West Philadelphia urban farm provides fresh produce, community experience

By ANDREW KOZAK

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Farm fresh tomatoes, perfectly purple peppers, fine rippened melons and crispy greens — what more could you ask for?

In the heart of West Philadelphia, Mill Creek Urban Farm is thriving and providing fresh produce to the community.

“This right here creates a certain amount of security, employment. It creates meditation space, peaceful space and a way to release, a way to relax. And to show people that their environment is healing,” Levi Joynes, lead farmer at Mill Creek Urban Farm, said.

They grow all the staples and then some.

“So here’s peppermints, and chamomile, and there’s even strawberries starting off out here,” Joynes said.

They work hard to produce foods that reflect the predominantly Black community they serve.

“Collard greens are string beans, so, foods like that, that are central to the African American experience,” Martha Griffin, director at Mill Creek Urban Farm, said.

For the last 18 years, the farm has done so much more than just help increase fresh produce availability for West Philadelphians.

“Even on like Saturdays, I can come here and like, get some food,” Marquita Michelle Taylor Thomas said.

But has also created life changing experiences for those who have gotten involved like Farming Apprentice Marquita Michelle Taylor Thomas.

“My mom came to one of our markets and she brought out all the collard greens for me to cook one day. It was a really enjoyable experience because I had hands in harvesting them,” Thomas said.

Mill Creek has come a long way in the nearly two decades it’s been around.

“When I first started, this land was empty,” Joynes said.

There is even a brand-new greenhouse that allows them to harvest year-round. It’s also about making sure urban farming becomes an even bigger part of life to new generations.

“Let me go into the elementary schools. Let me get them young,” Michelle Strongfields said

Strongfields, a former college professor, saw the disconnect in young people’s understanding of where they get food and how it’s produced, and decided to do something about it.

“So I wanted to teach these young people I was dealing with, I wanted to show them the connection between what happens to your body,” Strongfields said. “So we teach basic cell science, blah, blah, blah—STEM- and I wanted to connect it to agriculture.”

Mill Creek also offers an immersive cultural experience for visitors.

“We also, we have African drumming and dance classes here, we have yoga sessions here, health classes,” Joynes said.

And welcomes the community to not just get their fresh produce here, but to get involved as well.

“Come and volunteer, that’s the main thing I would say. Get growing,” Joynes said.

“Here at Mill Creek, I have found my people,” Strongfields said.

Mill Creek Urban Farm has a Saturday market during the growing season.

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