the 2010 growing season. Can’t wait for those cherries! It is exciting to see the trees coming to life as spring arrives. Here is what I had to say after visiting the orchard in January:

On Wednesday evening, I joined Along for the Ride's Julie Lorch at the annual Ride of Silence, an hour-long cruise in memory of cyclists killed or injured on local roadways.
The event provided an interesting—and inspiring—snapshot of the Philly bike community. There were teenagers with tattoo's and homemade rides cruising alongside AARPers on $5,000 folding bikes.

Happy pigs at Country Time Farm in Berks Co.A couple weeks ago, I read a story in The Atlantic featuring the specious argument that free-range, pastured meats might actually be more dangerous for consumers. It annoyed me, but I didn’t really have the time or the energy to engage the story here on the Griddle. Fortunately,

For a while we’ve been hearing grumblings about the next installment of Flying Fish‘s excellent Exit Series—something about local Jersey rye here, Belgian whispers there—and now the announcement has finally come. During Beer Week, Flying Fish will debut Exit 6 Wallonian Rye Belgian-Style Ale, a collaboration between Head Brewer Casey Hughes, Ric Hoffman of Stewart’s Brewing

On August 29, Louisville’s My Morning Jacket will play Philadelphia’s Great Plaza, and donate $1 from every ticket to Greensgrow Farm in Kensington. This is super-crazy-awesome on many levels. First of all, MMJ are one of the best live bands around (frontman Jim James is the Whitney Houston of rock singers). Secondly, this is yet another

Tonight, the Academy of Natural Sciences with host an Urban Sustainability Forum featuring none other than Grid publisher Alex Mulcahy. The program has been dubbed, “Who will tell the people?: Science and Sustainability in the News.” Other speakers include Chris Mooney, a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT and author of three books, including Unscientific America:

In order for my lifestyle to be truly sustainable, I gotta seek out the deals. Fortunately, Philly is a place ripe with cheap (or even free) activities, snacks and—oh yeah—beer. In April, two enterprising friends (coming clean: also friends of mine) launched Phrugal Philly, a blog dedicated to all things low budget. There are events,

Five years ago, I was out riding at the Jersey Shore when I was struck by a car. I came out mostly intact—though my patella wasn’t so lucky. It was a harrowing experience, and one that took me a long time to get over. Only recently have I become completely comfortable on two wheels again,

Speaking of lizards, frogs and other scaly things, Grid contributor and herper extraordinaire Billy Brown is hosting a blog carnival over at his site Philly Herping*. House of Herp No. 6 is in honor of spring, and it features creatures getting in the mood for love. Click here for more on the monthly House of Herp.

Tim Laman/National GeographicSo, I was gonna write a post about the gulf oil spill’s drift into the Atlantic Ocean, and how I might just be having a side of slick with my Back Bay crab cakes this summer, but then I saw this. And it made me happy. A group of scientists recently returned from