Sustainable Agriculture 101: Fighting Climate Change in Penn Park

Did you know we're fighting climate change right here on Penn's campus? This hands-on event will feature a tour of the Penn Park Farm and Orchard, where we will discuss ways in which urban green spaces can impact climate change, teach best practices for sustainable urban farming, and give participants the opportunity to volunteer on-site and put their new knowledge to practice. This event is sponsored by the Penn Food and Wellness Collaborative and the Philadelphia Orchard Project.

Directions to the Farm:

About the Penn Food and Wellness Collaborative:

The Penn Food and Wellness Collaborative is a new initiative bringing together partners from the Center for Public Health Initiatives, Facilities and Real Estate Services, Wellness at Penn, Penn Sustainability, Student Intervention Services, and others across Penn, as well as the Philadelphia Orchard Project. This past year marked the expansion of the Penn Park Orchard into Penn’s first campus urban farm, the Penn Park Farm. The farm hosts a wide variety of programming including class visits, internships, workshops, volunteer opportunities, and events, with an emphasis on promoting wellness on campus.

Speakers

Lila Surya Bhide

Co-Founder and Program Coordinator Penn Food and Wellness Collaborative

Lila Surya Bhide helped co-found the Penn Food and Wellness Collaborative in 2019 as a winner of the Your Big Idea- Wellness Challenge. She now coordinates the Penn Food and Wellness Collaborative where she runs programming and academic partnerships and also manages the Penn Park Farm. Lila earned her BA in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Oberlin College and has a wide range of professional experience in education, sustainable agriculture, and culinary arts. Outside of work, Lila is a community organizer and has worked with organizations such as the Philadelphia South Asian Collective, Philly for Racial, Economic, and Legal Justice (better known as Philly for REAL Justice), and the Ant Smith Legal Defense Committee. She also loves to cook, read, Netflix binge, and go for hikes with her dog!

Phil Forsyth

Co-Executive Director Philadelphia Orchard Project

Phil has led POP’s orchard design and development since the organization's first plantings in the spring of 2007. As Co-Executive Director, he works with POP’s board and staff to design and plant orchards, coordinate volunteers, lead educational programs, write grants and organize fundraising activities. Phil has eighteen years of experience in urban farming, gardening, and landscaping. He holds a BS in Horticulture and Landscape Design from Colorado State University and a Certificate in Permaculture Design & Teaching from the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute. In 2017, Phil received the first ever Mary Seton Corboy Award for Public Horticulture from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.