The below Go Fund Me campaign was created by a dear friend of the farm, Sher Tsai, on our behalf. As she explains, this has been a very challenging season for the farm. However, the amount of community support we have felt throughout has been truly incredible, and we are so grateful for it! Read her words below to find out more about the season and the campaign, but know that all kind of support are felt and appreciated!
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The life of a farmer is never easy. To say that 2017 has been a tough year for our friends at Bread & Butter Farm is a bit of an understatement. The hardships that the farm has faced are too lengthy to give explanation to each factor here, although we are happy to share details with anyone interested.
Briefly, however, the significant losses are as follows:
· Early 2017 brought an unexpected broken tractor, resulting in approximately $10,000 in repairs and replacements.
· The neighboring farm’s cows broke into Bread & Butter’s pasture, making the land unusable and resulting in additional food requirement purchases.
· A beef recall resulted in a $12,500 direct loss, and an unmeasurable future loss due to inaccurate/poor press coverage.
· A few weeks ago, coyotes got a hold of the farm’s turkeys, resulting in a $2,000 loss.
· Finally, the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, was the $6,500 in greenhouse damage due to the fall windstorm.
This close to $40,000 loss does not include the less quantifiable damages of a wet spring and early summer, mother nature’s gift to farmers.
Bread & Butter Farm offers a gift to Vermont that is beyond words. We are so fortunate to live in a place where we know the farmers who grow our food. We are fortunate to have individuals who have dedicated their lives to nurturing the land that we rely on. Bread & Butter Farm is dedicated to ensuring that the best small farming practices are followed.
If you have attended Burger Night, a class at Music For Sprouts, watched the children play at the Village School, or grabbed a coffee at Blank Page Café, you know what Bread & Butter is doing: building community. Bread & Butter Farm brings our community together, and now it’s time to rally around them!! It's time for the community to show our support to the Farm that has brought us together.
They did not ask for this help, nor would they. They are humble, hardworking people. However, they need us now more than ever. Please consider any donation. All proceeds will go directly into the farm, from fixing the greenhouses to cultivating the land. Your donation will help to ensure that our small farms are protected here in the state of Vermont.
