Cheltenham Township’s Environmental Advisory Council presented Sustainability Awards to resident Mindy Lemoine and local business Grow Our Food, LLC on June 9, the township announced today.

Mindy Lemoine was nominated for her involvement in the Township’s Shade Tree Advisory Commission, the Friends of Grove Park group, and as a Tree Tender Organizer with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. 

“She worked for the Environmental Protection Agency for many years, but in her role never got to see the results of her efforts. In her volunteer capacities, she sees wonderful results every day!” the township said in a memo.

Through the Tree Tenders program, she has coordinated teams of volunteers for two tree-planting campaigns per year, which has resulted in about 225 new trees in the Township in her five years coordinating the program. In her service on the STAC since 2000, she has been active in helping the Township to understand the impact and role of tree canopy in the environment and evaluating any changes to it. Finally, as a member of the Friends group, she helps to raise funds to support park maintenance activities and general stewardship in Glenside.

Grow Our Food, LLC is a landscaping company started by former EAC member Boris Kerzner in 2022 to help residents with sustainable landscaping and edible/native gardens. The business came about when Boris was looking for a career change and ventured into an area he is passionate about. 

“Trees produce more than a family can eat, so what do you do with the leftovers? We pack it up and take it to a local food pantry. It’s feeding you and your family, and it’s also feeding people in need,” Kerzner told Glenside Local.

Grow Our Food uses electric mowers, leaf blowers, trimmers, as well as rakes and self-powered tools instead of gasoline-powered equipment to avoid the effects of such equipment on the environment. So far, Grow Our Food has helped residents in Elkins Park, Glenside, Wyncote, and other neighboring communities to set up sustainable food gardens and make landscapes less invasive and more sustainable. 

Kerzner hopes to continue to bridge the gap for people who desire to care for and use land to grow their own food but don’t know how to start.

“Think about the journey of every item that comes into your house, the distance travelled, and resources spent, whether food, clothing, furniture, or something else,” Kerzner said.

The EAC began the Sustainable Cheltenham Awards recognition program in 2014. The organization recently launched a new Nomination Form.

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Photo: Cheltenham Township