5123-29 Baltimore Avenue (image from Google Street View).

The urban farming hub Greensgrow Farms will likely open a bigger West Philly location next spring after agreeing to lease a large, overgrown vacant lot on the 5100 block of Baltimore Avenue.

Greensgrow came to terms with the city, namely Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, on a long-term lease for 5123-29 Baltimore Ave., known by some in the neighborhood as the “bamboo lot.” Greensgrow had originally expressed interest in a plot of land across Baltimore Avenue. That plan fell through, but the bamboo lot became available.

With a new location in place, Greensgrow now wants to figure out what neighbors want to see in the space. The organization, which is headquartered in the Kensington neighborhood and currently operates a location in the old Elena’s Soul location at 4912 Baltimore, will hold a public meeting on June 4 at 6 p.m. at the People’s Baptist Church (5039 Baltimore Ave.) to talk with neighbors.  Continue Reading

Photo via Greensgrow.org

On Thursday, July 10, Greensgrow Farms, one of Philadelphia’s most successful urban farms, is launching their second year of the SNAP Box Program, a low-cost weekly farm share. As many of you know, Greensgrow recently opened a West Philly location, Greensgrow West, at 4912 Baltimore Ave, so now West Philly residents participating in the program can pick up boxes filled with farm-fresh produce in or close to their neighborhood.

The SNAP Box program gives low-income families using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits access to top-quality fruits and vegetables from local farms. SNAP Box participants visit the farm weekly and use their SNAP benefits to pay $6.50 for an assortment of five to eight produce items. The Food Trust will be contributing Philly Food Bucks, giving families the opportunity to stretch their SNAP benefits by providing an extra $10 in coupons per session.

SNAP box pickups will begin July 10 and run in three four-week sessions throughout the summer. In addition, participants are provided nutritional information and are encouraged to attend free cooking classes after picking up their share. They also receive recipes corresponding to the contents of the week’s produce, and information about the farms who contributed to the share.

The SNAP Box is a product of Greensgrow’s Local Initiative for Food Education (LIFE) program, conceived as a remedy to the lack of fresh food available to low-income communities.

Greensgrow provides two farm share pickup locations in West Philadelphia. Here are the schedules:

Greensgrow Farms Mobile Market, 37th and Lancaster Avenue • Thursdays • 3:30–6:30 p.m.

Greensgrow West, 4912 Baltimore Avenue • Saturdays • 12:00–2:00 p.m.

Interested families can sign up here.

For more information or if you have questions, contact Deirdre Sheehy at SNAPbox@greensgrow.org or 215-430-0556 or visit the SNAP Box program website.

Algernong Allen standing in the remains of the Elena’s Soul building. (Archived photo/ courtesy of Algernong Allen)

Sad news for readers waiting on Elena’s Soul’s return: it seems the neo-jazz joint, which was destroyed by a fire in 2012, won’t make a second appearance on the lot of its former home at 4912 Baltimore Avenue—well, at least not for another two years.

That might not be such bad news for green thumbs, though. On Tuesday, Elena’s Soul owner Algernong Allen signed a contract with Greensgrow Farms after two months of talks to bring the urban farming hub to West Philly. As part of the deal, Greensgrow will lease Allen’s lot for two years, operating a multi-tiered site that the Kensington-based farm plans to open April 3. And during those two years, Allen told West Philly Local, he will consider the “feasibility of reconstruction” and redevelopment of the site.

“Realizing the void that Elena’s left both physically and culturally in the neighborhood, I wanted to do something that would be beneficial for a community that has been so kind to my family and I,” Allen, who’s currently running for state representative, told West Philly Local. “The Greensgrow deal not only provides a valuable resource to the urban greening community, but will also add more pedestrian traffic to Baltimore Avenue, attractiveness to the block, and even a few jobs for our local economy.”  Continue Reading