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Mid-Atlantic Conference for Start-up Food Co-ops

Board members Dan Reynolds and Lindsey Rosenberg attended this conference, which was held on April 16 at the Lutheran Theological Seminary on Germantown Avenue here in Philadelphia. Representatives of more than 30 start-up co-ops and food buying clubs attended this first-time event and it turned out to be an amazing day of discovery and camaraderie.

Conference attendees found out that what's happening with our effort here in Elkins Park is being echoed across the country. There are plenty of reasons that one could point to, but the facts are that co-ops are being formed nationally at a rate not seen since the 1970's. In the Philadelphia area alone, co-ops have formed or are springing up in Chester, Kensington, Elkins Park, Doylestown, South Philadelphia and on South 61st Street in Philadelphia. But there were also attendees from upstate New York, New Jersey, Central Pennsylvania, Brooklyn and Queens, just to name a few more locations.

What we've been able to accomplish here with CreekSide raised more than a few eyebrows. It can take 5 to 7 years to start a co-op and the fact that we have enlisted as many members as we have in such a short time really impressed a lot of people.

The sense of shared values at this event was inspiring to those of us who are spending as much time as we are getting this co-op off the ground. And it also served as a reminder of how much spirit there is in this community that is backing our efforts.

A special thanks to our friends and compatriots at Weavers Way here in Philadelphia who put a lot of time and effort into making the start-up conference a tremendous success.

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Successful USDA Appeal

We found out on March 15, 2011 that we were successful in our USDA appeal! Please see the news section of the website to get more detail on the implications.

Fair Food Author Oran Hesterman to Speak in Elkins Park, September 12; Fair Food Book Discussion Group Sept. 6

Creekside Coop is proud to co-sponsor a special public presentation by Oran Hesterman, PhD, on national tour celebrating of the launch of his ground-breaking new book, Fair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustainable Food System for All. 

Come meet the author and hear him discuss some of his practical suggestions for how you can participate in collective action to precipitate big changes in our food system, from your kitchen to your community to your government.

Monday, September 12, 7-9 PM

Congregation Kol Ami, 8201 High School Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027
Free and open to the public
Light refreshments will be provided, RSVP requested ,  (215) 635-3110

About the Author

Dr. Oran B. Hesterman, is president and CEO of Fair Food Network, a national nonprofit working at the intersection of food systems, sustainability and social equity to guarantee access to healthy, fresh and sustainably grown food, especially in underserved communities. For fifteen years he co-led the Integrated Farming Systems and Food and Society Programs for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, during which time the Foundation seeded the local food systems movement with over $200 million. A native of Berkeley, California, and a former professor of agronomy at Michigan State University in East Lansing, he currently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event

 Co-Sponsored by Hazon CSA Elkins Park, Creekside Coop and TransitionCheltenham Food Action Group

Fair Food Book Discussion Group

The newly released Fair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustai nable Food System for All is an enlightening and inspiring guide to changing not only what we eat, but how food is grown, packaged, delivered, and sold.  

Creekside Coop is organizing in a book discussion in conjunction with Hazon CSA Elkins Park and the TransitionCheltenham Food Action Group to give members of the three organizations an opportunity to read and discuss the book in advance of the author’s visit to our community on September 12.  You are invited to join others in our community in coming together to engage, share and learn with each other about our current broken food system, and practical ways to begin to reform it.

September 6  7-9 PM at Kol Ami in Elkins Park
Pot Luck vegetarian / dairy dinner 6-7 PM

RSVP to HazonCSA@kolamielkinspark.org  by September 2 if you wish to receive discussion group outline and questions in advance.

Montgomery County Commissioners Support Farmers' Markets!

CreekSide Co-op, which operates the CreekSide Co-op Farmers' Market at High School Park, was one of numerous Montgomery County farmers' markets which questioned draft regulations from the Montgomery County Health Department which threatened to have a negative impact on farmers' markets. On March 11, the Montgomery County Commissioners agreed that the Health Department had gone too far with its proposed regulations. This was a great example of community members presenting a reasoned argument to local government and having that government listen! Read more about the issue at this link.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer_news/montco-not-changing-how-it-deals-with-farmers-markets-yet/article_adffd943-0fa9-5268-944b-c3185c6f1e06.html

Successful USDA Appeal

Finally, some encouraging news.

Last fall, on the cusp of our expected funding from the USDA, we were told that we had been deemed ineligible for the program to which we had applied (even though we'd been given a letter over a year earlier assuring our eligibility).  As we've reported, as recently as our update from the appeals hearing, we have appealed this decision to the USDA's appellate division.  We have been advised this week by the USDA, and confirmed in a conference call yesterday, that our appeal was successful and we are now eligible for the program.  

The Board would like to give a special thanks to Aaron Krauss of the law firm of Cozen O'Connor, who handled the appeal "pro bono" for CreekSide and did a tremendous job.  Aaron reviewed all the paperwork, collected evidence, prepared and questioned witnesses, and traveled to Harrisburg with several Board members to represent CreekSide at the hearing.  Great job Aaron!

With this major achievement, we can now move forward again.  We are updating our budget to determine the appropriate level of funding needed, and expect to resubmit next week.  Once we do, the USDA's PA office will forward our application, with their recommendation, to DC for final approval.  The other major hurdle is getting the federal budgets for 2011 and 2012 passed so that the USDA will know if there is funding available this year or next (or not at all, which remains a possibility).

The CreekSide Co-op Board will meet on Sunday to further detail our action plan.  We expect to have more news later next week so please visit www.creekside.coop for the latest details.

This is certainly great news and a major step forward for the Co-op.  It does not yet mean that we have funding, but this is definitely cause to be more optimistic about the future of CreekSide.

CreekSide Farmers' Market 2011

Here are some updates on the CreekSide Farmers' Market for 2011. Karen Irgang, a highly active co-op volunteer who spent many a glaring, rainy, windy and humid day working the CreekSide table at last year's farmers' market, will be managing the market this year.

Newly minted board member Lindsey Rosenberg will be working with board member Dan Reynolds to give Karen some back up in managing the market. Last year's market was a tremendous success and we are very excited to be launching another one for 2011.

As we work to find funding to buy the Ashbourne Market and start this co-op all of us can use the Sunday farmers's market as a way to purchase quality local goods and produce for our families, and support local farmers.

We had dozens of purveyors at last years' market and are already getting enthusiastic responses from vendors eager to sell at this year's market. One of the key experiences at this market is that it is not merely transactional. Our farmers' market provides a great opportunity to learn about how our food is produced, and how local sustainable farming methods can benefit not just the Elkins Park Community but surrounding Montgomery County, Bucks County, Lancaster County and other areas.

So, if you hit the market a lot last year, you know what it's all about. If you didn't, join us this year. It's a lot of fun, it's good for you and it all happens in beautiful High School Park, one of the jewels of this community.

Update on Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 8:24AM by Dan Reynolds

Hey everyone,

Check out the news on our farmers' market vendor One Village Coffee. They made the list of up and coming, quality coffee roasters compiled by Philadelphia Inquirer food writer Craig Laban.

Here is the link to the March 17, 2011 story.

http://www.philly.com/philly/restaurants/20110317_Area_boasts_some_fine_roasters.html