Novick Urban Farm has been awarded a $31,000 Project Innovation grant from NBC10, Telemundo62, and Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. This funding will contribute to their Community-Centered Farming and Food Distribution in South Philadelphia.
Located on 1.3 acres of land in South Philadelphia, this organization aims to provide access to healthy foods and education to their diverse community. Their focus is on promoting hands-on education, sustainability, biodiversity, and nutrition. Novick Urban Farm provides educational tours, volunteer opportunities, an apprenticeship program, and a low-cost farmers market. The farmers market, which is open every Wednesday, 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. from May to October, is located at Mifflin Square Park’s Vendor Village (6th & Ritner St. in South Philadelphia). Almost everything they sell is just $1. They accept cash, credit, EBT, and farmers market nutrition program checks.
(Below) Wah Paw, Community Farmer
Another thing that makes this farm so special is their goal to cater to the population of Southeast Asian refugees in their community. Residing in this community are people of Burmese, Indonesian, Palestinian, and other nationalities from the Southeast Asian region, with a survey revealing 14 languages spoken in the area. At Novick Urban Farm, they grow culturally relevant crops for these people; As a result, families of these cultures are not only given access to fresh, healthy food, but they are able to keep traditions alive for their children.
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The farm is actively looking for volunteers to help out 1-2 hours a week. They host a volunteer evening every last Thursday of the month. The next one will be August 25th. While having a space to meet likeminded people and learn about agriculture, you are also able to contribute to a great cause. Another perk is volunteers are permitted to take home produce with them as a thank you from the farm.
Click here for the Volunteer Registration Form. Next Volunteer Evening August 25th.
Currently, Novick Urban Farm has an unheated greenhouse they can utilize in the Spring and Summer. With the help from this Project Innovation grant, they are aiming to build a heated green house for use year-round. This will allow them to grow their own seedlings, as well as extra seedlings they can share with other growers
Click here to view their Volunteering Calendar
