The histories of four Philadelphia community gardens and the stories of the people who take care of them are the latest focus of the “Gritty & Green” podcast, which explores urban gardening and sustainability.
A new mini-series, “We Are Seeds,” highlights the way different neighborhoods are addressing food insecurity, building social networks and reshaping what sustainable living looks like in Philadelphia. It features Sanctuary Farm in North Philly, Holly Street Neighbors Garden in West Powelton, Glenwood Green Acres in Glenwood and Klean Kensington in Kensington.
Meredith Nutting, a Master Gardener who has lived in Philadelphia for 14 years, began the “Gritty & Green” podcast two years ago to give fellow city dwellers a resource for growing and maintaining their own crops. Master Gardeners have completed programs that certify they are experts at gardening in a specific state. Nutting gained her certification from Penn State University.
Most episodes are hosted by Nutting and feature guests who speak to different facets of urban agriculture, provide sustainability tips and explain the scientific background of different crops.
“It’s a podcast for truly urban gardeners,” Nutting said. “I’m looking at small South Philly backyards, containers. …What do we have in Philadelphia that we can garden in?”
But Nutting found that few people understand the nuances of using limited space for gardening better than the caretakers of Philadelphia’s hundreds of community gardens. That inspired the “We Are Seeds” mini-series, in which she passes the mic to the gardeners who know best.
During each hour-long episode, available now on most podcast platforms, caretakers from different gardens take over the podcast and shine a light on the history of each garden and the purposes they hold.
“People don’t know that these spaces exist and that they are accessible; when you talk to the people they all have amazing stories,” Nutting said. “In each of these spaces, you’re looking hyper-locally at a neighborhood or an area, and what that neighborhood needs.”
Provided Image/Madasyn Andrews
‘Gritty & Green,’ a podcast sponsored by Green Philly, is dedicated to urban gardening tips in Philadelphia. Its new mini-series, ‘We Are Seeds,’ focuses on urban gardens around the city and the people who sustain them.
The caretakers of Glenwood Green Acres, one of the largest and oldest urban farms in the city, discuss the traditions that have been handed down over the generations and the changes the farm has undergone.
On the other hand, Klean Kensington is a relatively newer program that takes a more novel approach by paying young residents to take care of its grounds.
One of its caretakers, Zireen Jones, 19, said he hopes that having his work shared through the miniseries will bring greater awareness to the positive impacts that urban gardens have on their local communities.
“We work together as a community, just doing things together through teamwork and communication and pushing each other to grow and just work,” Jones said. “(Community gardens) are very open to people. People could get to know each other more and build new connections.”
Julie Hancher, co-founder and editor of Green Philly, which presents “Gritty and Green,” sees the podcast series as a way to highlight the local effort that goes into sustainable living and the community connections that are fostered through the work.
“We chatted about ways to amplify how Philadelphians are really caring in their neighborhood,” Hancher said of her and Nutting. “I think sustainability, in the past, has looked a certain way. So, looking at how our community is taking care of their own spaces and people, even beyond the gardening, there are so much more connections and happiness in nature.”