Earth’s Keepers

Earth’s Keepers began in 2009 with the idea to form an urban garden where women from the community could come together and relax while gardening. The more the women gardened however, the more they realized there was a greater need to share their experiences with their local youth. The garden’s founding women learned about Will Allen’s urban agricultural project, Growing Power, and sought to bring his ideas on sustainable agriculture, food justice, nutrition, and youth leadership to their own garden. They mapped out a program that teaches gardening, food justice, and general job skills to the youth helping in the garden and set to work. Their motto is “growing youth, growing communities.” Earth’s Keepers is partners with local universities to study the effects of nutrition on violence in an attempt to end violence on the streets of Philadelphia.

At the Kingsessing recreation center they train high school students to plant, nurture, harvest, package, and sell organic crops at their farmer’s market.  In addition, they conduct youth led training sessions for participants at the Kingsessing Recreation Center and the Kingsessing Public Library summer camps.  Community workshops are available by appointment. Earth’s Keepers continues to grow and educate their communities on the rights of all people pertaining to food sovereignty while growing healthy, organic foods for their community.