COPYRIGHT 2007 The Philadelphia Inquirer

By: Daniel Rubin

Jul. 16--"You want the tour?" asks James Whitaker, 16, throwing his arm around my shoulder and leading me in search of that delicacy known as the North Philly onion.

He forms his fingers into a claw and drags the dark soil of a freshly dug bed, fishing out a long, milky white bulb.

"Here," he says, smiling. "Let me give it to you. You've earned it." This sort of media savvy they don't teach at Annenberg.

For two years, he's tilled this verdant half-acre, hard by the El tracks at Eighth and Poplar. Here, in the shadow of a punched-out factory, a dozen teens raise Japanese eggplants, squash, tomatoes (cherry, plum and jumbos) collard greens, Swiss chard, watermelons, corn, peppers (bell, banana and jalapeno), sunflowers, lavender, daisies, spearmint, blackberries, raspberries.

What they are really growing in their fenced-off garden is patience.

The teens spend their summers planting, weeding, mulching, pruning, watering and feeding a variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers they've begun peddling at farmers markets and to local restaurants.

Slow food

At first, gardening was a hard sell to city kids raised on video games and TV dramas, says Diane Cornman-Levy, Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Federation of Settlements, who started the program.

"They're used to instant gratification. When they first came here, all they saw was an empty bed."

After planting seeds they had to wait . . . days, weeks, even months for evidence of their labors.

"They'd lose attention, goof off. But as soon as they harvested their first produce, they'd go, 'My God, we've just created food.'"

During the mayoral campaign, State Rep. Dwight Evans often made the point that inner-city residents needed better access to fresh foods so they could be healthier. This program, called Teens 4 Good, tries to do its part, while teaching lessons that should flower in the young farmers for years.

Growing got a lot more interesting when the teens saw there was some money in it.

Last summer, parents picking up their kids at the Journey Home summer camp grabbed up the collard greens, peppers, cucumbers, squash and herbs that had been raised down the street. The teens took in about $500 for the season.

That's led to a more frequent schedule. Saturdays this year they are selling what they harvest on site. Tuesdays they hit the Rittenhouse Square farmers market. They're working on a cookbook, while earning $7 an hour.

Now the farmers in the 'hood are talking about things like marketing strategies and business plans.

Urban renewal

With its colorful mosaics and murals, it's a hive of activity, this city-owned lot that three years ago was just another eyesore of tires, weeds, trash and neglect.

Several school and camp groups spend time in the garden on any given day. Last Monday, visitors included a class of high schoolers led by Cora Turpin, a former Philadelphia science teacher now lecturing at Eastern University.

She was teaching them a lesson on microclimates for college credit.

"Most of our kids are from concrete jungles," she said. "We're bringing them here to a garden environment, which they didn't know was possible in their neighborhood. We're showing them the importance of having vegetables and flowers and quiet. The calming aspect of this is worth fighting for. We need these open spaces."

Larry Finney picks up the garden tour where his friend James leaves off. Larry's also 16 and a second-year farmer.

"There are many things you can learn here," he says. "How to sell your product, get your business out there, how to make your money stay in line."

At a raspberry bush, he picks a pale pink fruit and offers it up for sampling. Another free morsel. Clearly, these kids have some tasty skills.

Contact Daniel Rubin at               215-854-5917        or drubin@phillynews.com. Read his work at http://go.philly.com/danrubin.