Joel created a fundraising registry at SimpleRegistry!

Madison Community Farm – Joel Williams

Madison Community Farm is a small-scale diversified vegetable and flower farm bringing fresh produce to the community. Started in the spring of 2010, we are building a community around our local produce. Though not certified organic, we go above and beyond these standards, practicing sustainable methods that increase the fertility of the land.

In our first year, we will primarily distribute our produce through our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), and are also interested in working with local restaurants and plan to spearhead a new farmer’s market in Milwaukee.

However, we hope to do more than distribute produce. Our goal is to make Madison Community Farm a hub for community growth, educational workshops, and harvest celebrations. To begin this vision, we are growing on a borrowed piece of land. Additionally, we are growing in three backyard gardens. As a next step, we are seeking a larger piece of land in the community.

We want you, our neighbors, to be excited about our project and help us make it a reality. This will be a new model for the small farm. While we cannot afford to buy land in Madison, empty land is all around us. Through cooperation and sharing, we can all benefit by putting this unused land into production.

Thank you for your contribution.

Seeds: We will be growing an assortment of fruits and vegetables to satisfy and diversify the local community's preferences.

	$5.00
	150

Farming Tools: We can't create without the necessary farming tools. Help us prepare the soil, plant, maintain, and harvest!

	$10.00
	100

Irrigation: For the bulk of our irrigation needs we use t-tape, which is a thin hose with small, evenly spaced holes that emit water directly to the roots of the plants.

	$15.00
	115

Gas for Vehicles: Keeping the tractor moving unfortunately requires gas. We would like to upgrade our equipment to accept bio-diesel by the end of next year.

	$20.00
	50

Greenhouse: Help us extend our growing season! Small greenhouses are effective, time and cost efficient, and produce brilliant results.

	$25.00
	200

Marketing: In addition to spreading the word through the community, we would like to create some marketing materials (banner, front lawn signage, etc.) to share the news, invite people to participate, and direct customers on how they can make purchases.

	$30.00
	50

Compost: We apply organic compost and till it into the soil to increase the percentage of organic matter in the soil. We do this because organic matter is a necessary part of the plant life cycle, adds to the water holding capacity of the soil.

	$35.00
	40

Incorporation and Non-profit Application fees: We can't believe how expensive it is to set-up a non-profit! We've engaged a local accountant and lawyer to provide their services pro-bono but we still need help with the IRS application fees.

	$40.00
	25

Cover Cropping: Cover crops are an easy and natural way of returning nutrients that have been used by crops to the soil. We will be using a mix of legumes (crops that return nitrogen) and other plants that help to aerate the soil.

	$45.00
	35