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Weavers Way Farms to Host Two Fall Farm Festivals, Multi-media Art Installation

Posted on Sep 01, 2012 | Tags: Weavers Way, Community, Outdoor Activities, Family Fun, Mt Airy Kids | Comments (0)

Join Weavers Way Co-op this October to celebrate the harvest with Fall Festivals at their Mort Brooks Memorial Farm at Awbury Arboretum and Henry Got Crops! farm at Saul High School. Autumn is a beautiful time of the year to come and admire these farms that not only grow food for the community but also serve as gathering places for community members to learn about urban agriculture and feel connected to the food they eat. Admission to these events is free and they are open to the public.

Farm Fest at the Mort Brooks Memorial Farm with Deep Roots Art Installation

First up is the Farm Fest at the Mort Brooks Memorial Farm, 4 – 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 6, a festival of local food, and a two-day multi-media art installation from 12 – 8 p.m., Sat. – Sun., Oct. 6 – 7. Bring the whole family and participate in children’s activities, a tour of the farm, apple pressing, face painting, a pie eating contest, food, yoga and much more. Plus, admire a new art installation by local artist Meei Ling Ng in collaboration with lighting designer Jackson Kay.

“By combining a farm festival with an art installation, we aim to spread the message that urban farms need to be multi-use spaces not just for growing food,” says Brooks Farm manager Rick Rigutto. “We're taking a unique approach to raise awareness of the importance of farming by expanding the audience past foodies to art lovers and beyond.” Meei Ling's multimedia installation is in conjunction with the Philadelphia Open Studio Tour (POST), and will feature sculptures using repurposed and recycled farm materials that focus the viewers' attention to the many facets of urban farm life, including multimedia bee keepers, working farmers, light shows (what goes on at the farm at night?) and also functional art that the farmers will utilize in their daily tasks, such as a decorative chicken tractor. Both events take place at Mort Brooks Farm at Awbury Arboretum, 1011 East Washington Lane. Ample street parking is available on Washington Lane. For more information, contact Rick Rigutto at rrigutto@weaversway.coop

Harvest On Henry

On Saturday, Oct. 20, 1 – 4 p.m., Henry Got Crops! CSA will host a community event raising funds to help offset the cost of donating fresh vegetables to the Saul High School cafeteria, as well as to reduce the price of a Henry Got Crops! CSA vegetable shares for those who want to sign up for a membership in the farm but for whom the cost is prohibitive. This event will feature live music, hayrides, children’s activities, face painting, pumpkin painting, and a pie bake-off (anyone is welcome to submit pies for the competition!). Tickets will be available on-site for 50¢ to participate in games and activities.There will also be farm products for sale and food from local vendors.

This event is being cosponsored by Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences and will take place at 7100 Henry Ave., Philadelphia, 19128, across the street from Saul High School. Please park on Henry Ave. Rain date is Sunday October 21. For more information, visit Henry Got Crops! on Facebook, www.facebook.com/HenryGotCrops, or e-mail Nancy Dearden at .

Weavers Way Co-op is a member-owned food co-op, open to the public, with stores in West Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill, offering a friendly shopping environment and quality products that are locally grown, sustainable, and nutritious. But Weavers Way is more than just great food; a community institution since it began as a basement buying club in 1973, Weavers Way now has 5,000 member households and creatively and energetically invests itself back into the communities that make us what we are. Membership in the Co-op is open to everyone, and all are encouraged to become members and owners. Learn more at www.weaversway.coop.

W. B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences is the nations largest agricultural high school, located on a 130-acre campus in the upper Roxborough section of Philadelphia on the rolling hills of the Wissahickon Valley bordering Fairmount Park. Learn more about Saul School at www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/saul.

Meei-Ling Ng is a creative artist and graphic designer. Art with a purpose is her focus when selecting any venue for art installation and exhibition. Meei Ling's main goal is to use art installations as a tool to learn about preserving nature, sustainable living and farming in an urban environment. To draw people's attention and look closely at these issues. These are the factors that inspire and motivate her to continue creating art. Besides painting, Meei Ling mainly uses found, recycled and reclaimed materials to create art. She also tries as much as possible to use found materials at the sites to create the art. Most of her art installations are functional art integrated into existing environment or working facilities such as urban farms. Meei Ling's creations often remain on-site permanently to be used by the collaborators or to benefit the community in some way. For more info, visit www.meeiling.com