Less than four miles northeast of Weavers Way’s new Ambler store, the nonprofit Pennypack Farm has a mission to help people understand and appreciate the importance of local, sustainable agriculture and to promote healthful food, sustainable agriculture and a strong community.

In addition to running a robust multi-season Community Supported Agriculture program, Pennypack Farm sponsors events, such as a three-film series on sustainability this spring at the Ambler Theater, and May 7 and Aug. 6 walks with “Wildman” Steve Brill, who teaches foraging techniques. Shares of the summer CSA are sold out. In addition to picking up thier produce at the farm, members connect with the land where their food is grown by doing four hours of “share duty” per member family, which also helps keep the CSA price down. 

Making local organic food available to all is part of Pennypack Farm’s vision. 

Despite Montgomery County’s reputation for affluence, there is still food insecurity in the county, driven in part by the high cost of housing, utilities and health care.

As a nonprofit organization, the farm donates thousands of pounds of fresh produce each year to area food cupboards, including the Jenkintown United Methodist Church Food Cupboard, the Mattie Dixon Community Cupboard in Ambler, and Manna on Main Street in Lansdale. In 2016, Pennypack Farm food donations totaled 5,300 pounds. In the hope of increasing that in 2017, a team of farm supporters walked to raise money in Thomas’ Walk Against Hunger on April 8.

Pennypack Farm’s work to make local sustainable agriculture an integral part of the community was launched with the support of various community groups. College Settlement, which offers a summer camp and other outdoor programs for youth, was looking to dedicate 27 acres of its vast tract of land to farming just when a small group of committed citizens were exploring the possibility of creating a local, organic farm within the upper Wissahickon watershed. The Natural Lands Trust connected the two groups in 2001, and by 2003 they opened Pennypack Farm on the southwest corner of College Settlement’s property.

College Settlement’s website notes, “Since the farm has been on site, we have seen the return of bluebirds, as well as a great increase in the variety of songbirds at the environmental center birdfeeders.” There is a less visible transformation happening beneath the soil, which had been depleted from 15 years of conventional corn production. Since leasing the land, Pennypack Farm has been adding rich organic matter to improve the quality of both the soil and the food they grow. They also enrich the lives of campers attending College Settlement, who visit the farm  to learn how food is grown as part of the two organizations’ collaborative educational programming. 

Executive Director Julie McCabe encourages people to get involved. “The success of our farm was founded on ordinary people coming together and investing their time and energy back into the community. We welcome you to get involved with Pennypack Farm!” 

You can support them by dining at Harvest Seasonal Grill in North Wales on May 22, and saving the date for Pennypack’s annual Localicious dinner on Sept. 15. For more info, visit www.pennypackfarm.org.