ONE ART OASIS FARM

On the One Art Oasis Farm we practice regenerative growing methods that are in harmony with nature and the natural cycles of nature. By integrating livestock and utilizing compost and animal manure, we produce hundreds of pounds of healthy food each year while protecting the land and advocating for land security. Our love for the land extends beyond farming as we support local farmers through our farmers market and land justice initiatives, ensuring that everyone has access to nutritious food.

The One Art Oasis Farm spans over several lots. Once vacant land, much love went into creating a safe, bountiful, inspirational growing space. With a gazebo, ponds, meandering pathways, and art throughout, we spent years remediating and building the soil and creating a place where thousands of pounds of food are produced. Lots of food is given away, sold at the farmers market, transformed into farm to table meals or turned into value added products. Volunteer groups come to the farm, school groups visit, there are workshops on composting, starting from seed, putting your garden to sleep for the winter as well as the Land and Liberation Apprenticeship. There are several herb plots and recently we created The Childrens Garden. The Children's Garden is a vibrant space with butterfly benches and a charming bird bath. There is a beautiful array of herbs, for tasting and smelling, alongside sunflowers and fluttering butterflies. Theres a plum, orange and olive trees around the border of the garden. Join us in the One Art Farm cultivating a sustainable future for our community!

LAND JUSTICE​

For over 15 years, One Art has been transforming vacant lands into vibrant spaces for food production. Our journey started in 2002 when we petitioned the city for access to the large amount of neglected properties surrounding One Art, making way for cleaning and years of soil remediation. In 2016, we joined Soil Generation. Working with them to empower folks to reclaim the land and grow food,. This led to initiatives like the Threatened Gardens campaign and Philadelphia's first urban agriculture plan, Growing From the Root. By 2018, Soil Generation moved its office to One Art. Around that time One Art was granted stewardship of the land we were growing food on. This allowed us to expand our agroecological practices to include chickens, bees, and fish while continuing to use ancient growing methods to grow hundreds of pounds of food each year. We believe that our connection to the land is foundational to our healing and liberation.

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We are grateful to have hosted amazing groups such as the  National Black Food and Justice Alliance. We hosted Black Urban Growers Conference events onsite as well as the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference. We are founding members of Philadelphia's Land Justice Coalition. Also members of the Urban Agriculture Plan Alliance, SWWAG (Southwest West Agricultural Group) and former member of Philadelphia's Food Policy Advisory Council. We are livicated to help grow a sustainable future for our people.  As we work towards a regenerative and equitable food system for all people, we continue to fight for food sovereignty, land justice, and to FREE THE LAND!

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THE ORCHARD

The Orchard began when we first started planting trees to honor Benjamin, the Founder of the Space. Every year we would plant a tree to honor him on his birthday. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society helped us expand the orchard space and Philadelphia Orchard Project has helped us maintain it. There are over 10 different types of fruit and nut trees growing including apple, pear, fig, cherry, plum, olive, witch hazel, orange, jujubees, almond, soursop and lots of peach trees! Every year it gets more and more fruitful!​​

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

Peacocks, chickens, ducks, OMGee. 

Bees, fish, and a horse named Sunny.

Butterflies throughout sipping on necter in the butterfly garden

Dont forget Cinnamin the dog and her two enormous children

 

Many people come just to visit all the animals at One Art. They are a big part of the farmily. Sometimes we sell eggs, honey and fish. Much of the animals waste is used for fertilizer. 

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AQUAPONICS

This project was inspired our dear friend Burt who was teaching aquaponics in a Philadelphia High School. Dr. Jamie Bracie started a hydroponic setup in a shipping container onsite as a part of her learning program Think and Grow Farms. After learning more we got a breeding colony of 7 Nile River Tilapia. A few years later there were hundreds of Tilapia. Currently we are raising over 2,000 Tilapia fish and using their waste to naturally fertilize our gardens and greenhouses for a rich and bountiful harvest of truly organic produce. This project is in the process of  scaling up to soon to irrigate all of the plots we are doing the main farming on. 

​TINY HOUSES &

CONTAINER CLASSROOMS 

We have two Tiny Houses onsite built with 95% recycled and repurposed materials. One house was built with students from our STEP program (Sustainability Training and Education Program). The main House is grid tied but also has the ability to be off grid if needed. The home features bottle brick work through out, a kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom loft. It has been used as a weekend getaway, a honeymoon suite, and a functioning example of sustainable building.

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The Container Classrooms all live in the One Art Oasis. One Container is a double wide room with built in desks, bottlebrick work and a perfect view of the Oasis. One Container serves as a summertime staff office. It was built by the students of We Love Philly when the program first lived on the One Art Campus. Students learned how to weld and convert containers into functioning spaces. The final (but actually our very first container) has been converted into a pottery studio. Located in the heart of the farm, the One Earth Ceramic studio smells oLavender and Earth. It is equip with 3 pottery wheels as well as other equipment, glazes, clay and a hand building table overlooking the Lavender plot and the One Art Oasis Farm.​​

BOTTLE BRICKS

Years ago we began learning how to build Earthships. In the process we learned bottle brick making and have since shared this with communities locally and internationally. We bring the equipment and teach how to build the bottle bricks then how to use the bottle bricks to build. Once One learned how to build the bricks he began using them for all of his building projects. You will see his amazing bottle art all over the One Art Campus! We have taught all ages the Art of Bottle Brick Making and love that its such a beautiful example of turning trash into treasure! 

HERB BUS

The Herb Bus aka HerBus has been converted into a herbalists sanctuary. This is where medicinal herbs harvested at their peak from the One Art garden are dried and lovingly processed to be used for oils, tinctures, balms and salves using our own harvested bees wax. You can find many of these products at our Farmers Market or Rise and Ritual the onsite tea house and apothecary. We have grown many medicinal herbs and roots from Mints, Lemon Balm, Lemon Grass, Saint Johns Wort, Calendula, Lavender, Sage, Thyme, Echinacea, Basil, Rosemary, Chamomile, Cilantro, to Comfrey, Ginger, Turmeric, and Garlic.

​SOLAR POWER TO THE PEOPLE

A few years ago we partnered with Solar States to host the Find Your Power Program. This PAID Solar training teaches about hands-on clean energy, solar installation training, job readiness, and safety certifications  for community members.​

After the second cohort completed their training at One Art they did a solar installation on one of our campus buildings that houses The One Heart Wellness Studio which is currently the only solar yoga studio in Philadelphia!

Our Farm to Table meals are a way to celebrate the flavors of the One Art Oasis Farm while supporting sustainable practices that nourish both people and Mama Earth. At most outdoor events you'll find With Love cafe offering authentic Caribbean food including rice and peas, callaloo, curry cabbage and veggies, seasoned with delicious herbs and lots of love... most of which grows right here at One Art. One Art Farm Raised Fish and Chicken can occasionally be found on the menu as well. These meals are an opportunity to experience the delightful flavors of our gardens in the One Art Oasis Farm, where you can taste fresh, delicious dishes made with ingredients grown right onsite. Join us for hands-on farm cooking sessions, workshops or Tea and Tour where you can have a Tour of the One Art Campus while enjoying a cup of One Art Tea made with herbs we grow and the honey harvested from our own bees. We also have bi-monthly Farmers Markets and Vendor Village, showcasing not only our farm's produce but also offerings from other local Black Farms as well as local vendors.

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ROOTED IN LAND & LIBERATION

APPRENTICESHIP

This apprenticeship is rooted in the belief that caring for land, growing food, and investing in one another are powerful acts of community care and collective liberation. Whether you are new to farming or already passionate about food justice, this program is an opportunity to deepen your knowledge, develop practical skills, and become part of a growing movement working toward healthier, more resilient communities. We invite you to grow alongside us as we cultivate food, steward land, strengthen community, and imagine liberated futures together.​

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