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Weavers Way to Celebrate 40 Years with Party at Historic Cliveden

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
Philadelphia, PA, Oct. 1, 2013 — Northwest Philadelphia institution Weavers Way Co-op will mark 40 years since its founding with a gala anniversary celebration Sunday, Oct. 13, at the historic Cliveden estate in Germantown.
 
Since 1973, "the Co-op" has been an iconic community fixture, serving as a social and political hub as much as a beloved grocery store.
 
Founded as a neighborhood food-buying club, Weavers Way has grown by leaps and bounds. Two stores, two urban farms and a nonprofit later, Weavers Way is well known as a leader and advocate in multiple areas affecting Philadelphians’ health, well-being and quality of life.
 
And now it’s time to party!
 
Hundreds of Weavers Way members, neighbors, friends and casual acquaintances are expected at this free-and-open-to-the-public celebration. It will feature food, live music, kids’ activities, commemorative T-shirts and the unveiling of a Weavers Way 40th anniversary beer created by Mt. Airy’s Earth Bread + Brewery.
 
More than a dozen vendors, including local favorites John & Kira’s, Jyoti Indian Bistro and Vesper Brothers, will sample their products in the Taste Fair tent. Still hungry? The Weavers Way Grill Team will sell favorites off the barbie, including Martin’s sausages, veggie burgers and hot dogs of all kinds.
 
A mini farmers market will offer some of Weavers Way Farms’ finest produce, along with apples, pumpkins and mugs. Limited edition 40th anniversary T-shirts will be available for purchase.
 
Among other fun things to do will be a hula-hoop field for the kids and a Photobooth to preserve the day’s memories. And speaking of forever, the Weavers Way Board of Directors is organizing a time capsule to be unearthed at the Co-op’s 80th birthday. (See you in 2053!) The 1767 Chew House will be open for visits from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., with docents on hand.
 
Earth Bread + Brewery brewmaster Tom Baker has created a special biere de garde pale ale in honor of the anniversary, incorporating herbs from the Weavers Way Farms.
 
The beer’s name, chosen by Weavers Way’s expert panel of judges from entries submitted by members and shoppers in a Name That Brew! Contest, will be revealed at the General Membership Meeting around 4 p.m.
 
Other community groups will be at the party too — from fledgling co-ops to a skills bank to area schools. They will be hosting activities and will have lots of information about what they’re up to. Come and meet some of the folks who make Philadelphia a wonderful place to be.
 
Long time "double and triple digit" members will receive a special invitation and will be honored at the event for their contributions to the life and spirit of the Co-op.
 
Cake from the Night Kitchen Bakery in Chestnut Hill will top off the day. (Vegan cake available too, of course!)
 
Admission is free. Tickets for food and activities will be sold on site. Co-op members who attend will receive 4 free tickets per household.
 
In addition to the 40th Birthday Bash at Cliveden, Weavers Way is also celebrating its anniversary with:
 
— A Web gallery of pictures from the Co-op’s four decades in Mt. Airy and, since 2010, in Chestnut Hill. Visit weaversway.coop to view the images.
 
— A special edition of the Shuttle, the Co-op’s monthly newspaper, featuring a keepsake section of photos of Weavers Way people and events and a timeline of the history of the Co-op and “The Rest of the World.” Copies are available on request.

Weavers Way GM Leads Discussion of Urban Farms at Temple Library

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, PA, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 — Weavers Way General Manager Glenn Bergman will moderate a panel on the ways in which urban agriculture transforms the foodways, health, environment, communities and even the art of cities.

“Temple Students Explore Urban Farms and Community Gardens,” Sept. 24, 5:30 p.m., is the first of Temple University Libraries’ “Beyond the Page” public events series for 2013-14. This year’s theme is “Gather Around the Table.” All programs, held in the Paley Library, 1210 Polett Walk, on Temple’s main campus, are free and open to the public.

The Sept. 24 discussion will feature Temple students who have developed, designed, or worked on urban farming/gardening projects.

Can choosing local foods create a more sustainable city? How can we eat healthier in a time of rising obesity and public health concerns? How can design and communal spaces change our neighborhoods? Urban farms and community gardens offer tentative answers at the intersection of these questions.

Temple students Alex Epstein of Philly Urban Creators, Katy Ament with Temple Community Gardens and students from the FarmLab architecture seminar will discuss their first-hand experiences with a variety of urban farming models.

This discussion will be led by Bergman, the general manager of Weaver's Way Co-op, a vital institution combining food and community in Northwest Philadelphia for 40 years. A former chef from the Commissary restaurant and food-service professional, Bergman took over the top job at the Co-op in 2004. In addition to grocery store management, Glenn is passionate about local farming, food justice and commuting by bike. He holds a master’s degree in public health from Temple and is on the boards at Cliveden and the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education.

The “Gather Around the Table” series will offer panels, presentations, lectures and discussions examining food and food-related projects through aesthetics, the social sciences, resource inequity, public health, media, the culture of critique, communities, planning, design and other topics of importance at our university and in our community. Sessions are held in the lecture hall on the ground floor of the Paley Library at 1210 Polett Walk unless otherwise noted. All programs are free and open to the public, and refreshments are provided!

 For info on the full series, visit library.temple.edu/about/programs.

Weavers Way GM Leads Discussion of Urban Farms at Temple Library

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, PA, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013 — Weavers Way General Manager Glenn Bergman will moderate a panel on the ways in which urban agriculture transforms the foodways, health, environment, communities and even the art of cities.

“Temple Students Explore Urban Farms and Community Gardens,” Sept. 24, 5:30 p.m., is the first of Temple University Libraries’ “Beyond the Page” public events series for 2013-14. This year’s theme is “Gather Around the Table.” All programs, held in the Paley Library, 1210 Polett Walk, on Temple’s main campus, are free and open to the public.

The Sept. 24 discussion will feature Temple students who have developed, designed, or worked on urban farming/gardening projects.

Can choosing local foods create a more sustainable city? How can we eat healthier in a time of rising obesity and public health concerns? How can design and communal spaces change our neighborhoods? Urban farms and community gardens offer tentative answers at the intersection of these questions.

Temple students Alex Epstein of Philly Urban Creators, Katy Ament with Temple Community Gardens and students from the FarmLab architecture seminar will discuss their first-hand experiences with a variety of urban farming models.

This discussion will be led by Bergman, the general manager of Weaver's Way Co-op, a vital institution combining food and community in Northwest Philadelphia for 40 years. A former chef from the Commissary restaurant and food-service professional, Bergman took over the top job at the Co-op in 2004. In addition to grocery store management, Glenn is passionate about local farming, food justice and commuting by bike. He holds a master’s degree in public health from Temple and is on the boards at Cliveden and the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education.

The “Gather Around the Table” series will offer panels, presentations, lectures and discussions examining food and food-related projects through aesthetics, the social sciences, resource inequity, public health, media, the culture of critique, communities, planning, design and other topics of importance at our university and in our community. Sessions are held in the lecture hall on the ground floor of the Paley Library at 1210 Polett Walk unless otherwise noted. All programs are free and open to the public, and refreshments are provided!

 For info on the full series, visit library.temple.edu/about/programs.

Farm to Table Dinner Benefits Weavers Way Community Programs



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, PA, Sept. 5, 2013 — Local harvest bounty will be celebrated in a serene farmstead setting as Weavers Way Community Programs puts on its second annual Farm to Table Dinner Thursday, Oct. 3.

The sumptuous sit-down fund-raiser for WWCP education programs will be held at the Mort Brooks Memorial Farm, Weavers Way Co-op’s 2.5-acre organic farm on the grounds of Awbury Arboretum.

With produce grown by Weavers Way farmers right on Washington Lane in Germantown, lamb raised sustainably at the renownedErdenheim Farm just a few miles away in Montgomery County, the event truly lives up to its “farm to table” billing.

Weavers Way General Manager and veteran chef Glenn Bergman will team with Weavers Way Executive Chef Bonnie Shuman in the “field kitchen” to prepare this five-course menu based on what’s in season at the farm. Farm tours and hors d'oeuvres, including a selection of local cheeses paired with wines from Moore Brothers Wine Company, will precede soup, salad and the main meal, featuring an entrée choice of lamb ragout or seitan stew.

As the sun sets and torches and candles are lit, glasses will be raised to sustainable food, urban agriculture, education, community and co-operation.

In addition to Erdenheim Farm and Moore Brothers Wine Company, sponsors include The Energy Co-op. All guest receive a goodie bag with items donated by popular local businesses including Zea May's,Demeter and One Village Coffee.

Seating for this intimate dinner is limited to 50 guests. Friend of the Farm donors, at $500, get two places at the table and special recognition in the evening’s program. Individual tickets are $150. For more information, visit www.weaversway.coop/farmtotable.

All proceeds support WWCP’s farm and nutrition education programs to help children in our community grow up with an appreciation for healthy, sustainably grown food. Thanks to last year’s dinner and the generosity of our donors:

  • The Hope Garden program at Stenton Family Manor homeless shelter in Mt. Airy now has a dedicated 20-hours-a-week staff person.
  • The WWCP farm educator at Saul High School became full-time and built raised beds to be used as dedicated teaching gardens.
  • The WWCP School Marketplace curriculum at four schools in Northwest Philadelphia is expanding.
  • Farm education classes have been fully booked all season, with nearly a thousand children visiting the Mort Brooks Farm so far this calendar year.

Farm to Table Dinner Benefits Weavers Way Community Programs



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, PA, Sept. 5, 2013 — Local harvest bounty will be celebrated in a serene farmstead setting as Weavers Way Community Programs puts on its second annual Farm to Table Dinner Thursday, Oct. 3.

The sumptuous sit-down fund-raiser for WWCP education programs will be held at the Mort Brooks Memorial Farm, Weavers Way Co-op’s 2.5-acre organic farm on the grounds of Awbury Arboretum.

With produce grown by Weavers Way farmers right on Washington Lane in Germantown, lamb raised sustainably at the renownedErdenheim Farm just a few miles away in Montgomery County, the event truly lives up to its “farm to table” billing.

Weavers Way General Manager and veteran chef Glenn Bergman will team with Weavers Way Executive Chef Bonnie Shuman in the “field kitchen” to prepare this five-course menu based on what’s in season at the farm. Farm tours and hors d'oeuvres, including a selection of local cheeses paired with wines from Moore Brothers Wine Company, will precede soup, salad and the main meal, featuring an entrée choice of lamb ragout or seitan stew.

As the sun sets and torches and candles are lit, glasses will be raised to sustainable food, urban agriculture, education, community and co-operation.

In addition to Erdenheim Farm and Moore Brothers Wine Company, sponsors include The Energy Co-op. All guest receive a goodie bag with items donated by popular local businesses including Zea May's,Demeter and One Village Coffee.

Seating for this intimate dinner is limited to 50 guests. Friend of the Farm donors, at $500, get two places at the table and special recognition in the evening’s program. Individual tickets are $150. For more information, visit www.weaversway.coop/farmtotable.

All proceeds support WWCP’s farm and nutrition education programs to help children in our community grow up with an appreciation for healthy, sustainably grown food. Thanks to last year’s dinner and the generosity of our donors:

  • The Hope Garden program at Stenton Family Manor homeless shelter in Mt. Airy now has a dedicated 20-hours-a-week staff person.
  • The WWCP farm educator at Saul High School became full-time and built raised beds to be used as dedicated teaching gardens.
  • The WWCP School Marketplace curriculum at four schools in Northwest Philadelphia is expanding.
  • Farm education classes have been fully booked all season, with nearly a thousand children visiting the Mort Brooks Farm so far this calendar year.

Win Free Tickets to Ride Philly’s Urban Farms with Weavers Way



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, PA, Aug. 27, 2013 — Bike enthusiasts with a love for farm-fresh food and a way with words are invited to enter a contest to win tickets to this year’s Urban Farms Bike Tour, Saturday. Sept. 7. Do you remember the first time you tasted an heirloom tomato? The moment you discovered kale was not only edible, but delicious?  Tell us about that moment in 40 words or less.

Two lucky (and articulate) locavore winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 30. See weaversway.coop/articles/win-two-tickets-our-urban-farm-bike-tour for details of the contest.

The daylong bike tour, now in its eighth year, provides an overview of Philadelphia’s unique and vibrant neighborhoods and inspiring interaction with Philadelphia’s pioneering urban farmers. It takes in 11 farms, located in Kensington, West, South and North Philadelphia, Roxborough and Germantown. Riders set out in the morning from Greensgrow Farms in Kensington and end up in the afternoon nearby at Philadelphia Brewing Company, where much-deserved refreshments will be served. Riders can choose from two routes, covering 29.3 miles and 21.4 miles. See weaversway.coop/bikeride for details.

Tickets are $35 online through Tuesday, Sept. 3, $45 after that and on the day of the ride (cash or check only at the door).

Proceeds go to Weavers Way Community Programs, our nonprofit dedicated to educating children about farming, healthy eating and community values. Sponsors and supporters include Clean Currents, Philadelphia Brewing Company andTees Delivered.

 

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