Neighborhood Gardens Trust

A developer recently purchased a formerly abandoned property in North Philadelphia, where New Jerusalem Now (a progressive drug recovery program) created and maintains a colorful community perennial garden. The Garden serves as a place of healing and respite for residents in recovery who live in nearby homes as well as for the larger community.

This park, which New Jerusalem Now named “The Peace Garden” has served as a cherished place of respite and beauty for the neighborhood for over 20 years. NJN residents also created the lovely mosaic and imaginative sculptures at the garden with inspiration and guidance of gifted mural artist, Lynn Denton.

Unfortunately, the developer’s intent was to build an apartment building which would effectively destroy the much-loved Peace Garden and block the mural. To prevent this tragic loss, NJN reached out to the Neighborhood Gardens Trust (NGT), a Philadelphia-based 501(c)3 organization dedicated to permanently preserving community gardens.

With their help, we were able to convince the developer to sell the lot to NGT and they are scheduled to go to settlement to purchase the lot at the end of January. We are working to raise the funds to make this possible. The goal of our fundraiser is $15,000.

We are calling on you, who enjoy green spaces, love gardening, or value the beauty of flowers and plants in public spaces to support this fundraiser. This is your chance to help protect and refurbish the garden, so it can be sustained for years and generations to come.

Your contribution will enable the Neighborhood Gardens Trust to preserve the Peace Garden permanently, so this beloved green space where neighbors can relax in nature and spend time in community can continue to thrive in a neighborhood where the need is great. Please contribute whatever amount you’re able.

Werner’s Community Garden, located in East Mt. Airy is an active site of farming, food donation, land stewardship, and community gathering. With a looming building development on the horizon, the garden’s longevity is at risk. The community of Werner’s Garden needs your help!

Garden leaders have been working to preserve the garden with the Neighborhood Gardens Trust (NGT), a Philadelphia-based nonprofit land trust that has protected over 50 community gardens across Philadelphia. Together we have figured out a pathway to preservation for the garden. The final hurdle is raising the money for NGT to acquire the garden land, so they hold it for the community in perpetuity.

Werner’s Garden has persisted and provided for many years. The garden occupies about a ¼ acre, tucked away on the back half of a residential property neighboring Fred’s Mt. Airy Motors. It has growing plots, a variety of cane fruits, and a perennial garden with flowers and medicinal herbs.

In late winter of 2022, gardeners learned that the parcels containing Fred’s Motors and two multi-family residences were being sold to building developer Stuart Udis, who plans to construct 12 town homes and a 30-unit condominium. The great news is that Udis has agreed to purchase the parcels containing the garden and to gift the garden portion to NGT.

With your help, Werner’s Garden can grow and thrive for years and generations to come. We need your help to raise $10,000 to cover settlement costs like legal fees and to support operational costs and infrastructure projects once the building project is complete.

Werner’s Garden has always been community led and mission based, participating in the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's City Harvest program for support in its donation initiative. In 2019, with infrastructure improvements such as building a shed, redesigning the compost system, and restoring overgrown plots, more of its growing space became designated for donation. In season, the garden makes weekly donations to Face to Face in Germantown and since 2020 has harvested just over 3,000 lbs. Face to Face uses the produce for hot meals and raw food distributions.

“Werner’s Garden is one of the gardens in our neighborhood that’s elevated the wisdom of community. They are helping us dignify our meals and as well extend our open Market on Thursdays. Thank you Werner’s Garden for being the seed of caring to our Germantown Community.”

– Chef Altenor Vaval, Director of Food Services and Operation

Werner’s Community Garden is a place of hope, joy, and community engagement. As a former member of the garden so eloquently states, “Joining Werner’s Community Garden allotted me the space to not only connect with the earth and my food, it connected me to my new community. The garden offered me an encouraging, collaborative, and intergenerational environment to learn and explore."

It’s an important green space that if protected will continue to nourish Mt. Airy and beyond. Werner's Garden is grateful for your contribution!

In 2008, a group of neighbors got together to turn this weedy, trashed vacant lot:

 

 

 

…into Emerald Street Community Farm. Today, the farm grows thousands of pounds of food each season in the community for neighbors and families throughout the East Kensington community. They donate produce to a local soup kitchen and other food distribution networks. The Farm hosts weekly farm nights where community members can meet with their neighbors, learn gardening skills, harvest food, and enjoy the garden's natural beauty. They are also open to the community to enjoy the space during the day. Each year, the farm host multiple events, including movie nights, music events, and its neighborhood famous Haunted House and Halloween Celebration. Currently, the farm offers composting to 30+ individuals & families. Its run by 8 committees that anyone is welcome to participate in, and the committee coordinators comprise the Farm Board. The Farm Board is elected each year and is tasked with sustaining the farm into the future and ensuring that it adjusts to meet the neighborhood's needs.

 

 

The farm has received made many improvements to the space, including a new sidewalk equipped with bike racks on the Emerald St. side. However, this is the view on Dauphin Street, the main thoroughfare for much of the community to the York-Dauphin El Train stop. In the summer, weeds grow through the cracks and in the winter, it’s tough to shovel. It also makes it very hard to keep the fenceline free of weeds and clean.

 

 

 

 

However, even with these challenges, they've still been able to create plantings and natural beauty that make people take time to stop and smell the flowers.

 

 

 

 

Emerald Street Community Farm is asking community members and beyond to help raise $5,000 to fund a new sidewalk equipped with a concrete planting bed that will run for much of the length of the fenceline and provide growing space for its ornamental plants on the outside of the fence. This project will provide a much nicer and safer sidewalk for pedestrians from all over the neighborhood to use and ensure the sustainability of its planting bed to limit the maintenance and increase the beauty of the garden. Any extra money fundraised will help procure soil and more plants for the planter.

 

Emerald Street Community Farm is incredibly grateful for the support of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which is helping with part of the funding for this project and for the Neighborhood Gardens Trust, which is the non-profit land trust owner of the garden and is what makes your donation tax-deductible.

 

Emerald Street thanks you for your support and helping to keep the “Love in the Veggies.”