A North Philadelphia grower is planting an orchard on a vacant lot
The orchard sits across 13 discrete city-owned lots, which means he must obtain rights 13 times over.
By Buffy Gorrilla
PBS
August 18, 2021
Excerpt:
Garrison Hines doesn’t hurry. He knows there’s a lot of physical labor ahead of him, so there’s no need to rush. Dotted across a vacant lot at 19th and Norris streets in North Philadelphia are a dozen trees. By the end of the day, all 12 will be in the ground — the beginning of North Roots Orchard and Farm.
The fledgling farm is growing quietly on a piece of city-owned land that has been empty all of Hines’ life. The Philadelphia Orchard Project alum, 25, broke ground on North Roots in June. It started with four trees and two raised beds. Now, there are 16 trees on the lot and a plan for more as Hines works to formally acquire the land from the city.
One of an increasingly visible community of growers seeking title to city land, Hines’ story reflects the struggle Philadelphia faces as it seeks to balance a booming market for housing with a community-based call for more green spaces in neighborhoods where trees and open space are in short supply.
n his case, Hines knew the land before he had a vision for it. He walked by the lot often as a child on the way to his grandmother’s house and to the playground.
“I used to take this route as a kid daily to go to her house,” he said. “We played at the playground right around the corner at the King Center.”
