Philly Food Swap

A Food Swap is part silent auction/part village marketplace/part fun-loving open house where your homemade creations (breads, preserves, special concoctions, canned goods, etc.) become your own personal currency for use in swapping with other participants. What better way to diversify your pantry and rub shoulders with friends and neighbors?

Details: Wednesday August 3rd, 7pm at our farm at the Awbory Arboretum (1011 East Washington Lane)

Who: We welcome everyone, as long as you bring something you made, grew, or foraged yourself. You must pre-register to attend. Also, remember that there is a limited number of tickets, so if for some reason you cannot make it, let us know and we can adjust the guest list accordingly. If you plan to bring a family member or friend who will be participating, we ask that they register separately. Non-swapping guests are welcome to come and observe, but please be considerate of our space limitations.

What: You don't need to be a master chef to participate! Bring an assortment of your homemade edible specialties (think veggie starts, cookies, breads, pickles, preserves, eggs, baked goods, honey, granola, pasta, fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, yogurt… you name it!) to exchange for other handcrafted delights.You will be given the opportunity to offer trades in a silent-auction type format, and you will be free to choose which trades to accept for your products. Bring as much or as little as you like; there are no caps or minimums.  However, we suggest bringing between 10 to 15 items. You could bring several of the same item, or an assortment!

Drum Roll Please....

After nine wonderful years operating as Weavers Way Community Programs, we're thrilled to announce that from this point forward we will be known as FOOD MOXIE.  Why FOOD MOXIE? We’re here to cultivate a nutrition revolution--to give the most vulnerable members of our community the confidence and know-how to choose healthy food. Indeed, it takes a lot of courage to subvert dominant food systems and take charge of your health; our new name honors this feistiness and confidence. FOOD MOXIE captures the bold energy and enthusiasm our staff and program participants bring to our programs, and also more clearly reflects the work we do. After months of hard work, and with thanks to the team at Machinery, we're thrilled with where we've landed and are excited for what’s to come. Worry not: we're still the same fearless crusaders for food justice. Our partnerships haven’t changed. Our programs haven’t changed. Our relationship with Weavers Way Co-op hasn’t changed. My deepest gratitude for helping us grow to this point. We look forward to working with you in this next chapter of our adventure. With Moxie, Jill Fink Executive Director

Weavers Way Community Programs and Weavers Way Co-op: Different Focus but Integrally Related at Henry Got Crops

While Henry Got Crops is one farm, it has two goals, each of which is the focus of a separate organization. Henry Got Crops functions to operate an educational, working farm that serves as a learning opportunity for Saul students, as well as an environmentally responsible source of food for neighboring communities. The two goals are equally important and integrally intertwined in the way we operate the farm with student involvement. Here are a few quick definitions, as they pertain to this article:
"The CSA"- refers to the method of food distribution and the business model of the farm
"The farm" - refers to all farm operations and programs- i.e. the business of the CSA and the education programs
“Henry Got Crops”- (same at “the farm”) refers to all farm operations and programs- i.e. the business of the CSA and the education programs

The educational goal of the farm is realized through the direction of Weavers Way Community Programs (WWCP), the non-profit “sister” of Weavers Way Co-op. WWCP was founded in 2007 by the board of Weavers Way Co-op, though now operates as a standalone organization with its own staff, Board of Directors, and budget. It not only oversees the education programs at Henry Got Crops, but also the farm education programs at the Mort Brooks Memorial Farm, and operates a third educational farm called the Hope Garden at the Stenton Family Manor, one of the largest homeless shelters to serve families in Philadelphia. WWCP also operates the Marketplace Program, a school-based cooperative food business run by students, and acts as an umbrella organization for the Mt. Airy Bike Collective.
The goal of producing environmentally responsible food for the community is the focus of Weavers Way Co-op. Weaves Way Co-op is a cooperative, incorporated, business that sells goods and services. The Farm Department of Weavers Way Co-op operates the business of the CSA at Henry Got Crops and the vegetable production at the Mort Brooks Memorial Farm. Both farms are chemical and pesticide free and serve as educational opportunities for their consumers.
At Henry Got Crops, Weavers Way Community Programs and Weavers Way Co-op work hard to intertwine the goals of the farm through farm education programs and food production.  The goal is to give students valuable, real-world experience while running a business. This integrated approach is a core philosophy of this farm and this concept served as a principle building block when starting it. However, having both organizations involved, allows each to excel in their area of focus, without being spread too thin between both goals. For example, while the CSA can be an outdoor classroom for students, the education programs provide produce and an integrated curriculum that makes the hands on work at the CSA comprehensive to the students.
Weavers Way Community Programs and Weavers Way Co-op have separate budgets, both of which include expenses for Henry Got Crops, whether it is the salary of a Farm Educator or a Farm Manager, seeds for growing carrots for the CSA or cooking supplies for teaching nutrition classes to youth. The cost of a CSA share goes towards the CSA business. When the CSA comes in short of breaking even financially, the difference is made up by the larger organization of Weavers Way Co-op. Income for the farm education programs is generated through grants, fundraisers, and donations from individuals.
As they are designed today, the farm education programs cannot operate without the CSA, and the CSA cannot operate without the farm education programs. We are proud of this unique design and are grateful for the community support that both organizations receive in order to continue growing, together. In the future we hope to have more events that bring together Saul staff and students, WW staff, WWCP staff, and CSA shareholders to celebrate local food and sustainable agriculture.

A Short History of Weavers Way Co-op

By Nina Berryman

Two weeks ago I wrote a short history of Saul High School. This week’s feature is Weavers Way Co-op. Stay tuned for an article that features Fairmount Park, our third partner in this CSA project.

Weavers Way Co-op is a cooperative grocery store, meaning it is owned and governed by its members. Anyone can and is welcome to shop there, regardless of being a member. Being a member means that you are literally an owner of the store, both in the sense that you get to vote on how things are run in the store, and in the sense that you have to work either in the store at one of the farm locations (Henry Got Crops! included) for a few hours a year (although this requirement is currently being revisited). Weavers Way buys food from local farmers and vendors whenever possible and has a mission of building community and promoting environmentally sound products and practices.

The first cooperative started in 1844 in England by a group of 28 weavers and artisans. They joined together to buy food that they otherwise could not afford. This is the origin of the coop's name, “Weavers Way Coop.” The principles behind this original group are still the guiding principles behind modern day co-ops, and are known as the Rochdale Principles, after Rochdale, England.

Fast forward to 1972 in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia. Jules Timerman started selling apples out of the back of his station wagon and talking up the idea of starting a co-op. He and a bunch of supporters pooled their money to rent a storefront at 555 Carpenter Lane. He sold deli products and fresh produce. The popularity of the store grew quickly and by mid-1973, membership was up to 500 people!

This original location was large enough for 6 shoppers at one time! Jules then rented 557 Carpenter Lane as office space, and shoppers had to pick up an order pad from 557, return to 555 to select groceries and write them down, then return to 557 to pay for them, then return to 555 to pick them up! Shortly after its founding, members purchased the building next door and the store moved to its current location at 559 Carpenter Lane. In the spring of 2008 a second store location opened in West Oak Lane, at 72nd Avenue and Ogontz Avenue. A third location has been purchased in Chestnut Hill and is projected to open in November 2009. Today, Weavers Way Co-op has over 4,000 members, and each member represents one household, not just an individual. Roughly 80 people currently work at Weavers Way.

In 2008, Weavers Way Community Programs (WWCP) formed to expand the community enrichment programs of Weavers Way Co-op. It is now a separate, non-profit organization that operates independently from Weavers Way Co-op, although it still maintains close ties to the store. WWCP has two main projects. The first is the Marketplace, which sets up school-based food co-ops in which students buy products from Weavers Way at cost, then package them and sell them to students and teachers. The students then donate their earnings at the end of the year to a beneficiary of their choice. WWCP also runs the Farm education programs at the Awbury Arboretum farm, and the Stenton Family Manor farm, the other two main sites of Weavers Way Farm besides Henry Got Crops! CSA.