Toni Radcliffe ’14: Recently students were asked to discuss, provide feedback, and indicate their preferred choices for next year’s J-Term. John Dilworth, member of the English Department, has proposed a J-Term course titled “Growing Greener: (Urban) farming practices and techniques for sustainability.”
The course description states, “Learning about farming and agriculture on a local and urban level: best practices and techniques for starting seeds, saving seeds, hydroponic growing techniques, canning, jarring, preserving foods, nutritional value of foods, environmental impact of locally grown produce and products, water and energy conservation, beekeeping, beef and dairy farming, poultry and eggs, cheese-making and business aspects of farming (CSA for example). The class will explore taking this knowledge and incorporating it into our EA community while also helping to build connections with urban farms in order to revitalize/ feed blighted areas of Philadelphia.”
Dilworth spent a year abroad in New Zealand after graduating from Villanova University in 2002. There, he learned how to farm and to practice sustainability.
“It started back when I lived in the Raglan in the North Island of New Zealand,” recalled Dilworth. “I worked for a surf camp [where] they had a lot of land so I started turning it into a big, organic garden and an orchard. The way I got to stay there, so I didn’t have to pay, was to help start the garden. We cleared out all this land. We built out three big, penned-in fences and a chicken coop [in one pen]. We had about twenty-five to thirty chickens to start. And then we planted cover crops.”
“Then, in Nelson in the South Island,” continued Dilworth, “I popped around from farm to farm, wherever they had work and did whatever they needed. [New Zealand] didn’t have a lot of genetically modified foods or fruits, and there was a big push when I was there to keep it that way. So they were really focused on the environment, water conservation, being sustainable, and growing your own food.”
After returning to America, Dilworth began to apply the lessons he learned in New Zealand to his everyday life at home.
Dilworth explained, “When I got home, I started to get into gardening. Then, when I got my house, I turned my whole backyard and my front-yard into a whole, big garden. We grow blueberries, strawberries, pees, lettuce, carrots, watermelons, cantaloupes, and pumpkins. We try to eat as much as we can [out of our garden.] Growing your own food makes you really want to eat it and enjoy it.”
Dilworth seized J-Term as an opportunity to teach sustainability.
He commented, “When J-Term came up, that was the first thing that popped into my head. I thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce [sustainability to the students.]”
As part of the course, Dilworth hopes to establish a relationship with Greensgrow Farm, which includes a farm market, a nursery, and a Community Supported Agriculture program.
He explained, “[Greensgrow] takes empty lots in Philadelphia into little urban farms or gardens. It helps to give back to and establish a sense of community.”
Even though the course would take place in January, Dilworth stated, “This [sustainability course] seems to have pretty good interest. The Pennsylvania Farm Show happens in Harrisburg so we’ll travel out there. We’ll go down and volunteer at Greensgrow. And I hope to have a lot of workshops about seed starting, preserving what you grow, cheese making, making butter, and bee keeping.”
Eventually Dilworth hopes to use this course to create a sustainability project located at Episcopal.
“Hopefully over the years we can create a project creating rain barrels or an irrigation system in the garden or growing crops we could either eat here or donate to a food pantry.”

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