Mill Creek Farm - About Us

Mission:
The Mill Creek Farm is a collectively run urban education farm that utilizes vacant land to improve local access to nutritious foods and to promote sustainable resource use by growing and distributing produce and by demonstrating ecological methods of living.

The Mill Creek Farm (MCF) is located at 4901 Brown Street in the Mill Creek Neighborhood of West Philadelphia. Part of the site has been home to a thriving community garden for over 15 years and the rest of the lot had been vacant for over 30 years. Thanks to funds allocated by the Philadelphia Water Department in partnership with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the land was awarded in the summer of 2005 to begin an urban farm.

At left: OKRA, a big seller.

MCF is committed to:

Improving consumer access to nutritious foods and building food security;
Developing a greater sense of community within the Mill Creek neighborhood;
Educating local school groups and the greater Philadelphia community about urban agriculture, natural resource management and sustainable living;
Managing stormwater run-off and utilizing rainwater as a resource for food production.

Our activities and educational programs

In addition to growing food for local distribution, MCF is an education center, giving tours to groups and hosting field trips and community skill-share workshops. The farm employs youth in a summer job training program.

The farm partners with the existing community garden to facilitate inter-generational exchange between school age groups and elders.

The farm's innovative toolshed demonstrates green building and reuse techniques including cob, solar electric, living roof, compost toilet, graywater collection, and found object mosaic (part of the mosaic is pictured above).

The farm will fuel its pickup truck, donated by SEPTA, with biodiesel / used vegetable oil.

Funding

MCF is an environmental education farm that as part of a not-for-profit supported by private donations and grants. Additionally, produce sales will partially defray operating costs for the farm project.

Past funding from: Chace Fund, Union Benevolent Association, Claneil Foundation, Allen Hilles Fund, Samuel S. Fels Foundation, Patricia Kind Family Foundation, Leo Model Foundation, Douty Foundation, Private donations

Donations

Donations are welcome and needed. Please make checks payable to "Mill Creek Farm/A Little Taste of Everything," and send them to Mill Creek Farm, 3451 Walnut Street, Franklin Building Annex, Suite P-117A,
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6205.

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