Werner’s Community Garden, located in East Mt. Airy is an active site of farming and food donation, land stewardship, and community gathering. With a looming building development on the horizon the garden’s longevity is at risk, and we ask for your help in preserving this important project. The community of Werner’s Garden is hoping to raise the legal fees to preserve the land and also begin a fund to support operations costs and infrastructure projects that arise when the building project is complete.

This garden has persisted and provided for many years. In 2012, members of nearby Gabbie’s Garden tilled and organized Werner’s Garden in response to growing interest from neighborhood residents. The garden occupies about a ¼ acre, tucked away on the back half of a residential property neighboring Fred’s Mt. Airy Motors. We have 34 growing plots, a variety of cane fruits, and a perennial garden with flowers and medicinal herbs. Currently the garden has 17 members who garden individual plots, and 15 plots are dedicated for growing produce for donation.

Werner’s Garden has always been community led and mission based, participating in the PHS City Harvest program for support in our donation initiative. In 2019 leadership changed, and along with infrastructure improvements such as building a shed, redesigning the compost system, and restoring overgrown plots, more of our growing space became designated for donation. In season, the garden makes weekly donations to Face to Face in Germantown and since 2020 has harvested just over 3,000 lbs. Face to Face uses our produce for hot meals and raw food distributions. “Werner’s Garden is one of the gardens in our neighborhood that’s elevated the wisdom of community. They are helping us dignify our meals and as well extend our open Market on Thursdays. Thank you Werner’s Garden for being the seed of caring to our Germantown Community.” – Chef Altenor Vaval, Director of Food Services and Operation

In late winter of 2022 we learned that the parcels containing Fred’s Motors and two multi-family residences were being sold to building developer Stuart Udis, who plans to construct 12 town homes and a 30-unit condominium. For the past year we have been working to preserve the garden with the Neighborhood Gardens Trust, a non-profit organization that has preserved over 50 community gardens in Philadelphia. In an effort to simplify the preservation process and to develop the properties cohesively, Udis will be purchasing the parcels containing the garden and gifting the garden portion to NGT. The final hurdle for the garden will be raising the money for the legal fees to complete the division and transfer of property, preserving this important community gathering space in perpetuity.

What we’re working to protect is a space that not only fosters community and feeds its members, but feeds a portion of Philadelphia. Werner’s Community Garden is a place of hope, joy, and community engagement. As a former member of the garden so eloquently states, “Joining Werner’s Community Garden allotted me the space to not only connect with the earth and my food, it connected me to my new community. The garden offered me an encouraging, collaborative, and intergenerational environment to learn and explore.”

Werner’s Garden is a gathering place where children play, where we learn from each other and the land. It’s an important green space that if protected will continue to nourish Mt. Airy and beyond. We are grateful for your contribution!