Transcript:
A nonprofit is trying to grow bananas in the very nontropical city of Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Orchard Project plants food gardens and orchards at schools, parks, and other sites.
And now in an unheated greenhouse called a high tunnel, they’re experimenting with crops from warmer regions – not just bananas, but yuzu, kumquat, ginger, olives, guava, and capers.
Orchard coordinator Carolina Torres says the goal is to learn what could grow in Philadelphia as the climate warms.
Torres: “What the high tunnel … allows us to do is have a little bit more control and understand how these plants grow in the case that maybe we will have to transition many of our orchards in the future to have plants that are more adapted for the climate.”
Not all of the crops are thriving. The banana tree, for instance, died back last winter. It reemerged in spring but did not produce fruit.
Other plants, like the yuzu and kumquat, have been more successful.
Torres: “It’s just fun for us to see and experiment with all of the different varieties that maybe are going to be a possibility for us in the future. … There’s people in Philadelphia from all over the world, and it’s fun to try and grow plants that come from all over the world as well.”
Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media / Thanks to Pasa Sustainable Agriculture for logistical support.
