PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding visited Eastwick Community Gardens in Southwest Philly on Thursday, one of several stops he's making across the state during Pennsylvania Urban Agriculture Week.
The goal of these visits — 19 urban farms in all — is to learn more about the benefits and needs of community urban gardens. Redding said the pandemic already proved how crucial they are.
"There's a need for food security," he said. "We witnessed that during COVID over the last couple of years, and it just reminded us of how fragile the food system is. And then, you overlay the inflation pressures to date. Having a garden gives you access to food."
Redding said he has seen gardens struggle with access to water and level of care and stewardship. Community gardeners can apply for improvement grants through the Pennsylvania Farm Bill starting next month.
Annie Preston, treasurer of Eastwick Community Gardens, said some of the help needed to maintain urban agriculture is legislative.
"We're on land that's owned by the airport, and the airport has been a supportive partner," she said. "Us, as well as gardens around the city, have access to their land for now, and there's no imminent threat for our garden … but there's also no long-term land guarantee."
Redding said that's a common problem across the state.
"You have vacant lots that folks have claimed within the community and there are issues with that somebody owns that land," he explained. "We are looking at what we can do."
Retiree and Eastwick gardener John Samuel said gardening connects people to nature, which is sometimes hard to come by in places where access to public, open green spaces can be limited.
Hadas Kuznits/KYW Newsradio
"We need places like this in the city, and more often it's more about the dollar than it is about what's good for the people of the city," he said.
The next wave of grants range between $2,500 and $50,000. The state has $500,000 available to disperse.
Over the past four years of this grant program, the state has completed 96 projects and distributed $1.5 million.
