A new fruit tree orchard was planted on-site at the West Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House campus to increase families’ access to local and healthy food. In the orchard, a specially designed Bee Hotel art piece was created by artist Meei Ling Ng. The Bee Hotel will bring solar panels to eye level and provide a beautiful, interactive element for residents to enjoy. The Bee Hotel is made from recycled materials, and is powered by solar energy. It will encourage bees to stay at the hotel and help pollinate the fruit trees, herb, berry, and vegetable plants.
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The Chicken Tractor is designed and created based on farmer Michaelann specific needs for her front yard farm. From the size needed for the number of chickens to the weight and shade, door and materials use, all had to be thought through before the art form was created. Using found/recycled materials. The chicken feathers are made from discarded irrigation drip tape donated from Weavers Way's Mort Brooks Farm. The Chicken Tractor is a moveable cage to keep chickens confined to one area of a garden bed so that they can "debug, weed and fertilize" the bed before new plantings.
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Deep Roots ll "Days and Nights on the Farm" was held at Weavers Way's Mort Brooks Memorial Farm working in collaboration with Weavers Way Co-op, Awbury Arboretum, Philadelphia Open Studios Tour (POST) and lighting Designer Jackson Kay. By combining a farm festival with an art installation our aim was to spread the message that urban farms by necessity need to be multi-use spaces not just for growing food. This installation concentrated on storytelling and the subject was growing food where people live and highlights the interconnection of nature, farms, our food system and our communities. There were nine installations spread throughout the farm. Using different art installations to represent different concerns that we have to overcome or to even recognize.
The exhibit was consider very successful in term of attendance and our goals. We had lots of interaction and questions from over 400 visitors during the two days event. My collaborators were thrilled with the results that we had approached and raised awareness on the importance of farming by expanding the audience past foodies to art lovers and beyond.
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