Farm to Table Dinner Benefits Weavers Way Community Programs



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Philadelphia, PA, Sept. 5, 2013 — Local harvest bounty will be celebrated in a serene farmstead setting as Weavers Way Community Programs puts on its second annual Farm to Table Dinner Thursday, Oct. 3.

The sumptuous sit-down fund-raiser for WWCP education programs will be held at the Mort Brooks Memorial Farm, Weavers Way Co-op’s 2.5-acre organic farm on the grounds of Awbury Arboretum.

With produce grown by Weavers Way farmers right on Washington Lane in Germantown, lamb raised sustainably at the renownedErdenheim Farm just a few miles away in Montgomery County, the event truly lives up to its “farm to table” billing.

Weavers Way General Manager and veteran chef Glenn Bergman will team with Weavers Way Executive Chef Bonnie Shuman in the “field kitchen” to prepare this five-course menu based on what’s in season at the farm. Farm tours and hors d'oeuvres, including a selection of local cheeses paired with wines from Moore Brothers Wine Company, will precede soup, salad and the main meal, featuring an entrée choice of lamb ragout or seitan stew.

As the sun sets and torches and candles are lit, glasses will be raised to sustainable food, urban agriculture, education, community and co-operation.

In addition to Erdenheim Farm and Moore Brothers Wine Company, sponsors include The Energy Co-op. All guest receive a goodie bag with items donated by popular local businesses including Zea May's,Demeter and One Village Coffee.

Seating for this intimate dinner is limited to 50 guests. Friend of the Farm donors, at $500, get two places at the table and special recognition in the evening’s program. Individual tickets are $150. For more information, visit www.weaversway.coop/farmtotable.

All proceeds support WWCP’s farm and nutrition education programs to help children in our community grow up with an appreciation for healthy, sustainably grown food. Thanks to last year’s dinner and the generosity of our donors:

  • The Hope Garden program at Stenton Family Manor homeless shelter in Mt. Airy now has a dedicated 20-hours-a-week staff person.
  • The WWCP farm educator at Saul High School became full-time and built raised beds to be used as dedicated teaching gardens.
  • The WWCP School Marketplace curriculum at four schools in Northwest Philadelphia is expanding.
  • Farm education classes have been fully booked all season, with nearly a thousand children visiting the Mort Brooks Farm so far this calendar year.