Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - [Market-farming] economics

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Ploughshare" <gjbrever AT midwestinfo.net>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] economics
  • Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 10:40:45 -0600

The issue of farm economics is one of the main reasons that I founded a
non-profit organization called the "Food For Folk Project." Basically, what
the project is a way to support sustainable farmers while at the same time
providing fresh, organic, and sustainably grown food to low income families
in the area. If individuals are interested in the project I can send you out
an email individually with attachments included.
I'll tell you how it has helped our farm specifically here...
We are a 150 member CSA that has been farming in the Central MN area for 4
years now. Every year since we began we have always grown at least twice
the amount of food that we actually used for the CSA. (I recall a
conversation recently in Market Farming talking specifically about this).
The first year we tried to sell this excess food locally at our small
farmers market. Here we were competing with mostly retired back yard
vegetable growers on Social Security selling there zukes for a quarter a
piece. There was no way we could provide a living for our family of 6 and I
usually came home with lots of compost material. Then the next two years, I
did our CSA and additionally did a farmers market in Minneapolis. The
market went well, people were very excited and I sold a lot. In addition, I
would usually have a shipment of produce to send to the coops in the Cities.
However, it was very wearing on me and my family. I would have to be up and
going by 3am in order to get down to the market at 6am... and this would be
after a more than full weeks worth of work. (You all know these realities
too well).
Anyway, this past year was the first year I did not have to go down to
market. Yet, I sold everything I produced!!! How?? For the past three
years I have been working on an initiative called the Food for Folk Project.
Through this project, I have worked with food shelves, women's shelters and
soup kitchens in providing them food from our farm. Local private
individuals and businesses in the area provided "scholarship shares" that
went to purchase this food. Last year for instance I raised about $5k on my
own for this project. This year though was the first year that we attained
non-profit status and therefore were able to take the project to the next
level. This year, all the excess produce that before I could not afford to
even pick, went to organizations that work with low income families, and I
will get paid whole sale prices for the produce. I say "will get paid" in a
future tense because this is the first year that we have sold the huge
amount of produce through the FFF project (around $40k worth) and have to
work through out the winter raising those funds through private donations
and grants. So in reality this year it has been a real leap of faith for
us, but I am confident that we will get paid. Actually, at this point, I
know we will get paid because we just received a $50k grant from the Paul
Neuman foundation!!!
I started this project because I feel assured that we all should be
making a living wage!!! We work to hard and what we are doing is too
important for us to have to struggle and struggle and yet not be able to
make ends meet. I get so frustrated at hearing my neighbor who is a
conventional farmer talk about the hundreds of thousands of dollars that he
takes in via subsidies while doing very little to take care of his land, the
water, etc. while farmers like us have to put in the extra time and money
to get certified organic. So I felt that if there is anyway to provide real
hope for farmers I would want to give it a try.
I see so much potentional in our project because it addresses so many
issues such as obesity, poverty(for both farmer and recepient), environment,
rural economics and the list goes on and on. In addition our project does
not give out mere charity either, we connect the recipients into our CSA and
they are included into the educational and community pieces of what we are
doing such as the cooking classes, potlucks, and other events. I am also
excited about what we are doing to bring the message out to the public--
this winter we will be having benefit salmon dinners, along with speakers
heading the night on the topic of sustainable agriculture, and live music.
I could go on. If you want more information about the project, email
me. At this time it is exclusively a state wide initiative. However, our 5
year plan for the project includes taking it nation wide.
--Gary Brever
Plougshare Farm






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page