Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia executive director Devi Ramkissoon witnessed the importance of local food systems firsthand in her former job with USAID in Bangladesh. While many Bangladeshi farmers are women, they are not usually the land or business owners, which had significant social, economic and environmental impacts that Ramkissoon worked to address. “Without
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After growing up around his uncle’s restaurant and later working as a barista, Will Maggs realized that he wanted to have his own coffee shop. So, just a few months before the pandemic hit in 2020, Maggs realized his dream and opened Adelie Coffee House at 6610 Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy. “I like seeing
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A certain group that visited Ursinus College’s Berman Museum in the 2000s amazed Susan Shifrin, associate director for education at the time. During the visit, six patients living with dementia from a nearby Montgomery County care facility went from silence to talk to glints of joy while viewing paintings. “I realized there was a need
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As I write this, the rain has been at it for six hours, and the National Weather Service has issued a flood watch. Behind my house, the rain barrel, connected to a downspout draining the back section of the roof, is overflowing, with the excess water joining the rest of the block’s runoff in our
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Hello Readers, Bernard Brown submitted this essay to Grid, and I thought it made for a perfect introduction to the new issue. I’ll be back next month! AM I swim laps at the West Philadelphia branch of the YMCA, on Chestnut between 51st and 52nd. My walk there takes me across Walnut Street, often on
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Sandi Vincenti isn’t sure who called CLIP (the Community Life Improvement Program) on her native plant demonstration garden in Fishtown, A Child’s Inspiration Wildlife Discovery Garden. She can think of two possibilities. One is a developer interested in building on the plot. “The other assumption is that we have two neighbors in some of the
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For over 50 years, one-way streets across Philadelphia have applied to the Playstreets program, which closes streets to traffic on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for five weeks during the summer so children can play on them. Meals and snacks are also provided through the program, which is run by Philadelphia Parks &
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Just off South Street, pink neon lights up the new sign outside Worm’s Emporium, a boutique-style vendor art mall. Inside the light, airy space, handcrafted fine art and craft pieces delicately line shelves constructed by cofounder Sabrena Wishart. Vendor stalls showcase a variety of mediums including ceramics, drawing, upcycled clothing, stickers and much more. Each
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Ask Candy Bermea-Hasan to tell you about the diverse sellers program she’s building at Weavers Way, a member-owned cooperative grocery, and her words spill out like water. For two years, Bermea-Hasan has been recruiting fledgling producers and helping them find their way onto retail shelves. The work isn’t just about building a more diverse list
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After a two-year, Covid-induced hiatus, local food event Good Food Fest is set to return. “We’re passionate about local food and supporting our growers and makers,” says Christy Campli, owner of event organizer Growing Roots Partners. “Good Food Fest is a way to celebrate, support and build awareness around the importance of local agriculture.” Campli
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