Mariposa Food Co-op in West Philadelphia aims to provide fresh produce to the local community, aiming at reducing food deserts and making local produce more affordable.
Video by Maggie Andresen
A constant beeping echoes through the isles as shoppers slowly browse. The hum of florescent lights gathers near the refrigerated isle of locally sourced produce, while the buzz of a busy street can be heard with every opening of the front door.
Mariposa Food Co-op gets busy around dinnertime. A line of customers with hands full of goods wrapped around the corner isles, waiting to check out and be on their way. The member-operated grocery store on West Philadelphia’s Baltimore Avenue offers a variety of healthy and locally-grown foods that have been obtained through sustainable practices, and is open to the public daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m..
“We source as much as we can locally, and depending on the time of year it varies quite a bit,” Bull Gervasi, a member that has been working with Mariposa for 14 years said. “We get deliveries from [urban farms] probably about once a week. They’re pretty small so what we wind up buying from them is a fairly large percentage of what they grow.”
Serving the West Philadelphia area for almost 40 years, Mariposa focuses on both their foods and their shoppers to facilitate community building. The program serves as a middle man for urban farms such as Mill Creek, University City High School and Urban Girls Farm, as well as other local distributors outside of the city.
“There’s just not very good access to quality foods in a lot of [Philadelphia] neighborhoods, which often coincides with the socioeconomic status of that neighborhood,” Gervasi said. “I hope that we as a community run grocery store can affect that in a positive way. There’s always an affect on produce when you pick it out of the ground and it comes to your plate that day versus it being grown in California or who knows.”
Mariposa: Community access to local produce
By culminating fresh goods such as honey, coffee, tea, fruits, vegetables, meats and more in one place, Mariposa, which is directly accessible by the route 34 SEPTA trolley, provides healthy options to residents of the nearby area who would otherwise have to travel miles to the nearest grocery store.
“There aren’t many grocery stores in the immediate area around here, especially if you are older or have mobility issues it is kind of difficult to get to the other ones because there isn’t direct public transportation there,” Gervasi said.
Over 1500 members keep Mariposa running. To become a member, shoppers must invest $200 in the store. The price tag can be paid in increments as to make the transition smooth. The investment is refundable if the member wishes to terminate their contract, but upon payment acts as funds in the store’s budget that will be used to stock the shelves.
Member benefits include 5% off of their final bill, while working members – volunteers who take a few hours per week to work various shifts at the store – receive 10% of their bill. Mariposa’s doors and shelves are open to anyone, despite the emphasis the store puts on how becoming a member means becoming a part of the fabric of the community.
- Brianna Spause
Bull Gervacie, produce manager at Mariposa Food Co-op in West Philadelphia, providing the local community with well-priced fresh produce. October 8, 2014. - Brianna Spause
Mariposa Food Co-op in West Philadelphia, providing the local community with well-priced fresh produce. October 8, 2014. - Brianna Spause