Urbanstead is a fantastic new organization in Philadelphia that provides local youth the opportunity to learn about and experience urban farming first-hand through collaborations with community partners. We're working with Philadelphia youth to farm *in* the city! We are dedicated to working with youth to develop healthy selves and communities while also preparing them for numerous career opportunities in urban agriculture. We really need your help in order to be successful during our incubation. 

In just a few short months, Urbanstead has already developed strong community partnerships including an excellent relationship with The Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation. Through this partnership, we are working hard together in the beautiful farm space at the Francisville Urban Farm. We have fresh food already growing from the ground and an amazing team of excited youth ready to work! 

The Greater Exodus Baptist Church Youth at The Francisville Urban Farm in July! We planted aloe, picked carrots and radishes and beans and enjoyed a day of fun and learning in the garden!! 

With all that we've accomplished already, we still have a long way to go and we need your help in order to become sustainable!

The first time I brought a group of young people to an urban farm in Philly, I heard nothing but complaints the entire way to the farm. They said, "Ms. Lisa, I am NOT going to get my hands dirty,” and, “Ms. Lisa, you are out of your mind if you think I'm going to be playing in the dirt." To my surprise, within ten minutes of arriving, all of the youth had their hands deep in the soil! They learned about and practiced planting tomatoes, weeding the raised beds, and identifying and removing pests. When it came time to leave, it was a struggle convincing them to go. Rarely do I see this level of excitement and interest among youth who are deemed “at-risk” in Philadelphia. So often, they are made to sit still, be quiet, and do their work. With the opportunity to learn hands-on skills in their own communities, they transform into very powerful change-makers. I realized that day, that I want to provide opportunities for more youth in Philadelphia to have urban farming experiences - that is why I started Urbanstead.

Here’s how we’re spending our first growing season:

• Through our wonderful partnership with The Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation, our team of youth will be gardening at the Francisville Urban Farm and building a mobile farm stand. We’ll be inviting community members and other urban farmers to sell their lovingly grown produce at The Mobile Farm Stand along side our youth participants for no fee! The Mobile Farm Stand will be able to travel to multiple neighborhoods to bring fresh food and community together. Right now we expect to be able to set the stand up in Francisville (19th and Fairmount) on Fridays and Brewerytown (outside of High Point Cafe) on Saturdays! 
• We are developing our first program,  Youth Plots, an Urbanstead program that partners with  local youth-serving organizations to train at-risk young people in urban farming techniques through hands-on gardening experiences. The program encourages mentor relationships between teens and younger participants. Youth Plots participants learn plant botany, garden planning, garden construction, weed and pest management, as well as how to incorporate nutrition from the garden into their daily lives. 
• We’re also networking across communities, building and expanding our board of directors, writing grants, and planning programming in order to ensure future sustainability.

Francisville Urban Farm in early May

• Materials and supplies for building and maintaining the gardens (seeds, wood, starters, nails, gardening tools, gloves, soil, soil testing, first aid kits, etc.)
• Youth incentives (stipends, snacks, water, etc.)
• Transportation costs for staff and youth
• Administrative costs to continue programming (staff stipend, criminal background checks, fundraising costs, marketing, etc.)

Your perks:

• You will be rewarded by knowing that your contributions are supporting local youth, urban farming, food access, and community collaborations.
  
• We’ll also throw in some fun perks like t-shirts, bags, seed bombs, a tour of our farm space with a meal prepared by our youth participants or dinner for 2 at a local restaurant.
• We are offering the exciting opportunity for you, a friend, or a local business/organization to receive a youth-built raised bed garden!
• Our gratitude, expressed via email, website, and handwritten card.

Our Youth -Made Wildflower Seed Bombs! 

Please help us get the word out about this campaign by sharing it with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors.

And you can stay connected with Urbanstead through our newsletter, website, Twitter, and Facebook pages!