Philadelphia food co ops

With more food co-ops popping up in historically underserved neighborhoods, we chatted with three general managers about whether their co-ops actually make food accessible for all. While PACA has been in operation for the past 12 years, the city itself has a longstanding history of co-ops. In , Benjamin Franklin helped establish the Philadelphia Contributionship , the first mutual insurance company in the United States and the first Philly co-op. A century later, Pennsylvania became the third state to pass a co-op law permitting the formation of mechanical, manufacturing, and agricultural cooperatives.

Currently, the Philadelphia area is home to four food co-ops, with one more in development. It boasts Swarthmore Co-op , the third oldest food co-op in the country; the Mariposa Food Co-op , which originated in West Philly basements and garages; and Weavers Way , the only co-op in the city with multiple locations.

Airy shown above. BWP : Why is Philadelphia a city in need of co-ops versus commercial or for-profit grocery stores? Roesser: Co-ops have been emerging in neighborhoods that have been historically underserved by conventional grocery markets that are currently out there. The for-profit stores generally carry a lot of processed, conventional, corporate food, and not much healthy and local food that is affordable. For this reason, many Philly residents have been let down by for-profit chains, and co-ops want to put power back into the hands of community members.

Richards: [Philadelphians now] seem to be more mindful of tapping into the local economy and supporting local businesses [than previous generations]. South Philly Food Co-op is currently in development stages and is hoping to open early Roesser: Because Weavers Way is not a chain and are hyperlocally owned, we 1 will never get bought out by some out-of-town corporation that funnels money out of the community and 2 are able to truly reflect the personalities of our three locations.

For instance, we know certain cheeses will sell well in Chestnut Hill, but not in Mt. Airy, so we stock the shelves in ways that are tailored to what our neighborhoods actually need. Burge: South Philly is a neighborhood that is densely populated, with not much room for large grocery stores.

Most folks in South Philly are walking or taking public transportation, which makes it difficult to gain access to the few neighborhood stores that carry fresh produce and healthy foods. This is what we hope our co-op will alleviate. How does your co-op meet the needs of area residents who live with food or economic insecurity i. Roesser: Weavers Way has a Food For All program, which allows our neighbors who are low-income to become a member of the co-op at a discounted price.

We also have our Co-op Basics , a program that guarantees there are lower-priced, high-quality items in each of our categories i. Additionally, anyone, no matter their membership cost, can receive five percent off their purchases if they volunteer six hours per year at the co-op or our partners.

Jon also said that the interest in food co-ops continues to grow as more people are becoming dissatisfied with an unsustainable food system that is dominated by huge for-profit corporations and damaging to the planet.

Learn more about Weavers Way Cooperative Association at www. The South Philly Food Co-op is a community of South Philadelphia residents who are working together to open a grocery store that uses food as a force for good. The Co-op will bring fresh, whole, sustainable and local foods at fair prices to the heart of the neighborhood.

More than that, the Co-op will be a hub for community and food-centric education. South Philly Food Co-op has been incorporated as a nonprofit cooperative enterprise since which is also when it started accepting member-owner equity. In late , they signed their lease at S. Juniper St. You can learn more at www. Mariposa Food Co-op. Mariposa Food Co-op is a cooperatively-owned grocery store. Mariposa is committed to providing owners and shoppers with healthy, quality products at an affordable price.

The products on their shelves are carefully selected based on quality of ingredients, environmental impact, and cost. Their purchasing department makes a concerted effort to carry cooperatively-owned, fairly traded, organic, and locally produced products which include dairy, meat and seafood, wellness products, baked goods, and more.

Anyone can shop and everyone can join. It offers healthy and accessible food to residents. Plus, Kensington Community Food Co-op aims to benefit the community economically by hiring local residents and selling locally made products.