The Weavers Way New Economy Incubator Committee has helped to guide the Co-op’s efforts to encourage our local economy for over eight years. From the beginning, we have sought to pursue new applications of the cooperative model as employed by the Co-op. Our best practices focus on the value of social capital and assure that goods and services are created and delivered with the greatest equitability and community autonomy, and with the least environmental impact.

The committee’s initiatives include:

• Helping found the Northwest Philadelphia Solar Co-op, which supported dozens of neighbors in installing solar panels on their homes at reduced prices;
• Launching the Germantown Farmers’ Market last year to bring good local food to central Germantown;
• Collaborating with Germantown United CDC to establish a free revolving loan fund that would allow for the preservation and/or restoration of historically significant facades of buildings along the Germantown commercial corridor.

On October 27 at the fall General Membership Meeting we will launch our new Free Loan Association for Germantown no interest, no fees micro-loan program. Information will be distributed and will also be available on the FLAG website at www.PhilaFLAG.org.

Our committee has worked hard to pursue new applications of worker owned and operated enterprises. We also dream about establishing a cooperative commercial kitchen that will support the development of local food products.

We welcome your input and involvement. Contact Acting Chair Lynne Brown at lynneebrown@verizon.net.