Neil Santos and Andrew Olson run the agricultural hub known as Farm 51. The West Philadelphian farm serves the local community as well as supporting the City Harvest Program. | Kathryn Stellato and Matt McGraw.
Farm 51: Privately owned, publically lauded
a photographer with a degree from Temple University who has been living and working on Farm 51 since he met Olsen. Everything Santos knows about farming he says he learned from Olsen who “is the mastermind behind this project.”
Being a farm in Philadelphia, Farm 51 has many obstacles that most rural farms don’t have to contend with. One of the biggest issues was excavating the empty lots where they now grow their crops. There were a lot of structures there before so there was a lot of rubble and cement and overgrowth to clear out. When he was digging holes for a fence last winter, Olsen recalled that he “found a loaded handgun buried in the dirt.”
Another major problem was getting enough useable, lead-free soil to grow with which had to be shipped in. the final problem that leads to a multitude of other problems is simply density, being very close to the neighbors. In the past, Farm 51 has received complaints about noise from parties and animal control has showed up about the chickens and bees, but overall the community has been very open to the farm and Olsen doesn’t often have troubles.
The major community aspect of Farm 51 is seen in its weekly farm stands that occur on Thursdays between May and October. This is when Olsen and commissioned volunteers sell the produce that was grown in the garden to the surrounding community. While the first year of farm stands didn’t receive much community support, the second year was when it really began to catch on. Each subsequent year has seen even more popularity towards the farm stand and it has now become a staple of the neighborhood. Olsen says with a laugh, “It’s a little bit of a blessing and a curse. Sometimes you don’t want to have to answer the door when people are knocking for eggs or a tour or whatever, but it’s nice that people are interested.”
Farm 51, a privately owned farm located on 51st and Chester Streets, is one of the most well known urban farms in the city of Philadelphia. Owned by urban horticulturalist Andrew Olsen, 35, the farm was his project and is primarily run by him. The farm grows vegetables and fruits and provides the surrounding area with fresh produce weekly. Olsen came up with the idea and started up the farm with the help and support of the City Harvest Program, which is run by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS). After receiving aid and supplies such as seeds, compost, soil, and other start-up farming equipment from PHS, and after putting in a considerable amount of personal and volunteer time and physical labor, the farm officially had it’s first season in the spring of 2009.
The farm started in a single apartment building with a little yard around it—since then it has nearly quadrupled in size, obtaining the house next door and an additional 4 empty lots. While PHS helps with supplying seeds, soil, and other basic farming necessities, the majority of the farm’s equipment, animal feed, and labor is paid for out of pocket by Olsen and his partner of 5 years Neal Santos. Santos, 28, is
Working at the stand for the last 4-5 seasons, Olsen has employed 3 neighborhood youth officially that help to harvest the crops and sell at the stand. From the weekly sales at the farm stand, they make a small commission and learn a great deal about urban farming. “The swing is popular, and the kids love to come play with the chickens,” says Olsen.
Despite the weekly farm stand’s popularity however, Olsen has stated that this year may mark the end of it. The problem with it is it is a very uncertain turnout and not usually very profitable.
By far, the most of Olsen’s time and labor is put into harvesting, setting up, and preparing for the weekly stand. If there’s a bad turn out or heavy rain that keeps people away, then the whole week has basically been for naught. The stand has always been put on more for the community than for financial reasons, and so while there can still continue to have open farm days where people pick their own vegetables and the occasional stand still, Olsen would rather focus more of his time on projects that can bring in a little more money.
Such a project is Olsen’s delving into flower farming, a much more profitable business. He currently has projects set-up on plots in Philadelphia neighborhoods Mantua and Roxborough. With his background in ornamental horticulture and experience in flower farms, Olsen hopes to be able to turn a nice profit on these flower crops, which he can in turn put into Farm 51. Despite Olsen’s branching out, Santos assures us that, “as long as we’re alive, there will be a Farm 51 of some kind.”
-Matt McGraw
Farm 51, located on 51 and Chester streets. The farm produces local produce weekly. October 4, 2014. - Matt McGraw
Neal Santos, one of the owners of Farm 51, and his rabbit at one of the annual 'Thank You' parties Neal and Andrew Olsen host at Farm 51 for local community members. September 27, 2014. - Matt McGraw