May 2009,Vol. 38, No. 5 Manager’s Corner Andy Lamas: by Glenn Bergman, General Manager Good Neighbor I had the opportunity to spend 10 days in Berkeley, California, visiting family (new Locally & Globally baby additions to the family), babysitting, featured Speaker at Spring visiting food markets and farmers’ markets, General Membership Meeting and spending 90 minutes with Alice Waters PHOTO as she showed me around the Edible COURTESY Schoolyard program at Berkley’s Martin Luther King Junior High School. I left her OF with pictures of our co-op farm education B READ program, the Martin Luther King High & R School program, and a picture of the MLK OSES students and WW team with Mayor Nutter. C She loved the CSA Saul School program-- OMMUNITY “Henry Got Crops”--and the idea of kids F working with professionals selling shares in UND an urban farm project. At the Edible School Yard, I saw part (continued on page 6) Shuttle Expands Weavers Way Goes Green at Cliveden Community PHOTO BY Andy Lamas B Coverage, ONNIE by Chris P. Kaiser H AY Andy Lamas has been a good neighbor Distribution for many years, not only to Mt. Airy, but to by Jonathan McGoran, Shuttle Editor the entire Philadelphia region as well. He is Starting with the April 2009 issue of a professor at the University of Pennsylva- the Shuttle, we have expanded our coverage nia with a primary appointment in urban of the broader community and also ex- studies, where he focuses on social justice panded our distribution. We have increased and economic democracy in the context of the number of places where the Shuttle is urbanization. He will be the featured speak- available and added a door-to-door delivery er at Weavers Way’s Spring General Mem- in Mt. Airy, as well as other parts of our bership Meeting, 5:30 p.m. Sunday, May 17, service area. As we work to ensure that this at Summit Presbyterian Church, at Greene distribution runs as smoothly as possible, and Westview Streets. we need your help. If you live in a house in (continued on page 17) the 19119 zip code, and you do not receive The Shuttle delivered to your doorstep by the second day of the month, contact us right Enthusiastic away at [email protected] or Response at First (continued on page 4) Participating in Going Green at Cliveden are (clockwise from left) WWCP Chestnut Hill Executive Director Rachel Milenbach, Weavers Way Farmer David Zelov, WHYY’s Mike McGrath, Cliveden Education Director Rick Fink, Weavers Way Community Mtg. Farm Intern Lauren Hill, and Weavers Way Farm Educator David Siller by Jonathan McGoran by Rachel Milenbach Over sixty members of the Chestnut After years of listening to Mike Mc- nections between sustainability, historic Hill community turned out for Weavers Grath on the radio, I finally had the chance structures, climate change, and the relation- Way’s first Chestnut Hill Community Meet- to see and hear him in person. The audi- ship between environment and history. ing, and by the end of the night, Weavers ence was mesmerized as Mike spoke for al- Trays of delicious fruits and vegetables Way had 15 new member households. most one hour, seemingly without stopping were provided by Weavers Way catering Before introducing Weavers Way Gen- to breathe, on how to “achieve a lush, during the lunchtime talk by Dave Zelov, eral Manager Glenn Bergman and board green lawn free of chemicals.” Who knew Weavers Way’s farm production manager, member Stuart Katz, Chestnut Hill resident how fascinating grass could be? Given the and David Siller,Weavers Way Community and Weavers Way member Hillary McAn- alternative, which is grass filled with chemi- Programs’ (WWCP) farm educator.The drews recounted her weekly walks up the cals, Mike’s talk was fantastic. day was completed with a yellow school bus Avenue, and how she misses Reese Phar- This opportunity came on April 4, at ride to Weavers Way Farm at Awbury Ar- macy, Under the Blue Moon, Magarity the 20th Annual Cliveden Institute: Going boretum and the WWCP Seeds of Learn- Ford, Caruso’s, and WaWa. One of over Green: Environmental Stewardship for ing Farm at Martin Luther King High 500 Weavers Way member households in Preservation and Profit. Organized by Co- School. Chestnut Hill and Wyndmoor, Hillary op member Rick Fink, the Education Di- Most people know about Cliveden, ei- rector at Cliveden, the day was packed full (continued on page 7) (continued on page 4) of knowledgeable speakers who wove con- Weavers Way Cooperative Association Presorted Standard 559 Carpenter Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19119 U.S. www.weaversway.coop POSTAGE PAID Philadelphia, PA Permit No. 2658 PAGE 2 THE SHUTTLE MAY 2009 Editor’s Note Co-op Farms Moving into High Gear by Jonathan McGoran by David Zelov, Weavers Way Farmer PHOTO One interesting item in So many seedlings, so little time.Yes, it shoots, radishes, salad this issue of The Shuttle can must be May—the month during which it mix, sorrel, scallions BY J be found on page 32. The becomes safe to plant anything, tender or and turnips. Some ESSICA N fact that there is a page 32 not, outside.That means we are extremely fresh herbs should AUGLE is interesting enough¸ but what I’m refer- busy getting all of our tomatoes, peppers, also accompany this ring to is the map showing the impact of eggplants, beans, melons, squash, etc. into selection—chives, gar- cooperatives in our area. (It kind of re- the ground. It all seems to happen at once. lic chives, lemon balm, minds me of the game Risk; Let’s open a This year we are trying something a little and mint. Of course store in Kamchatka!) There is a lot of in- different with a couple of those crops— many of these items terest in Co-ops these days, and this is true not planting them all at once.We at the will also be available in for a number of reasons. farm are very familiar with succession the Co-op and, later in First, food co-ops give people what they plantings. Every week or two, we sow or the month, at the want. True, some people just want a food plant a new section of lettuce, radishes, sal- Thursday farmers’ store. But some people want more than ad mix, turnips, beets, carrots, and other market at Greene and that. Co-ops offer more than that. Plus... shorter term crops to ensure a consistent Carpenter. Or, new they are food stores. Pretty crafty, huh? supply throughout the season. But we have this year, you can have Another reason is that so many of the not done this with tomatoes and other sea- access to all of these ideas that have become important to so son-long crops—seems like once you plant items by joining the many people in the past few years—organ- them, they just keep going until frost. How- Henry Got Crops! ics, locally grown, sustainability, etc.—have ever, we have noticed that the quality starts CSA—a partnership to decline after a few months.The other between Weavers Way been important to co-ops for some time. (In Weavers Way Farm Staffers Nicole Sugarman (far right) problem is that when planted all at once, Farm and the Saul fact, one of the lesser known International and Nina Berryman (second from right) join students Cooperative Principles is “I told you so.”) many crops, especially tomatoes and basil, High School of Agri- from Jessica Naugle’s Agroecology class to break ground Of course, being right isn’t much good come on very strong, and all at once, mak- culture. Pick ups will on the Saul High School “Henry Got Crops” CSA Farm. if the proof of it is the demise of the ing it particularly challenging for us farmers take place every week species (e.g., “See? I told you our unsus- (and sometimes Co-op shoppers) to keep at the farm on Henry Avenue from mid tainable culture would lead to the destruc- up with. So this season, we are planting May until mid November.For more CSA More Farm Limericks tion of the planet”). Then again, if the multiple successions of tomatoes and basil, info, visit www.weaversway.coop or e-mail planet is doomed anyway, might as well and perhaps a late planting of eggplant to [email protected] In all, The farm work is quite overwhelming have smug superiority to cling onto. experiment. there will probably be produce available To the Co-op we have begun selling Being ahead of the curve on so many May is also the start of farmers’ market from one of the farms (Awbury, Saul or The crop plan is not done things also gives us the perspective to keep season and we will once again be attending MLK) at one market or another, almost But I want to have fun a level head as we embark on a major ex- a handful of them. Headhouse (Second and every day of the week. MLK farm sells The ideas in my mind are not jelling. pansion during the worst economic tur- Lombard) opening day is Sunday, May 3, right at the school on Stenton Ave., as well moil of the last fifty years. Weavers Way and we plan on being there with plenty of as at Weavers Way Ogontz and most likely It’s April and time to till soil was ahead of the curve on the economy, produce.This means getting everything at the Chestnut Hill farmers’ market at the We rake, we seed, and we toil too; while the rest of the planet was blind- into the ground pretty early to ensure an bottom of the hill.