Field Trips

Mort Brook's Memorial Farm

Rick Rigutto’s voice conveyed his passion about farming. It was a beautiful October afternoon, and he took me on a tour of the Mort Brook’s Memorial Farm, located on the grounds of Awbury Arboretum in Philadelphia. I “live, eat, and breathe this,” he said with a sweep of his arm.

 He showed me where the tomatoes and eggplant were just plowed under, and where turnips and baby bok choy were waiting to be harvested. “People in this area can’t get enough bok choy”. He pointed out the fruit trees planted in cooperation with Philadelphia Orchard Project, and then took me to see a particular point of pride, the fig tree that they planted a few years ago. It was a large tree that Rick said produced an amazing amount of fruit this season. So many that during the season they had to get out and pick every day.  The demand for figs is high and they sold them all at the farmer’s market. “Figs are the next big thing in food and it’s hard to find them locally.” He found them, however, and he hopes to plant two or three more trees in the coming years.

For the past two years Rick has been managing this farm run by Weaver’s Way Coop, a member owned market in Philadelphia.  “There are challenges to urban farming,” Rick went on to tell me.  Each field receives a different amount of sun, for example, so while a beet may grow to the size of a baseball in one field, in another it may only grow to the size of a billiard ball.

 Another challenge: groundhogs; they have already caught 18 this year.  “It’s very discouraging. They can eat hundreds of dollars worth of food”. 

Despite the challenges, the farm is doing extremely well.  What started off thirteen years ago as a patch of land planted and worked by volunteers has grown to two acres of growing space.  This includes two unheated greenhouses and a heated one.  The farm now provides food at one farmer’s market in the city, and both locations of Weaver’s Way.

Rick’s love of food started early.  Growing up in Cleveland his family always had a garden and involved him in it.  He attended culinary school in Pittsburgh, but his desire for a more “independent lifestyle” drew him back to farming. He spent ten years on organic production farms from Maine to Berks County before coming to Philadelphia. I asked him if he ever sees himself owning his own farm. He doesn’t think so. Besides the fact that land is prohibitively expensive, he doesn’t want to be tied down.  He prefers managing farms.

 We talked about the movement toward more sustainable and organic farming. He sees it growing by “leaps and bounds”. He told me that in Philadelphia alone there are over fifty farmer’s markets run by organizations such as Farm to City and Foodtrust.   He knows that the demand for local, organic food will continue to rise and he is excited to be a part of it.





Pennypack Farm and Education Center

This is sort of a sad day for me.  I drove to Pennypack Farms for the final pick-up of the season.  This is also my last pick up there.  I have been a member of this CSA for about 5 years, but I moved last year and no longer work in the office that is 5 minutes from the farm.  We will be joining a new CSA next season at the Saul School in Roxborough, PA, Henry's got Crops which is much closer to our house. I am sure I will grow to love this CSA, but it is hard to say good-bye to Pennypack.

Pennypack is a 27 acre farm in Horsham, PA leased from the College Settlement of Philadelphia.  The farm broke ground in 2003. Their new site at The Highlands broke ground in 2012.  In addition to providing fresh produce to their shareholders, Pennypack works with the community providing produce to Loaves & Fishes at Jenkintown United Methodist Church, Mitzvah Pantry at Temple, Beth Shalom and Hope Gardens in Ambler. 

Devin Barto is the farm manager of the Horsham and I had a chance to speak with him.  Devin grew up in Lancaster and started at Fulton Farm in Chambersburg, PA, the oldest CSA in the state.  He is engaging and friendly and is extremely excited to be a part of a group of people so dedicated to organic, sustainable farming.  

Well, back to my pickup.  At Pennypack, unlike most CSAs, there is a choice of vegetables in the farmhouse.  (most CSAs give you a box of what is available that week)  

I have a 10 unit share.  A share may be 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, 1 bunch of turnips etc.  I choose until I hit 10.  This week my choices were fennel, collard greens, swiss chard, kale, sweet potatoes, turnips, arugula, cabbage, napa cabbage, salad greens, radicchio, parsley, broccoli rabe, salad mix, endive and baby bok choy.  I have my work cut out for me.

I can say that there will be more sauerkraut in my future and that 2 pounds of collard green is A LOT of collard greens.

I came home with lots of cabbage, purple and Napa, fennel, sweet potatoes, radicchio, broccoli rabe, swiss chard, kale and collard greens.  SO glad my kitchen is done!  It is sad to not to be a part of such a great place, but I am looking forward to trying something new at Henry's got Crops.