PHILADELPHIA - The Neighborhood Gardens Trust (NGT) will hold a community gathering at the Brewerytown Garden located at 27th and Master Streets on Saturday, April 23rd, from noon to 3 pm.
Community Garden Spotlight: Brewerytown Community Garden
This free and open-to-the-public celebration will commemorate the garden’s permanent preservation as a public green space. The event will begin at 1 pm and include remarks from Senator Sharif Street, Representative Donna Bullock, and other project partners. Guests will be entertained with live music from DJ JAMZ, treated to food provided by gardeners, and can participate in garden tours. The event will be held rain or shine.
The footprint of the Brewerytown Garden is comprised of six land parcels. The largest parcel is owned by the City of Philadelphia and protected in its Parks and Recreation inventory as a public space.
To protect the remaining five parcels and ensure the garden’s longevity as a community space, NGT stepped in as a nonprofit land trust to acquire them. NGT has worked with the garden leaders at Brewerytown and city and state officials for several years to develop and execute a plan to obtain all the land parcels at the garden from various property owners.
Earlier this year, NGT was awarded a $125,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Greenways, Trails, and Recreation Program for the purchase and preservation of the Brewerytown Garden, thanks to the support of Senator Sharif Street and Representative Donna Bullock.
With this state grant and the proceeds of a GoFundMe campaign led by the Brewerytown Garden, NGT was able to purchase two properties within the footprint of the Brewerytown Garden that was at the most significant risk of being lost to real estate development. These land parcels will now be permanently protected as community green space.
The future of this vibrant neighborhood anchor will no longer be in jeopardy to development, offering the Brewerytown community a green garden oasis for years to come.
Brewerytown Garden is a vibrant community garden in Philadelphia where neighbors grow organic produce and share food, knowledge, and friendship. This precious green space hosts an active roster of community programs that bring together diverse neighbors and foster social ties in the rapidly changing Brewerytown neighborhood.
The garden provides ample growing space for 80 individual beds, a weekly farm stand, a CSA program, a greenhouse, and many communities, cultural, and educational events. The garden benefits from the support of the city’s FarmPhilly Program, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Common Market, and others.
Brewerytown garden’s mission has always been to physically, socially, and environmentally improve community health. With its new permanent protection, the garden can continue to enhance the quality of life for North Philadelphia residents.