Carousel House Farm provides thousands of pounds of food for Broad Street Ministry
1,800 pounds (and counting): this is how much food the farm at the Carousel House Recreation Center has produced in one season alone.
That abundance of produce never goes to waste thanks to a partnership with the Broad Street Ministry, an organization that provides meals, health services, a mail room, and more to Philadelphia’s homeless and at-risk population.
The collard greens, kale, broccoli, tomatoes, eggplants, squash, onions, carrots, and other vegetables are the basis of many meals for the Broad Street Ministry, which serves between 250 and 400 meals daily.
The cycle to creating these meals began in the spring with Kim Cook, a farm manager and garden educator, who has worked to plant and maintain the farm all season. With the help of PowerCorps, the food is planted and the farm is refreshed for the season ahead.
As the produce begins to grow, the Broad Street Ministry volunteers offer their services weekly to help maintain the garden, as well as assisting in harvesting the food. After the food is harvested, it is weighed, bagged, and transported to the kitchens at Broad Street Ministry, located at 315 Broad Street.
From there, the kitchen staff creates meals based on the Carousel House produce. On this night in particular, a chicken parmesan dish is created with a bed of Carousel House Farm’s vegetables. Cooking the hundreds of meals begins at noon and continue until it’s time for dinner service in the evening.
This isn’t your typical soup kitchen, Broad Street Ministry creates a dining environment where its patrons are served food to their tables, just like you would experience at a restaurant. They want to give their guests a sense of dignity, eating good food in an accepting environment.
Carousel House at its core is a facility for adults with disabilities, but its reach stretches far beyond those who visit the center on a daily basis. This modestly-sized farm impacts the lives of hundreds of individuals who need it the most.
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