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At the end of the day at FNC, Rebeacca and I talk about our biggest takeaways from our experience. Please click the link to hear about how our stewardship project has impacted us. 

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I had the pleasure of interviewing Marta, the Urban Farm Manager & Educator at FNC, about her role within the organization, the influence that the organization has on the community, and the impact her work has on her. Click the link for the full interview. 

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I had the opportunity to interview Tanya, the Development Director for the Philadelphia Orchard Project, about her involvement and role within POP, as well as the impact POP has on the community. Click the link for the full interview.

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Marta teaching us how to use an action hoe to weed.

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We were able to make good progress on the orchard during our time volunteering. It really does take a community to make a difference and this would not have been possible without the help of all the volunteers.

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The other volunteers and I working on the orchard. 

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Using a shovel to dig up the deeply rooted weeds.

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I had the opportunity to work with one of my classmates Rebeacca at the Philadelphia Orchard Project’s event at the FNC community garden. It was such an enjoyable experience getting to work with one of my peers. We were lucky to have such nice weather while volunteering. 

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Takeaways from my Stewardship Experience

What course concepts did you see in action?

Through my stewardship experience, I saw various course concepts implemented in the community garden such as stormwater infrastructure and management, sustainable design of the space, greening buildings, and urban farming. The community garden was originally a vacant lot that was redesigned into a green space. I saw the practice of urban agriculture and urban farming in action. The community garden was located on 8th & Poplar, right in the center of an urban area. The garden had a greenhouse to help grow fresh produce as well as homemade gardens within the green space. The shed within the space had solar panels that had been installed by engineering majors at Temple University as a part of their senior design project to help with energy efficiency. They also redesigned some of the landscape to help with stormwater management.

What did you do?

For my stewardship project, I volunteered at the FNC community garden through the Philadelphia Orchard Project. We worked on POP’s orchard in the FNC garden. It was our job to remove the overgrown weeds on the plot to get it ready for mulching and the planting of trees. We used action hoes and shovels to remove weeds and deeply rooted weeds. The soil was a soft soil with a clay and silt like consistency. In the soil, we found bugs and worms. In the orchard, trees are planted seasonally in both the fall and spring. FNC and POP only plant trees that are native to the area like pawpaws.

How does this project or agency address community needs?

Both FNC and POP work towards bettering the community. Most of POP’s orchards are in low-wealth communities that lack access to fresh produce. Through their orchards and community gardens, these organizations provide community members with fresh fruits and vegetables. They also promote community engagement and involvement through their programs and volunteering opportunities.

What expectations did you have about your urban greening stewardship experience?

Initially, my expectations of my urban greening stewardship experience was that I would learn more about the organization that I chose to volunteer with and the impact that their work has on the environment. After completing my stewardship project, I had gained so much more. In addition to learning more about POP and FNC and the impact that their work has on the environment, I also gained a sense of community and realized that I have a social responsibility to help better my community. This experience opened my eyes to see how fortunate I am to have access to fresh produce that other members of my community do not have access to. Both FNC and POP partake in urban agriculture and farming to help fulfill this need my providing fresh fruit and vegetables. They also provide programs to help educate community members on environmental sustainability and greening initiatives.

How did your understanding of the community change as a result of your participation?

As a result of my participation, I gained a better understanding of community needs. I learned that some members of the community do not have access to the resources that other community members have access to daily, for example fresh produce. FNC and POP are two organizations that help to meet community needs. During my hours working on the orchard, I realized that it truly does take a community to make a difference. There was nine of us working on the orchard and our progress on the plot would not have been achieved without the help of all of the volunteers. I think it is important for every member of the community to do their part in bettering their community. I enjoyed working with POP and FNC and I will definitely volunteer again in their upcoming events.

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The overgrown weeds at the orchard. 

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The soil at the orchard was a soft soil with a clay and silt like consistency. While weeding and digging up roots, we found bugs and worms in the soil. 

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FNC’s greenhouse where they grow plants and produce to sell at their farm stand.

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Strawberries starting to bloom. FNC plants them seasonally to sell at their farm stand. 

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We disturbed a colony of ants while weeding.

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We used an action hoe to help dig up weeds and roots in soft soils.

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The Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP), works with community-based groups and volunteers to plan and plant orchards filled with useful and edible plants. POP provides orchard design assistance, plant materials, and training in orchard care. Community organizations like FNC, own, maintain, and harvest the orchards, expanding community-based food production, environmental benefits, and opportunities for nature education. Orchards are planted in formerly vacant lots, community gardens, schoolyards, and other green spaces in low-wealth neighborhoods where people lack access to fresh produce.

For my volunteer opportunity, we were working on POP’s orchard in the FNC community garden. During our event, we worked on weeding the garden to get it ready for mulching, so that we could plant trees in the plot of land. FNC sells home-grown fruits and vegetables at farm stands and farmers markets. POP’s orchard supplements vegetable production and proceeds are reinvested in their youth programs.

POP only plants native species in their orchards. At the FNC orchard, there was an abundance of PawPaws trees.

The orchard at FNC was overgrown and full of weeds. It looked like the orchard had not been tended to in awhile. We used an action hoe to help weed and cut roots in the soft soil patches. We used shovels to help dig out the weeds and plants that were deeply rooted in the soil. With the help of all volunteers, we were able to make great progress in the orchard.  

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For my stewardship project I teamed up with the Philadelphia Orchard Project and volunteered with FNC at their community garden on 8th & Poplar on May 1, 2018. 

We started the day off by learning more about FNC, a voluntary, nonprofit association. FNC was founded in 1906 and for more than 100 years, FNC has been bettering the Philadelphia community through their work. 

FNC was founded around the idea that more could be done to improve the quality of neighborhood life by working together. FNC has helped members of the community find and keep homes, learn English, be trained to gain and keep employment, enhance their children’s education, and work towards having a safer and more nurturing environment for all their fellow community members. Through FNC’s partnerships, like the Philadelphia Orchard Project, the organization has made great progress towards building and rebuilding safer, healthier neighborhoods where families have a better quality of life.  

FNC’s Vision “Our vision is a world where organizations from different sectors work together around common goals to transform systems that result in thriving communities.”

FNC’s Mission “FNC builds strong neighborhoods through intentional partnerships. We support children, youth, families, and individuals, including those involved in the criminal justice system. FNC focuses on youth development, urban farming, food access, workforce training, parent education, and re-entry services. Through fiscal sponsorships FNC supports new and established organizations that align with our mission. FNC partners for thriving communities.”

To help achieve and maintain their vision and mission, FNC offers programs to promote involvement in community members of all ages and backgrounds. To learn more about the amazing work done at FNC click here.