ISO: Nonprofit Farms that give away ALL their food

[Rebel Rose]

I know this is a really odd request, but I am looking for links to non-profit farms that donate everything they grow (meat, fruit, vegetable) to food missions like homeless shelters, food banks and soup kitchens.

 

I know of First Fruits in North Carolina, and Felicia's Farm in Tucson, AZ. Now there's my brother's enterprise, Faith Farms in southwest Washington. We'd like to get in touch with similar farms to put heads together on stuff like managing volunteer staff, fundraising, crowdfunding, produce and livestock, sponsors, and all that other nonprofit farmly stuff.

 

If you know of anyone else doing this, please let me know.

 

PS. I don't need referrals to non-profit CSA's, non-profit urban farms, or gleaning organizations. Already have oodles of those, thanks. Looking for farms who commit 100% of what they grow to feed the hungry.

 

[vivian darkbloom]

now that IS a labor of love - much applause for all those involved with what you're describing and the tangential efforts of other groups (as that's a LOT of work).

I was looking into this for a friend wanting to create a foundation for developmentally disabled young adults devoted to filling in the cracks left open by other programs as a 501 (c) (3) and there are lots of low-cost groups that will help you with that and grant-writing (although some appear to be a bit opportunistic). there was one that did all that for free and if I can find them again, I'll share it.

best as I could determine, it would be easiest to create a division within an established organization that's devoted to your efforts, riding the coat-tails as it were for the umbrella tax-exemption and their existing knowledge of fund-raising and staffing issues.

Edited January 27, 2016 by vivian darkbloom
mis-placed comma. (log)

[vivian darkbloom]

that wasn't quite what you were asking, but there's no need to re-invent a wheel. the issues of staffing and funding are universal.

 

[Rebel Rose]

Thanks, Vivian. Yes, it's not quite what I need but I do appreciate the enthusiasm!

 

We don't need to envelope ourselves within an organization. We own the farm, have farming experience, and now we have the 501c. I've done pro bono work, grant applications, grant budget reporting, social media, and event management, so I'll be handling all that. 

 

But it is good to knock heads with people who are walking the same path, especially since there seem to be so few of us! Can it be that there are only three such farms in the entire U.S.?? Surely not.

 

Some of the questions I have are:

* Do you schedule volunteers on a daily basis or for specific work parties, or both?

* What's your retention rate with volunteers? What do they most like/hate to do?

* Is scheduling volunteers via a WordPress plugin calendar helpful?

* Which grantors have been most supportive so far?

* How do you keep track of in-kind donations so sponsors can write those off? (In-kind would be gas, livestock feed, seed, etc. that is donated.)

* Do you liaise with gleaning organizations, and which ones have been most organized and helpful?

* Do your food recipients have problems with refrigeration? (Those that do are often the ones most in need of fresh food because org's like Feeding America won't deliver to them.)

* Have you had to navigate hurdles and requirements for food purity and preservation?

* What is your funding income split between website donations, targeted campaigns, and sponsors?

* Have you considered crowdfunding through Barnraiser.us?

* Do you host any events, and have they generated profit for you?

 

 

Edited January 27, 2016 by Rebel Rose (log)

[AlaMoi]

instead of looking for the farmers getting support, perhaps contacting charity organizations that might fund this kind of project would be more fruitful.  they certainly would know who they are funding and could put you in contact with them.

 

you're in farming, so you should have a good handle on the costs.  wrapping your efforts into the cloak of a larger charity organization might be a very good thing - because methinks you'll find your business is not farming, but fund raising.  farming ain't dirt cheap....  there could arise a problem of "focus"

[Rebel Rose]

I have been inquiring casually as I go along.

 

This farm has been in our family for 90 years. We do indeed have a handle on the farming. We don't really need fundraising as all the property improvements (new barns, hoop coops, roads, fences, improvements) are coming out of the full-time career paychecks of family members.  But it would be nice to get some grants and support. That's where I come in. I'm moving back to WA after 30 years of being away, and bringing with me a pretty robust career experience in the food and wine industries, including marketing, events, and fundraising (see above). So focus and experience are not issues for us.

 

Back to my original question, I'm just looking for family farms doing the same thing we are. Does anyone here know of any?

 

[Rebel Rose]

FOUND ONE! Bean Head Farm in North Prairie, Wisconsin. Thanks to the good people at Barnraiser.

 

In fact, this urban farm built to feed the poor is having a Barnraiser campaign right now, so if you like to support this kind of idea, here is the link:

https://www.barnraiser.us/projects/bean-head-farm-donating-25-000-lbs-of-veggies-in-2016

(Excellent video, worth watching.)

 

[Rebel Rose]

And East Chicago Greenhouse: