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  • From: Laurie Tiemens <momto8kiddos AT yahoo.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Food for Folk Project
  • Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 11:05:29 -0800 (PST)

Your idea sounds great!  I have the following questions:
1. How could you attain non-profit status since you are a 
CSA?
2. How does this system allow you to profit from excess 
produce?  It seems like you are simply gaining new
customers which need to be accounted for.  How do you know
how much excess produce you will have?
3. >> 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. <<
This is confusing.  You say you have “sold” around $40k 
worth yet still have to work to raise those funds.  Please
explain.
4. >> 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.<<

Please elaborate.

Thanks!
Laurie

>>>>

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 Newman foundation!!!
        
I started this project because I feel assured that we all
should be
making a living wage!!! We work toO 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 realhope for farmers I would want to give it a try.  I see so much potentional in our project because it addresses so manyissues such as obesity, poverty (for both farmer and recipient), environment,rural economics and the list goes on and on.  In addition our project doesnot give out mere charity either, we connect the recipients into our CSA andthey are included into the educational and community pieces of what we aredoing such as the cooking classes, potlucks, and other events.  I am alsoexcited about what we are doing to bring the message out to the public-- this winter we will be having benefit salmon dinners, along with speakersheading 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.  Our email is gjbrever AT midwestinfo.net  Our website at this time ishttp://www.wesminrcd.org/projects or http://www.ploughsharefarm.com.  At this time it is exclusively a state-wide initiative.  However, our 5-year plan for the project includes taking it nation-wide. --Gary BreverPlougshare Farm
<<<

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  • Re: [Market-farming] Food for Folk Project, Laurie Tiemens, 12/21/2005

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