These days, as we reel from the impacts of war, pollution, and corruption on a massive scale, small and beautiful inspirations are grounding and sustaining: walking through our flower field buzzing with bees, children blissfully eating cherry tomatoes straight from the vines, leaders in our own community making a difference. A beet grown at Common Ground is more than a commodity–more than calories. Its sweet earthy taste, its deep hue, and its journey through our hands and our field is a thread in a rich tapestry that tells the story of how we choose to live.
Our farm manager compares growing a diversified vegetable farm to caring for 75 different babies who all have different needs and schedules. She also trains and leads the farm crew while tracking the weather, pest and weed pressure, and a myriad other things. It is intricate, detailed work that is physically and mentally challenging. We donate half the food that we grow, because everyone in our community is part of the tapestry, with a right to a place at the table.
Our market managers think of the farmers’ market as an ecosystem, with an ever-changing ebb and flow of items according to the season–from spring greens to winter roots. New relationships are forged and old ones kept at our weekly community gathering place. The markets grow small businesses, providing support and community engagement each week. The markets are affordable and are for everyone, and they are vibrant with diversity, energy, flavor, and color.
When children harvest kale and then learn how to prepare a salad with their own hands, they are much more likely to eat it–because we are helping them to build a matrix of meaning. It is not just a green thing on their plate–it is an experience complete with flavors, caterpillars, health, autonomy, adventure, and teamwork.
Our work is small and beautiful by design, as we cultivate and nurture relationships through food. As a donor, you are an intrinsic part of our tapestry. Your contribution holds us as a valued and important part of your values and your community. We are so honored to be that thread.
Please support our end of year fundraiser and help us reach our goal of $30,000. As a special thank you, we will be sending a limited edition Common Ground market bag to friends who are able to donate $150 or more.
Support Food Access Initiatives at our Markets
$35 will help ensure that both the Beacon and Newburgh Farmers’ Markets are fully accessible for all members of our community, and will cover the cost of seven $5 Greens4Greens coupons. Our markets accept all food benefits, in addition to our own community supported Greens4Greens program, which doubles the purchasing power for families who use SNAP, WIC, and FMNP. We have built an end of market donation program at our markets, delivering local nutrient dense produce to area shelters, food distribution sites, and community pantries. To learn more about our markets, click here.
Support our School-Based Food Access Work
We work with the Beacon City School District to ensure that Beacon’s most food insecure students have access to nutritious food over the weekend through our BackPack Program. This school year, demand grew from 30 families to 58. We provide the makings of six meals each week, or 7,200 meals per family.
$75 will sponsor a BackPack program participant for seven weeks, providing them with shelf-stable food, farm-fresh produce, milk and egg vouchers, and Greens4Greens coupons. To learn more about our BackPack program, click here.
Support Education Programs for Everyone
Common Ground works to ensure that all of our education programs, serving toddlers to grandparents, are accessible and affordable to all. This year we provided 73 scholarships for children so that they could attend Farm Camp, Preschool on the Farm, and Homeschool on the Farm. In addition, we reached 1,336 kids across 12 different schools and 8 different grade levels through our Farm to School programming this year.
$150 will help us to ensure that cost is not a barrier in participation of our programs and will cover a full scholarship to Preschool on the Farm. To learn more about our education programs, click here.
Support farm-based Food Access Initiatives
The past few years have been devastating for many, resulting in food insecurity among families who have lost work in the face of rapid inflation. In response, Common Ground grew our food donation partnerships and outlets to ensure that fresh, organically grown produce is accessible to everyone, regardless of financial circumstances. This year, Common Ground donated over 10,400 pounds of produce worth $41,500.
$300 will cover our costs to donate, for example, 100 pounds of summer squash to families who need emergency support to make it through the week or one Community Share to support a family through the season. Click here to learn more about our Food Justice Initiatives.
Support Purchase of Farm Equipment
$600 will go a long way to ensure the farm has adequate tools and supplies to grow food for our community. In order to keep farming this year, we had to replace our irrigation pump and the pipes of our for our irrigation system which cost $15,000. We also need new row cover and shelter for our tractor. Click here to learn more about our farm growing practices.
Support Farm Crew and Training
$1000 will help us pay a living wage to our farm crew employees, as well as help cover costs in employing and training Next Step Green Teen Interns and Our Core Teen Interns over the summer as they gather job and life experience. Labor is our largest and most important expense on the farm. Support for our crew will help us train a new generation of farmers while we grow food for our community. Click here to learn more about our Food Justice Initiatives, click here to learn more about our collaboration with Green Teen, and click here to learn about Our Core.
Be a Common Ground Rain Maker
A donation of $2,500 will make a tremendous difference in helping Common Ground build long term resilience to grow food for our community within our changing planet. Our vision is to uplift, nourish, engage, and celebrate our community as we care for and steward the land long into the future. Each season brings new weather patterns. Last year we had no rain and this year we have had too much in combination with hazardous smoke. Significant financial support helps us to build long term resilience in an increasingly turbulent world.
Sustain us every month! Now you can choose to make a monthly contribution to support Common Ground all year long! Choose your level of support, and you will be automatically charged each month for the next 12 months.
If you prefer to send us a check, please make your check out to:
Common Ground Farm
PO Box 148
Beacon, NY 12508
Common Ground Farm is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and donations are tax deductible. Our EIN is 01-0574675.
Thank you!!