Philadelphia Urban Farms Bike Tour

Mill Creek Farms' mosaicked shed

This weekend I forwent my normal weekend bike ride and participated in a bike tour of urban farms in Philadelphia organized by Weaver’s Way Coop. The bike tour coincided with the passing through of a group from Washington DC that is touring urban farms in the Northeast via bike and documenting their experience. I learned about the ride at Straight from the Farm, a blog written by a volunteer at Weaver’s Way Farm who shares timely and tasty recipes for produce that is in season.Weaver's Way Co-op Farm

We started the morning at Weaver’s Way Co-op Farm, a one and a half acre, non-certified organic farm located on Awbury Arboretum in East Mt. Airy that supplies produce and flowers to the Weaver’s Way Co-op.

We then booked it over to visit Mill Creek Farm, a collectively run urban education garden on the site of previous vacant land in West Philadelphia that is devoted to sustainable living and the immediate community.Jade, co-founder of Mill Creek Farm, standing on the living roof of their cobbed shed.

Calendula and tomatoes at Mill Creek Farm

A quick stop was made at the Spring Garden community garden in Fairmount, one of the most beautiful of Philly’s many community gardens, just beyond the shadows of downtown Philadelphia. Residents in the area tend plots filled with ornamentals and vegetables which they bring home and donate to local charities.

Downtown Philly towering over Spring Garden community gardens

Perennials and vegetables co-mingle in a Spring Garden plot

A quick ride over to Fishtown and we arrived at Greensgrow Farms, an operation that sells produce grown in greenhouses on the site of an old galvanized steel plant to local restaurants and the community. Greensgrow is also one of the only nurseries supplying ornamentals accessible to those in the heart of Philadelphia.
Greensgrow Farms

The tour ended a few blocks away at Yards Brewery, where “Beer is the answer,” but if you read this blog you know that beer is never my answer. (It’s a shame Philly doesn’t have a vodka brewery.) A quick peek inside at the facilities and a break in their bar area with a beautiful high timbered ceiling, and I was ready for lunch.

Really?

Missed the bike ride, but still want a tour? There's a very similar tour during the Buy Fresh Buy Local week that takes off over at White Dog Cafe on Saturday, July 21.