Behind the Blog: Julie Hancher of Green Philly Blog

Next up in our blogger spotlight: Julie Hancher of Green Philly Blog.

Name:
Julie Hancher
Age:
31
Location:
Bella Vista, Philadelphia
Blog Name:
Green Philly Blog
Blog URL:
http://www.greenphillyblog.com
Blog Focus:
Although we focus on local sustainability, we love talking about food too! We share local and seasonal recipes, food adventures, how to use local food & farmers markets, CSAs, etc. Many of our other blog posts discuss sustainability (recycling, city initiatives, etc.) but food is such an integral part of our blog.
Launch Date:
2008 (wow!)
Why did you start blogging?
Our employer was putting the recycling bin contents directly in the trash. And then it became a (somewhat) healthy addiction. More about that here: http://www.greenphillyblog.com/about/
What do you like best about blogging?
Learning about events, initiatives and local Philly people. It’s fun to get super involved in the city. But it is a ton of work. 🙂
What platform do you use?
WordPress
How do you promote your blog?
Social Media, SEO primarily.
Do you write all of the blog posts yourself?
It is a collaborative effort between myself and others.
What are your favorite/most popular blog posts?

http://www.greenphillyblog.com/lifestyle/theres-a-worm-in-my-peach-the-disgusting-side-of-being-green/
http://www.greenphillyblog.com/food/5-perfect-vegetarian-responses-carnivores-thanksgiving/
http://www.greenphillyblog.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/sup-yoga-retreat-tulum-mexico/ (Because this was a beautiful location. AND mexican food.)

What is your favorite “foodie” or food blogging experience so far?
This past Spring, The Humane League & Greenlimbs hosted a Philly Veg Pledge, where participants ate veg for a week. I primarily eat a pescetarian (occasional flexitarian) diet, so it wasn’t a huge challenge for me, but fun regardless. The celebration dinner held at Vegan Commissary, and this was an amazing 7-course meal – all vegan. Everything was delicious, but the other awesome part was the participants and conversation. Sitting down with Judy Wicks and folks from the Humane League, Greenlimbs and Nouveau Image was an awesome ending to a veg-filled week.
What are your favorite cuisines/meals/recipes?
I do organize a group called Mexadelphia, where we travel to various holes-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants throughout Philadelphia. I enjoy everything from Thai to Indian, Mexican to American gastropub styles.
Recipes – I’m always trying something new and locally made with my CSA selections.
What are your favorite Philly area restaurants?
SO MANY. I love Royal Tavern, Morning Glory, Honey’s Sit-N-Eat, North 3rd, Cantina (for the drinks, too) and HipCityVeg for a quick bite. I also have a guilty pleasure for Whole Foods’ vegan chocolate chip cookie. (Seriously addicting.)
Who are your favorite Philly area chefs or food business personalities?
Monica Glass (also a close friend) is the best pastry chef in the city – Philly is lucky to have her back.
Otherwise, I love the social missions of local chefs – including the Vetri Foundation, sourcing local foods for school children and the movement to source from local farms (and transparency of it all).
How often do you go out to eat at Philly area restaurants?
2-3 times per week
How often do you cook at home?
Almost everyday
What are your favorite stores/shops/markets to shop for food products?
Red Earth Farm CSA, Headhouse Square Farmer’s Market, & Whole Foods.
Tell us a few things you think our readers would find interesting about the local food scene.
You can find most food ingredients locally if you look for them. Farmers markets sell everything from breads & muffins to honeys and jams to tomato sauce & pastas. Supporting local isn’t only awesome for the producers, but you keep money locally within the economy. (Figures estimate about 48% vs 14% at chain stores.)
Tell us more about yourself.
I recently left my full time job to pursue my own social media marketing business, so helping local business is a huge passion of mine. Otherwise, I’m happy to chat with you about sports, biking, running, hiking, bourbon or craft beer. And orange tabby cats.
What other food blogs do you follow?
Be Well Philly, http://food-sweat-and-beers.com/ & whatever pops up on my Twitter feed.
Twitter URL:
https://twitter.com/greenphillyblog
Facebook URL:
https://www.facebook.com/greenphillyblog
Instagram URL:
https://instagram.com/greenphillyblog
Pinterest URL:
https://www.pinterest.com/greenphillyblog/

Thanks Julie! We pretty much started our Philly blogs around the same time. Kudos to us for stickin’ around this long, eh? You’re doing an amazing job, too!

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