Dear All Together Now PA Community,  As we continue to face challenging times of climate disruption, political division, persistent inequality and economic uncertainty, we can assure you that the work we’re doing at All Together Now PA is a strong reason to have hope. We are committed to unifying rural and urban communities to build local, self-reliant regional economies that work for all.    For this reason, I’m writing to ask for your financial support today. Due to the current climate, the timing of our work is crucial!With our new team in place, we are on an exciting path to building local supply chains across Pennsylvania for textiles, industrial hemp, plant medicine and food. Our work helps to mitigate climate change, unite communities that have been divided due to the political climate and growing inequality, and builds economic wealth within our region. But we can’t do this important work without your help!   Our current programs and future plans include: • Continuing our work as the Pennsylvania Fibershed Affiliate, which includes returning Pennsylvania to its historic textile manufacturing roots using sustainably grown and processed plant and animal fibers. The revitalization of this industry has the potential to create hundreds of new, local jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating global transportation and provide a new source of revenue for our state. • Building regional supply and demand for Pennsylvania grown industrial hemp for building materials. Like textiles, there is tremendous potential for hundreds of home-grown jobs in an industry that sequesters carbons to combat climate change. • Advancing state legislation in 2023 through our P3 (Pot Profits for Pennsylvanians) platform, a grassroots campaign that calls for equitable Adult Use Cannabis legalization that prioritizes local small farmers and Black and Brown entrepreneurs and uses cannabis revenue to rebuild the communities devastated by the War on Drugs. (Check out our recent Inquirer Op-Ed, under the by-line of Tara Zrinski, P3 Campaign Director, and Cherron Perry-Thomas, Plant Medicine Coalition Advisor). Please consider making a donation so we can continue our hope-generating work in the new year.   DONATE TODAY! Specifically, your gift will help us– • Organize our first-ever Fiber Farmer/Producer meet-up and exhibitor booth at the upcoming Pennsylvania Farm Show in January 2023. This is an annual, week-long exhibition that is attended by thousands of farmers and the general public from across the state and beyond.  •Identify the gaps in Pennsylvania’s fiber for textiles supply chain by working with private and public stakeholders to craft a strategy that will attract investment and further development of this industry.  •Host multiple in-person and virtual Town Hall meetings throughout the state to educate the general public, elected officials, farmers, business owners, and law enforcement about our ATN-PA and our P3 platform. •Organize a State Capitol “Meet-Our-Legislators” Day to promote our P3 platform and bring awareness to the importance of strengthening small and midsized rural and urban farmers,  local businesses and regional economies.Bring greater awareness to key industry leaders and the general public about the many important applications of industrial hemp. The goal is to attract desperately needed investment in hemp processing facilities throughout the state.  Thank you for considering a gift today! The way to bring about transformative change in Pennsylvania is dependent upon supporters like you – who believe we can address climate change, economic uncertainty, inequity, and division by all coming together right now!    Monica Medina-McCurdy Executive Director

Meet Our Small, But Mighty Team!

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We are incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful group of individuals helping to carry out the mission of All Together Now PA. Everyone you see here brings a unique set of skills, knowledge and expertise to the organization, making it possible for us to do the work we do! ​​​​​​​​Read on to learn more about each team member.

Judy Wicks, Founder and Board Chair

Judy Wicks is founder and board chair of All Together Now Pennsylvania and an internationally known leader in the local economy movement. A life-long Pennsylvanian, Judy was born in Pittsburgh in 1947, grew up in a small western PA town, and has resided in Philadelphia for 50 years where she is known as an environmentalist, activist entrepreneur, and social justice advocate.

In 1983, Judy founded the White Dog Cafe, a pioneer in the farm-to-table movement, which she ran for almost 30 years. She is the author of Good Morning, Beautiful Business, winner of a gold medal for business leadership in 2013. Judy is founder of several other nonprofit organizations including Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (SBN), Fair Food Philly, and the Circle of Aunts & Uncles, a micro loan fund. She is also co-founder of the nation-wide Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (now called Common Future). In 1970, she co-founded Urban Outfitters, then called The Free People’s Store.

When Judy isn’t volunteering her time with ATN-PA, you can find her working on her next book, walking her beagle Jojo, and throwing wild parties.

Fun Fact: I lived with Alaska Natives for a year

Q: What does local self reliance mean to you?

A: I started All Together Now PA because I believe that building local self-reliance is of great importance in preparing for the climate crisis.  Local self-reliance means that we build local economies to produce our basic needs – food, clothing, building materials, plant medicine and energy – close to home rather than depending on global supply chains that are already beginning to crumble. Local self-reliance builds community wealth because it circulates capital within the region rather than sending it into the coffers of distant corporations. Local production also mitigates climate change by lowering the carbon emissions of long distant shipping. Local self-reliance may well determine the survival of future generations.

Q: How did you first get started in this field?

A: I became interested in local self-reliance while running the White Dog Cafe, where I gained an understanding of how important it is to produce our food locally.  Building a local food system became my passion, and that led me to see that building local energy and textile systems were also important to the well-being of our communities.

Q: Why do you love what you do?

A: I love building local economies because it is a way to address the two most important challenges of our time: economic equality and environmental sustainability. Decentralizing the economy into regional economies, decentralizes wealth and power, creating many more opportunities for business ownership and meaningful green jobs. I am passionate about providing ownership opportunities to entrepreneurs from communities that have been excluded from prosperity in the corporate controlled global economy.  In local economies, we also have the opportunity to produce our basic needs in harmony with our local eco-systems, through regenerative agriculture, reducing waste, eliminating chemical toxins and treating other species with respect. 

Monica Medina-McCurdy, Executive Director

Monica Medina-McCurdy started as ATN-PA’s first Executive Director in March 2022. Originally from Montana, she now resides in Havertown, PA with her husband Steve, daughter, Magnolia and dog, Buddy. When Monica isn’t working with ATN-PA, you can find her catching up on the latest innovations in sustainable agriculture or serving as Ward Leader for the Haverford Democrats.

Fun Fact: I grew up in Butte, Montana

Q: Why do you love what you do?

A: My work allows me to use my creativity in combination with my strategic planning interests and skills.  I love the comprehensive-ness of our mission, which encourages out of the box thinking, and broad coalition- and community-building.

Q: What does local self reliance mean to you?

A: Local self-reliance means that the places where we live and work, the places we call “home” are able to find, produce, and supply the basic necessities to sustain life and happiness.

Q: What do you like to do after a long day of work?

A: I love to walk my dog, walk upstairs to where my spouse works to see how he is doing (since the pandemic, we both have been working from home mostly), and try to engage my teenager in a conversation beyond the standard one word response lol 🙂

Cherron Perry-Thomas, Plant Medicine Coalition Advisor

Cherron Perry-Thomas has been a dedicated volunteer with ATN-PA since we started in 2019 and has been serving as the organization’s Plant Medicine Coalition Advisor since 2021, helping to co-create our Pot Profits for Pennsylvanians campaign. She originally moved from Memphis, TN to Germantown, Philadelphia in 1989 to work with the Women’s International League of Peace and Freedom. Cherron is a social justice advocate and leader who currently serves as the Director of Social Impact for The Diasporic Alliance for Cannabis Opportunities (DACO), Founder and President of Green Dandelion Marketing and Sales, Inc. and Co-owner of Plant and People, a plant shop offering workshops, education, events, consultations, services and plant based good in West Philadelphia.

Fun Fact: I started running full marathons at 40

Q: What does sustainability mean to you?

A: Sustainability means tapping into all the ways I saw my life from growing food to using plants for medicine, recycling newspapers, catching rainwater and more. Before I heard of sustainability, there was my family. Conscious or not, there was this connection with people and the land around you. Sustainability is that connection of all your relations, including people, animals, and land.

Q: What is a sustainable life hack you couldn’t live without?

A: Catching rainwater and using it to water my plants

Q: What do you like to do after a long day of work?

A: After work I enjoy spending time caring for my plants.

Leslie Davidson, Director of Operations

Leslie Davidson began working with ATN-PA as the organization’s part-time Administrative Coordinator in March 2021, and transitioned to a full-time role as Director of Operations in early 2022. Originally from Maple Glen, PA, she currently resides in the Rittenhouse neighborhood of Philadelphia with her three cats, Ms. Pie, Cash Pawkits and Novi Lox. When Leslie isn’t working with ATN-PA, you can find her brushing up on her CAD skills, at her sewing machine giving new life to old materials, or providing helpful tricks and tools to small business owners on how to maximize efficiency of their operations. 

Fun Fact: I was a ballet teacher for 9 years

Q: What is your favorite part about working with ATN?

A: My favorite part about working with ATN-PA is getting to meet, connect and help so many different types of people from different backgrounds. I love finding the common thread that links people and/or industries together, regardless of their field or expertise. In our work, so many things overlap and we sometime don’t find out what the overlap is until we are working on projects for weeks or months, but when it happens, it’s always an exciting moment! It puts into perspective just how small the world truly is, and is a reminder that when we prioritize the health of our planet and our communities, everyone and everything is connected.

Q: What does sustainability mean to you?

A: To me, sustainability means living in a way in which you are always making decisions based on how how your actions, lifestyle and consumer habits will affect our environment. Continuously asking yourself questions like, “Am I contributing to the problem or helping to solve it?” “Do I really need this?” “How many people had to work on this before I could buy it and does the price reflect fair wages for those workers?” “What will happen to this when I no longer need it? Can it be up-cycled or will it end up in the landfill?

Q: What is a sustainable life hack you couldn’t live without?

A: A sustainable life hack I could not live without is reusing glass jars from jams and sauces for storing food and items in instead of purchasing plastic Tupperware.

Rachel Higgins, Clothing & Textile Coalition Leader

Rachel Higgins has been serving as ATN-PA’s Clothing & Textile Coalition Leader for almost 2 years! Originally from New York, she now calls the Fishtown section of Philadelphia her home. When Rachel isn’t working with ATN-PA, you can find her on Drexel’s campus, where she teaches Design & Merchandising, or out advocating for sustainable fashion with one of the many organizations she either sits on the board of or volunteers her time with.

Fun Fact: When I was in middle school and high school I was a mannequin model. My job was to stand in store windows and model clothes for brands like Deliah’s, Jessica McClintock and many others. It was one of my first experiences in the fashion industry.  

Q: How did you first get started in this field? 

A: I went to school for Fashion Design and Merchandising and when I graduated I had bins of leftover scrap fabric that I had no use for. I didn’t want to throw them away because I knew they were destined for the landfill, so I started a baby clothing line to utilize scraps, support fair wages and promote sustainable materials.

Q: Why do you love what you do?

A: I love what I do because I get to meet amazing people who are all doing incredible things and working toward creating a better future for our planet. I constantly leave meetings inspired and excited to connect new people!

Q: What does sustainability mean to you?

A: To me, sustainability means that when something is created, it is made using the least amount of resources possible, the people who made it are paid fairly and the product’s end of life is considered in the initial design. 

Meredith Jones, Project Coordinator

Meredith Jones has been working with ATN-PA since November 2021. She began as the Personal Assistant to our Founder, Judy Wicks, then moved into the role of part-time Project Coordinator shortly after! Meredith is a West Coast native who has embraced Philadelphia as her home for the past 27 years, and currently resides in Manyanuk with her husband Aaron and their 2 free-roam house rabbits. When she isn’t working with ATN-PA, you can find her helping small businesses through her work with The Circle of Aunts and Uncles or acting as Judy’s right hand woman!

Fund Fact: I co-founded and managed a specialty beer store for 8 years, and remain a giant beer nerd to this day.

Q: How did you first get started in this field?

A: I first started working in the Philadelphia sustainability community as office manager for Clean Water Action’s Philadelphia branch.

Q: Why do you love what you do?

A: Working in a values-aligned environment is one of my top priorities for my work, and what I love about working with All Together Now is getting to work on priorities that I feel deeply passionate about, and the ability to share these values and ideas with our wonderful team and community. 

Q: How did you first connect with ATN?

A: I first connected to ATN through my role as assistant to Judy Wicks, which grew into dividing my time between work directly with Judy and project coordinator work with ATN.

Tara Zrinski, P3 Campaign Director

Tara Zrinski, Philosophy Professor, Northampton County Commissioner, published author and former 2020 PA State House Democratic candidate, joined ATN-PA in August 2022 as our Pot Profits for Pennsylvanians (P3) Campaign Director.  She currently lives in her hometown of Bethlehem, PA with her son Brammel. When Tara isn’t working with ATN-PA, you can find her on campus at DeSales University, out advocating for environmental and social justice or on the sidelines at her son’s soccer games!

Fun Fact:  I traveled through Europe, living in various countries and, when in München, Germany, I worked at the Octoberfest in the Spaten Tent as a Gläserspüler.

Q: How did you first get started in this field?

A: As a Northampton County Commissioner, I was interested in Industrial Hemp as a replacement for plastic. I started an Ad Hoc Industrial Hemp Committee that worked with PennState Ag and other partners to educate the public about the uses, farming and marketing of Industrial Hemp. I felt that planting and creating a supply chain around Industrial Hemp could offer economic development while helping struggling farmers with a cash crop and helping to mitigate climate change. I met Judy Wicks at the Hemp Summit in 2019, and I was impressed with the mission and vision of All Together Now PA. As someone who has experience working on multiple political campaigns, engaging the community in environmental activism and promoting social equity policy, I was thrilled to join ATNPA as a campaign director that unites many of passions.

Q: What was your first job?

A: I worked at Camp Woodhaven as a prep cook when I was 14. 

Q: What does local self reliance mean to you?

A: Local self-reliance is equivalent to sustainable communities and smart economic development. It means that small local businesses are prioritized in government support and effort to create a thriving economy. It means that we are closer to the source of where products are made and sold, which means the manufacturers have deep roots in the local economy as partners in both environmental and economic sustainability because the people they serve are their family and neighbors.

Thomas Ludin, Social Media, Marketing and Events Intern

Thomas Ludin is ATN-PA’s Social Media, Events & Marketing intern through Drexel’s co-op program. He is currently in his 3rd year at Drexel University where he is studying game development and marketing. When Thomas isn’t interning with us, you can usually find him in the Entrepreneurial Game Studio (EGS) working on game development or organizing Drexel’s Game Development Group.

Fun Fact: I am distantly related to Madonna

Q: What was your first job?

A: Before I came to college I worked as a cashier at ACME. I worked through the summers and after school some days. I really enjoyed this job, and sometimes miss the simplicity of it! A funny part about working at a grocery store is that you get produce numbers stuck in your head, so instead of thinking of a banana as a banana, I now immediately think of it as a number, in this example 4011. 🍌

Q: How did you first connect with ATN?

A: Working for All Together Now PA is my second internship or “CO-OP” through Drexel! The Coop system has been an amazing experience so far and I have really enjoyed working with ATN.

Q: What do you like to do after a long day of work?

A: I love playing video games! I love jumping into a game or project and completing it front to back, whether it’s a game on my phone or a 30 hour narrative based game!

There is plastic hidden in our clothes! Disguised as polyester, elastane, lycra and other forms, it leaches microplastics into our water supplies, our food chains, and into our bodies. So how did it get there and why is it affecting soil health and our health?

Clothing and textiles are one of the primary sources of microplastics. As pressure was put on clothing to become cheaper, manufacturers and suppliers started blending polyester and other plastic fibers with natural fibers. When these partially or fully plastic textiles are manufactured, worn, washed in the laundry, and dried, they release tiny plastic fibers into the water and the air. Traditional water filtration systems are not set up to filter out these tiny plastic particles, leaching them into our water and soils. They eventually end up in our bodies. In fact, it’s estimated we eat one credit card of plastic a week. Plastic has even been found in human blood. 

Microplastics from clothing are more dangerous than what we thought for a few reasons. Plastics, including plastic-blended fabrics, contain EDCs, or Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. These chemicals interfere with the way our bodies’ hormones work. They’ve been linked to adverse health outcomes like infertility and cancer.

Over a third (35 percent) of all microplastics released into the world’s oceans are from synthetic textiles. Between half a million and a million tons of plastic microfibres are discharged into wastewater each year from the washing of synthetic clothes. These microplastics ultimately release harmful chemicals into the surrounding soil, which can then seep into groundwater or other water sources, and the rest of the ecosystem, including our food sources. 

Environmental contamination by microplastics is considered a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Soil ecosystems, particularly agricultural land, have been recognized as a major risk. It was found that when types of microplastics, and microplastic clothing fibers were added to soil, fewer seeds germinated, shoot height was significantly smaller, there was a decrease in soil pH, and the size distribution of water-stable soil aggregates was altered, suggesting potential changes in soil stability. The ACS study provides evidence that microplastics, and synthetic fibers affect the development of plants and crops, with potential further impacts on soil ecosystem function.

What to avoid in your clothing to help cultivate water and soil health:

You may never have checked the content label on the inside of your clothing. Each time you consider buying a piece of clothing, give it a look. When you do, you will find words like “polyester,” “nylon,” “polyamide,” “acrylic,” “elastane,” and others. These are examples of plastic materials very commonly used in clothing. Avoid clothing with these materials whenever possible and choose natural fibers like cotton, hemp, linen, wool, etc. By making the switch to plastic-free clothing, you are helping to mitigate the amount of microplastics that enter our environment, our ecosystems, and our bodies. This change shifts dollars and focus towards sustainability and away from the unethical practices of fast fashion.

Other Steps to Take: 

1. 1. Wash your clothing at cold temperatures so that it is less likely to wash out plastic fibers.
2. 2. Wash your clothing in a special bag like this one from Guppyfriend, which collects microfibers in the wash and prevents them from entering rivers and oceans.
3. 3. Try air drying. Tumble drying is more aggressive and can cause your clothes to shed more plastic. 
4. 4. Keep your clothing for longer. Your clothes are likely to shed more plastic in the first few washes. Frequently changing your wardrobe will increase the amount of plastic you’re putting in the environment. 

Do you know who grows your clothes?

Have you ever considered where clothing originates? Not who designs or sews it, but where it actually starts? Were the fibers grown, sprouting from the ground or off the backs of cute farm animals (natural fibers), or were they created from chemicals in a lab (artificial/synthetic fibers)?

Synthetic fibers such as spandex, nylon, polyester, lycra, etc. make up the majority of the clothing you see online and in stores because they are inexpensive to produce. These fibers are made of plastic and other toxic chemicals that are extremely harmful to our environment. Each time you wash an article of clothing made from synthetic fibers, microplastics are released into our waterways. These microplastics pollute the water and soil and harm sea life, land animals and humans. A recent study published in the journal Environment International found that 80% of the people tested had microplastic in their blood!

Less commonly found in stores, yet much safer for our environment are garments made from 100% natural fibers (fibers from either plants or animals). You may notice that clothing made from 100% natural fibers (cotton, wool, linen, etc.) are significantly more expensive than clothing made from synthetic fibers. This is because the process of growing natural fibers for textiles is labor intensive and costly. Plant fibers like cotton, linen and hemp must be planted and grown in nutrient rich soil, then harvested and processed before they can even get to the spinning stage to become yarn. Animal fibers such as alpaca, wool and mohair require great care and effort from their farmers in order to cultivate quality fibers that can be sold once the animal is sheared and the fibers are properly cleaned. This includes everything from breeding to diet and living conditions.

When shopping it is best to look for clothes made from 100% natural fibers. Not only are they
significantly less harmful to the environment than synthetic materials, they’re also biodegradable, breathable, and long lasting. Natural fibers like wool and linen even adjust to your body temperature to keep you comfortable! If you see something you believe to be “overpriced”, take into consideration the fiber content, how much effort and resources went into making the garment and how it will or already has impacted our planet.

A great way to support farmers in your community and the local economy is by purchasing clothing made in the same area or state it is sold. The state of Pennsylvania has many fiber farmers including alpaca, wool, mohair, flax(linen), hemp, and angora. You can see some of the farmers and people making fiber and clothing in the state of PA here.

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All Together Now PA is an affiliate of Fibershed, a non-profit organization that develops equity-focused regional and land regenerating natural fiber and dye systems. Their work expands opportunities to implement climate beneficial agriculture, rebuild regional manufacturing, and connect end-users to the source of their fiber through direct educational offerings.