Come on Craig LaBan. We love the restaurant critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer and all, but he lists the best coffee places in the region and just one is in West Philly? Only Lovers and Madmen made the cut. Great coffee shop, but what about the others over here? Green Line? Earth Cup? Milk and Honey? Satellite Cafe? Or how about Manakeesh? Gold Standard? Cafe Clave? I’m sure we’re forgetting others.

Dude, there is life past 40th Street.

Mariposa Food Co-op has a new tool in its quest to raise money for its move to a new (and much larger) building in the fall. The co-op has opened an account on the fundraising site IndieGoGo.com, where individuals can securely contribute any amount.

The co-op hopes to raise $10,000 toward its move costs on the site, which will be bundled together with other fundraising ventures – from member and institutional loans to brunches – to cover the estimated $2.2 million purchase and rehab of the new building at 4824 Baltimore Ave.

As promised, here is part 2 of filmmaker Clay Hereth’s documentary about The Mill Creek Farm, a neighborhood farm at 49th and Brown in West Philadelphia. See yesterday’s story for the full intro to the film and Mill Creek Farm’s work.

Last week’s warm weather got us pining for spring. So even though the spring-like weather has passed for now we wanted to get something onto the site that reminded us that spring isn’t too far away. Filmmaker Clay Hereth has just what the doctor ordered.

Hereth spent parts of the 2010 growing season filming work at the Mill Creek Farm (49th and Brown Streets). The documentary he produced, West Philly Grown, debuted at the farm’s fundraiser in December. The farm produces, sells and donates thousands of pounds of produce per year and is an important neighborhood asset. An ongoing issue with the farm is getting the land it occupies into a permanent trust.

Organizers are petitioning the city, which owns the vacant lot where the farm and a community garden were started, to place the land into the Neighborhood Gardens Association land trust. That would ensure the land remains a farm and community garden in the future.

Here is part 1 of Clay’s film (we will put part 2 up tomorrow):

Philadelphia Magazine columnist Christine Speer wrote a nice piece today on the efforts of the micro-loan project Philly Stake, which supplies small loans to innovative and community-minded projects in Philadelphia. The column features Nic Espositio and Erica Smith, who started the sustainable urban farming non-profit Philly Rooted and won a Philly Stake grant last fall.

Philly Rooted in partnership with The Enterprise Center manages the Walnut Hill Community Farm (4610 Market St.), which is located in a pocket park on land that is leased from SEPTA.

Here are two fun West Philly things to keep an eye out for in a couple of weeks.

First, Mariposa Food Co-op will hold a giant craft fair and flea market in the new building at 4824 Baltimore Ave. on February 12 and 13. The building isn’t officially open yet, but this will give folks an opportunity to get a sneak preview ahead of the fall 2011 official opening. This shindig will feature jewelry, baked goods, handcrafted items, clothes, books and much more. See the flyer below.

On February 21 Manakeesh, the new Lebanese cafe and bakery at 45th and Walnut, plans to celebrate its official grand opening with a party that will include free giveaways and all sorts of goodies. The party will run during regular business hours.