559 Carpenter Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19119    
215-843-2350    

8424 Germantown Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19118
215-843-2350

2129 72nd Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19138    
215-276-0706
Weavers Way Community Programs



Weavers Way Community Programs (WWCP) was formed in 2007, as the non-profit arm of Weavers Way Co-op, a 3,500-member community owned market with locations in the Mt. Airy and Ogontz neighborhoods of Northwest Philadelphia. A third location will open in Chestnut Hill in January 2010.

WWCP’s mission is to build the Northwest Philadelphia community by fostering cooperative activities that support local food production, economic literacy, a sustainable environment, and healthy lifestyles.

We envision a community where people have access to healthy food and lifestyles, and live in a healthful and sustainable environment; available land is used productively to meet common needs; low-impact and efficient modes of energy production and transportation are available; conservation and recycling is a way of life; and the cooperative business model is valued and practiced.

WWCP grew directly out of the mission and work of Weavers Way Co-op. Weavers Way’s mission statement, bylaws, and the International Cooperative Principles all reflect a commitment to the community. Weavers Way supports local businesses, wholesalers, community groups, and institutions in ways that strengthen the diverse community in which it is embedded and benefits the members.

The largest components of WWCP are the Marketplace partnership with local schools and the farm education program.

Marketplace is a school-based cooperative food business run by students with support and guidance from teacher advisors and the WWCP Marketplace Coordinator. The Marketplace sale is offered as an alternative to the typical after-school and lunch snacks purchased by many children at neighborhood stores. In 2008-09, the Marketplace program was held at six elementary schools (C.W. Henry, Houston, Jenks, A.B. Day, Pastorius, and Wissahickon Charter School) and two high schools (Martin Luther King and Parkway Northwest Peace and Social Justice High School) in Northwest Philadelphia.

Farm Education involves visits by school and community groups to the Weavers Way Farm at Awbury Arboretum, a two-acre urban production farm and children’s garden in Northwest Philadelphia. In addition, our farm educators are available to visit school or community groups, either for lessons that precede visits to the farm, or in lieu of a farm visit for those who do not have transportation for field trips.

In March 2008, WWCP joined Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, Foundations, Inc. and others as the founding “farm” partners in creating a 1/3-acre farm at Martin Luther King High School in East Germantown. Within the first year, this project included a farm stand on Stenton Avenue, and a greenhouse that was made possible with funding from the Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation (OARC).

In February 2009, WWCP expanded our satellite farm /farm education programs and started a new community garden project at Mt. Airy Stenton Family Manor, a homeless shelter for families. Residents and community volunteers assist WWCP staff in growing food for shelter meal preparation and for sale at local farmers markets. Fifty-five campers from the on-site Stenton summer camp participate in farm education and farming activities each week as part of their summer camp curriculum.

In February 2009, Weavers Way Farm started a collaborative Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm on the grounds of Saul High School on Henry Avenue in Roxborough. The farm, called “Henry Got Crops!” will be run by Weavers Way staff working closely with Saul’s agroecology program and the school as a whole to design a farm that not only brings food to the community, but also serves as an educational opportunity for students at Saul.

For more information, please contact us at wwcp@weaversway.coop .