Category food

Will Manayunk/Roxborough get its own food co-op?

 

 
It’s starting to look like the Manayunk/Roxborough food co-op will happen over the next few years.

When the idea was presented back in April at a community meeting, the attendance was beyond anyone’s expectations. There are a lot of people in this part of Philadelphia that want to get involved in starting/running their own food co-op (similar to Weavers Way in Mt Airy & Chestnut Hill).

So what is a food co-op exactly?

“Food Co-Op” is short for “Food Cooperative,” and is based on the concept of a community run grocery store owned by its members. To keep costs down, not only operational costs but also the cost of food for its members, co-ops are built on work from volunteers. They select the products, put in hours of volunteer work each month, and try to keep everything fresh, natural, and local.

Why would a neighborhood want to start one?

Not only for the positive reasons I already cited above, but it also helps improve overall food quality and strengthens the surrounding community. Food has always been something that brings people together, so it’s only natural that a community based food store would accomplish the same thing. It’s already been tested (right here in Philadelphia), and it works.

I will be sharing more news with all of you as it comes to me.

In Philadelphia, which one will it be?

Technology | Sustainability | Food | The Arts
That’s a great question, and it’s also why I posted this.
Philadelphia has always been known as a city of firsts. The First Zoo, First Stock Exchange, First Skyscraper, First University, and the First Library. It’s really amazing once you stop and think about how many successful concepts that our country (and other developing countries) thrive on, and that got their start in Philadelphia.
But as a city that’s now over 300 years old, Philadelphia is constantly reinventing itself. The problem is that things change so fast these days that it’s hard to know what our focus should be. The good news is that Philadelphia is strong in many prominent categories, so it gives us the opportunity to pick and choose which direction might work best.
Here are 4 areas of focus:
  1. Technology
  2. Sustainability
  3. Food
  4. The Arts 

I could spend a lot more time talking up these different sectors, but this article is a great way to read and learn more about what Philly’s new booming industry will be.