About ten years ago, a Weavers Way board member thought it would be fun and informative to bring together the boards of all of the food co-ops in the Delaware Valley. I had just joined the board, and I volunteered to help plan the gathering. We invited folks from co-ops in Swarthmore, West Philly (Mariposa), South Philly, Kensington, Media, Doylestown, Newark, DE, — and probably a few I’ve forgotten — to join us for a barbecue over Memorial Day weekend. Folks who were trying to start a co-op, and folks from smaller co-ops, were thrilled to network with folks from more established ones. 

We planned a second gathering for the fall, and word spread: Co-ops as far away as New York and Maryland asked if they could join in. About 50 of us packed into a community room in Swarthmore for that second meeting, which ended with the creation of the Mid-Atlantic Food Cooperative Alliance, a/k/a MAFCA. 

Eventually, we came up with a mission statement: “Our purpose is to grow the cooperative economy, provide education about co-ops and build a sustainable and equitable system of healthy, local food production, distribution and consumption.” We organized ourselves into working groups, and within a couple of years, we held a conference aimed at providing support for start-up co-ops. More than 100 people attended!

These days, we sponsor two or three gatherings a year at different co-ops throughout the mid-Atlantic region. These events are open to anyone interested in the world of food co-ops. We also host a very vibrant Google group on which members post all sorts of co-op-related information and requests. Lively conversation abounds.

Later this month, on March 25, we’ll be meeting at Weavers Way’s new store in Ambler. Like all of our gatherings, this one will will begin with a tour of the store. (Someone at one of our meetings once said, “If you’ve seen one co-op, you’ve seen one co-op.” It’s true: no matter how many stores I’ve seen, I always learn something new on these tours.) We’ll have lunch, catered by Weavers Way, of course, and then we’ll gather to network and learn from one another. We’ll have a few speakers who will talk about the history of the partnership between Weavers Way and the Ambler Food Co-op. We’ll also have speakers from other co-ops that have taken different growth trajectories, as well as our regular “popcorn” session, where each co-op present can share something new that’s happening at their co-op, or can pose a question or seek advice. 

If you haven’t been to Weavers Way Ambler, this is a great opportunity to see it. And if you have, this is a great chance to meet dedicated cooperators from across the region — and, of course, eat some great food! The event is free, but please, please RSVP (to me: wasserkrug@gmail.com) so we can plan properly.

You can find out more about MAFCA at www.mafca.coop, or you can follow us on Facebook.