April Green Drinks at Standard Tap

Monday, April 04, 2011

Grab a drink with like-minded people and make some new connections! Green Drinks is a monthly networking gathering for environmentalists of any discipline and is affiliated with the national Green Drinks network. Meets every first Wednesday of the month, 6-8pm, at Standard Tap in Northern Liberties

http://www.greendrinks.org
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
386-290-8749

The Soil Kitchen Opens!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Please join Mayor Michael Nutter and the artist group Futurefarmers for a special reception to celebrate the opening of Soil Kitchen, the first temporary public art project to be commissioned by the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. Stop by for the grand opening, and check out these neat programs in the future.

Friday, April 1st
5:00pm - 7:00pm

1148 N. 2nd Street
(corner of 2nd & Girard)
Philadelphia, PA 19123
PLEASE RSVP

Questions? Call 215.686.8446

Vacant Land Management Panel

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Congolese Dinner Fundraiser for Women for Women International

Friday, March 11, 2011

Congolese Fundraising Dinner for Women to Women International
March 26th, 2011
6:30 - 8:30 PM
Kelly Writers House
3805 Locust Walk
Phila., PA 19139
RSVP: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or

Hello blog buddies!

I’ve been given a small grant by Foobooz.com’s 24 X 24 program to host a dinner fundraiser for Women to Women International, an organization that helps women in war torn countries rebuild their lives, and their families.

I will be cooking a humble traditional Congolese meal (in honor of the amazing work that WfW does with Congolese rape and violence victims) and am asking guests to make a donation ($10 +) to support Women for Women International. Through your donation, women in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovinia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kosovo, Rwanda and Sudan receive:

- direct aid for food, medicine, clothing and schooling

- microcredit loans and access to other economic opportunities

- rights awareness and leadership education

- job skills training and

- emotional support from the exchange of letter through the Sponsorship Program

You’re invited to this event! If you would like to attend, please send me an RSVP (so that I cook enough food!) at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). If you can’t attend, but would like to contribute and support this fundraiser and Women for Women International, you can do so safely and easily here:

Since 1993, Women for Women International has directly assisted more than 153,000 women and approximately 655,000 family members have benefited from its programs. Women for Women International has distributed nearly $42 million in direct aid and microcredit loans since 1993.

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts. Women for Women will send you a notice of donation for your tax purposes. Women for Women International receives high marks from Charity Navigator for meeting or exceeding industry standards for nonprofit organizations.

Brunch with Malik K. Yakini on Urban Farming and Food Justice + Flower Show!

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

You’re invited to brunch with one of America’s leading forces in urban farming, food justice, and the urban school system. Your seat at brunch will also garner you a ticket to the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Malik K. Yakini is the chairman and Interim Executive Director of DBCFSN. He has worked in urban organic agriculture for ten years. He is Executive Director of Nsoroma Institute, one of Detroit’s leading African-centered schools. In that capacity he was instrumental in the development of the school’s food security curriculum and student organic garden. He has done presentations on “Food Security and Food Justice in the African-American Community” at numerous conferences throughout the United States. He is a member of the Michigan Food Policy Council and Chairman of the Detroit Food Policy Council.

RSVP
PHS Community Brunch
Sunday, March 13, 2011

UNI Monthly Food Justice Movie Night

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Ultimate Chef Competition

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Have you heard about the new Center for Culinary Enterprises, a project created by the Enterprise Center? Come out and support this project that plans to bring job and skill training along with fresh foods to (West) Philadelphia. This “gastronomic benefit” includes some of Philly’s Top Chef competing for glory, a 5-course tasting menu, and all kinds of delicious fun.

Tonight! GRID March Issue party

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Come celebrate the March issue of our favorite local sustainability magazine,  GRID,  with local food and local drinks.  Queen Village’s new sustainability minded food-and-drink spot Kennett Restaurant will host and is offering $1 off all draft beers and wine, plus $10 pizzas.

Thursday, Feb. 10

5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Kennett Restaurant, 848 S. Second St.

Philadelphia Orchard Project Happy Hour!

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

We’ve mentioned POP before on this site - a great nonprofit run by great folks who are bringing orchards to vacant and underused land all over Philadelphia. While their last fundraising happy hour got canceled due to the terrible awful wintery-mix, they’ve rescheduled. Come out and support a local project with some local beer. You’re door “donation” even covers your first two beers! Yes!

POP HAPPY HOUR

Wednesday, February 23, 6:30-8:30pm

@ YARDS BREWERY
901 N. Delaware Ave

What better way to support POP than eating good food and drinking good beer?

Please join us for our winter fundraiser at Yards Brewery, from 6:30 to 8:30pm on Wednesday, February 23rd.
Featuring beer from Yards and food from Whole Foods Callowhill.  $10 admission includes 2 beers! 

Prune those Branches

Monday, February 07, 2011

FRUIT TREE WORKSHOP: WINTER PRUNING
Saturday, March 5th, 1-3pm
@ Grumblethorpe Historic House & Museum
5267 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia
Many Philadelphians grow their own fruit trees, and you could, too! But one of the basics of fruit tree ownership and maintenance is pruning. Find out everything you need to know to keep your fruit trees healthy and productive at this low-cost workshops. 

This introductory workshop will cover the basics of fruit tree pruning, with hands-on demonstration on some of the existing trees at historic Grumblethorpe. Workshop leader Phil Forsyth is the Orchard Director of the Philadelphia Orchard Project, a non-profit that plants orchards in partnership with community groups across the city. Forsyth also operates an edible and ecological landscaping business (forsythgardens.com) and writes about urban food growing at phigblog.com.

$ 10 per person

There are 25 seats available, and you must register and pay before the class.  To register, visit http://www.philalandmarks.org/calendar.aspx to sign-up through PayPal.
* If the class is canceled due to the weather, there is a rain/snow date scheduled for Sunday, March 6th @ 1pm.

Support Your Local Food Co-op

Sunday, January 30, 2011

When I moved back to Philadelphia in 2008 there were only two food cooperatives in the entire city, and I was lucky enough to live a few blocks away from Mariposa Food Co-op in West Philly.  Now there are new food co-ops forming all across the City of Philadelphia; Weaver’s Way has opened two new branches, there’s a food co-op being formed in South Philly, and the Mariposa Food Co-op is expanding.  As a supporter and grower of local food, I am incredibly excited for Mariposa’s move and the increase in space, inventory, and community involvement that comes with it.  Help support Mariposa’s expansion by going to the Valentine’s flea market/craft fair fundraiser in February.

Hiding in Plain Sight - Finding the City’s New Green Space

Thursday, January 27, 2011

(Laurel Hill Cemetery)

Next week at the Academy of Natural Sciences, the next in a series of panel discussions about the Mayor’s Green2015 plan - this one is about being creative about finding new green space in the City of Philadelphia.

“Cities are continuously searching for new ways to make underused spaces greener to create the next generation of urban parks.  As we learned last month, Philadelphia has initiated Green2015 - an action plan to turn schoolyards, recreation centers, public and private vacant land in to accessible green spaces.  In his newest book Urban Green: Innovative Parks for Resurgent Cities, author Peter Harnik shares his thinking about the complexities of creating new parks. Borrowing the best from other cities, he will discuss solutions - from reusing defunct factories, to eliminating parking lots and closing streets, to developing rooftop parks.

A panel of local stakeholders, facilitiated by Penn Praxis director Harris Steinberg will share innovative examples of how Philadelphia is already practicing what Harnik promotes and is well on its way to achieving the goals of Green2015.”

Featuring:

  * Peter Harnik, Author of Urban Green: Innovative Parks for Resurgent Cities.  Mr. Harnik will sign copies of his book, which will be for sale at the Academy’s bookstore.
  * Harris Steinberg, Director, Penn Praxis (moderator)
  * Alexander “Pete” Hoskins, President/CEO of Laurel Hill and W. Laurel Hill Cemeteries
  * Jamie Wyper, President of the Roxborough Conservancy
  * Mark Focht, Executive Director, Fairmount Park

This event is being brought to you by the Philadelphia Commission on Parks and Recreation, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Where:  Academy of Natural Sciences
When:  Monday, January 31, 2011 - 6pm reception, 6:30pm to 8:30 pm program

Philly Stake Dinner - January 30th

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

There’s another Philly Stake dinner coming up at the end of the month, I suggest everyone mark their calendars.  I went to the first one and it was delicious and great fun - you get to be a part of the small grant process by watching your peers present their projects, then picking the one you want to fund!

“Philly Stake is a recurring event celebrating locally sourced food and creative community projects; organized completely by volunteers.

Stake dinners are seasonal meals sourced from local farms and purveyors. At each dinner, project proposals are presented to the diners. Community members pay a sliding scale ($10-$20) for a dinner and an opportunity to vote for the project they deem most worthy for the funding. These projects aim to contribute to the vitality of Philadelphia in a multitude of innovative ways. Awardees will leave with the dinner proceeds and will present their project at the next meal. On January 30th, Philadelphians are invited to enjoy a seasonal, locally-sourced meal and vote for the project they deem most worthy of funding. The presenter garnering the most votes will leave with the dinner proceeds and will give a project update at the next Stake event. Tickets for diners will be sold at the door on a first-come-first-serve basis; the cost for the event is $10-$20 (sliding scale), cash only.”

Second Philly Stake event - Sunday, January 30, 2011 from 5:00 - 8:00pm at the First Unitarian Church at 22nd & Chestnut Streets.

http://phillystake.org/

Seed Starting Workshop

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Every year I faithfully start my home garden plants from seeds, and invariably, most of them die. I just don’t seem to be good at it. Maybe I need a workshop! Not only does starting plants from seeds save money, it allows you to save your favorite varieties and grown them year after year.

Alexis Kidd a Philadelphia Master Gardener will present the different seed starting methods, resources to get you started, and how to build a light stand. All for just $10!

Fairmount Park Horticultural Center
N. Horticultural and Montgomery Drive, Phila., Pa. 19130

Registration 9AM $10.00 admission fee
To pre-register call 215-471-2200 Ext 100

For more information go to:  http://philadelphia.extension.psu.edu

Soil Kitchen

Friday, January 07, 2011

Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy just commissioned the artist group Futurefarmers to create a temporary public art project that addresses urban sustainability.  The Soil Kitchen will be a pop-up facility in an old warehouse at 2nd and Girard that will function as a wind-powered soup kitchen, soil testing laboratory and event space.  The project will be up for about a week, coinciding with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Conference scheduled to take place in Philadelphia April 3-5, 2011.

Soil Kitchen will incorporate community involvement, naturally generated energy, local foods, food exchange, the creative reuse of a brownfield site, and brownfield mapping. This new site-specific public artwork will provide a stage for community interaction, dialogue, and education on topics of sustainability that impact every Philadelphian. The work will depend on the thoughts and actions of the people who engage with it.

Futurefarmers, founded in 1995 by Amy Franceschini, is a collective of artists and designers based in San Francisco, California. Their work explores a myriad of social and environmental issues by encouraging participation and interaction. Futurefarmers’ playful and accessible projects provide platforms for local communities to examine issues central to their lives.
 
Follow the project at: http://www.soilkitchen.org