The weather held for the 13th Urban Farm Bike Ride last month! So we not only were able to pedal comfortably through parts of North, South and West Philadelphia, we immensely enjoyed our stops along the way, visiting farms that focus their work within or are led by communities of color.

At Novick Family Urban Farm in South Philadelphia and the Urban Tree Connection in the Haddington neighborhood, we heard about the seed-saving work they are doing with local vendor TrueLove Seeds. We saw red okra growing for the first time; thriving in its N. 53rd Street environs, lovingly planted by the women of color farm leaders and work force at Urban Tree Connection. We listened intently about the geodome being installed at the North Philly Peace Park in Sharswood. And we marveled at what’s growing at Nationalities Service Center’s Growing Together farm in Point Breeze, including the story of how the long-term residents and newly arrived neighbors work together, alongside a partnership with the church adjacent to the land on which they farm. 

All the farms and communities we visited were full of growth and abundance. We are grateful to the farms and farmers for sharing their knowledge and inspiration with us. We could not have asked for a better way to learn about Philadelphia’s diverse and rich foodways and systems.

Thanks to generous sponsors and riders of all levels, we had a lot of fun, and made a huge impact for our work at Food Moxie. The funds raised from the Ride support our educational programming at Stenton Family Manor, Saul High School, and Martin Luther King High School. We hope you will join us at next year’s ride!