Nic Esposito and a new generation of urban activists are starting in the garden

Answering a question about his favorite things to grow is a challenge for Nic Esposito. After a few nods to his Italian heritage—eggplants, tomatoes—he settles on a response that speaks volumes about the work he is doing in his West Philadelphia community: “I love planting perennials,” he says with a smile. “It might make me sound lazy, but I love the idea of putting something in the ground—like rosemary or berry bushes—and seeing them grow back. It gives you a stake in where you are.”

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A U.S. Department of Transportation grant should mean big things for the city’s walkers and bikers

The final weeks before spring—when the itch for the outdoors becomes borderline unbearable—is the perfect timing for this announcement: TIGER, The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Discretionary Grant Program, has awarded our region $23 million in recovery money to be used towards the development of biking and walking trails.

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by Lee Stabert | photo by Lucas HardisonKatie Cavuto-Boyle’s Healthy Bites fills a void in Graduate Hospital

They say one of the keys to a successful business is seeing a need, and then filling it. That is Katie Cavuto Boyle’s plan. Her newly opened Healthy Bites To-Go Market/Café looks to bring wholesome, locally-sourced grab-and-go products to the Graduate Hospital neighborhood.

The area has some excellent spots for a casual dinner or snack, but they’re mostly bars specializing in ramped-up pub food. There is nowhere for eaters in this rapidly developing neighborhood to pick up a pint of local milk, a quick sandwich or lasagna to heat up at home.

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Spotted Hill Farm proves that size doesn’t matter 

Donna Bowman’s farm isn’t very big, but neither are its primary inhabitants: a herd of miniature Nubian goats.

They’re inquisitive, friendly little creatures, with long, floppy ears and prominent noses. Bowman breeds them, and uses their milk for the homemade soaps and lotions she sells through the farm’s website and at local farmers’ markets.

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Come spring, we local eaters are deeply hungry for regionally-grown produce beyond cold-loving Brussels sprouts and storage apples, potatoes and onions. Sadly, with a stinging chill remaining in the air, summer berries, stone fruit and corn (oh corn!) are still a long way away. Happily, there’s one plant that starts appearing earlier than all the rest, and with its brilliant color and tart flavor, it will give your taste buds the zing they’ve been longing for.

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Gardeners, meet your new best friend: the brown snake

Don’t freak out—it’s just a snake. It’s a really tiny snake, totally harmless. The worst it can do is poop on you.

Sure, you weren’t expecting to find a real live snake in West Philly (or North Philly, or Northwest Philly), roaming the soul patch of green that passes for your backyard.

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When it comes to seeds, Kim Massare does the work for you 

A few years ago, frustrated by the lack of heirloom varieties available at local garden centers, South Philly gardener Kim Massare went on a seed catalogue shopping spree. She lit up her rowhouse’s basement with grow lights and brought down all those non-recyclable plastic containers she’d been collecting—Startin’ Yer Garten was born.

As any gardener can tell you, it’s easy to plant too many seeds—especially when your garden is, at best, a postage stamp with limited sun. Over-planting has an upsetting side effect: having to discard those carefully nurtured seedlings. Looking to offset the cost of her investment and rescue her extra plants from the trash bin, Massare posted an ad for them on Craigslist. The response was immediate and enthusiastic. 

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