Village Roots Barn Raising
Campaign Introduction:
Help us raise a barn! A well-designed building is like a generator on a farm: producing the materials and ideas that feed the entire system.
- Our Story
- Contributors
- Updates
- Discussion
Campaign Story
Village Roots is a family owned and operated, regenerative farm on the Orchard Hill Community in East Alstead, NH.
When we moved to Orchard Hill in 2004, we had a vision. We wanted to sink our roots, learn from our watershed, grow food and share the yield. A year later we founded Village Roots CSA (with our then growing partner Mary Ellen Sheehan. Thank you Mary Ellen!) We imagined the potential of restoring topsoil by growing a bounty of healthy crops to feed our family and our community. We had no capital to start this operation, just loads of desire, energy and ideas. Importantly, we envisioned that this path would be our life and our livelihood.
What began as a vegetable CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), gradually became a more diversified operation, as we incorporated more cover crops, perennials (such as fruits, herbs, nuts and living mulches) and importantly, animals. Fourteen years later, we sell most of our meats and produce directly to our customers through a variety of CSA options. Its a diversified farm here on the hill, with an emphasis on regenerative practices and hands on learning opportunities. In recent years our pasture raised animal operation has become our bread and butter. We followed a community need for sustainably and ethically raised and processed meats. We met that need; with the additional outcome of building more soil through our pasture management strategies than we could of through vegetable production alone. Now we raise heritage lamb, pork and beef, as well as Freedom Ranger broiler chickens, heritage turkeys, ducks and rabbits. Let’s say, life is bustling here during the growing season!
In 2013 we established Village Roots Permaculture as the education extension of our work. We have always shared our techniques and experiences with others and as trained educators we have taught about sustainable agriculture, homesteading and permaculture at The Orchard School, Calendula Garden, LEAF Charter School, Keene State College, Colby Sawyer College and Antioch University. We have always offered on farm workshops and since 2013 have taught and coordinated a bi-annual, 90-hour Permaculture Design and Certification (PDC) course with educators and practitioners from across the Northeast.
Currently, one of our challenges is that we need more covered space; for our animals in winter, for tool and equipment storage, hay, grain and for a walk in cooler. Raising a barn would address all these needs, as well as creating covered space for food processing, building projects, equipment maintenance and educational workshops. It would also greatly improve our overall efficiency and quality of life. No more tools and hay stored under tarps for the winter!
The beauty of a barn raising is that it is a community endeavor. We’ll mill the wood and cut the timbers. You help by contributing to the campaign that will pay for our roof, siding, site work, gravel, electric and much needed refrigeration. Then you show up on raising day, if you wish, and we raise the frame together. In return, we will offer you a variety of rewards to reimburse you for your contribution.
Please consider donating now and reach out to three other people who you know support the cause of more local food, that is sustainably and humanly raised.
We dream of day where human-scale, efficient and regenerative farms are everywhere (we recognize that the Monadnock Region has a good start on this path!); where our local economy is productive and increasingly self-reliant; where food is healthy and fresh; where land is used wisely for homes, forests and food; and where farmers are reimbursed for their work. Your support helps ensure that another family farm can survive and continue an enduring legacy of food production in our region.
We look forward to growing food for you.
Marty, Ellen and Joules
Campaign Contributions
Name | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Elizabeth’s Constable | Nelson, NH | April 27, 2018 |
Mark Florenz | Keene, NH | April 22, 2018 |
, | April 22, 2018 | |
Glenn Schlereth | Florence, MA | April 19, 2018 |
Tiffany Mannion | East Swanzey, NH | April 17, 2018 |
Victor Avelar | Lincoln, RI | April 17, 2018 |
Anna Wils | Needham, MA | April 16, 2018 |
Sonia Keiner | Upper Marlboro, MD | April 15, 2018 |
John and Donna Clark | , NH | April 15, 2018 |
Lonn Livengood | , NH | April 15, 2018 |
Eleanor Elbers | , NH | April 15, 2018 |
Bobbie Wilson | Alstead, NH | April 15, 2018 |
MARY Johnson | Alstead , NH | April 15, 2018 |
Nate Johnson | Northome, MN | April 15, 2018 |
Jeff Battles | Somerville, MA | April 14, 2018 |
Mike and Heather Jasmin | Alstead, NH | April 14, 2018 |
Anonymous | Alstead, NH | April 14, 2018 |
Kevin Parse | Leominster, MA | April 13, 2018 |
Lawrence Frey | Arnold, MD | April 13, 2018 |
Caleb Hammond | Providence, RI | April 13, 2018 |
James Michael Baker | Philadelphia, PA | April 13, 2018 |
John Panek | Crofton, MD | April 13, 2018 |
Livia Cavallaro | Keene, NH | April 13, 2018 |
Barbara Gettes | PHILA, PA | April 13, 2018 |
Laurel Iselin | marlborough, NH | April 12, 2018 |
The Works Cafe | , NH | April 12, 2018 |
Justin Perreault | Milton, MA | April 12, 2018 |
Roe-Ann Tasoulas | Keene, NH | April 11, 2018 |
Castine Clerkin | Keene, NH | April 11, 2018 |
Tina Trudel | Hancock, NH | April 10, 2018 |
Chirag Patel | Frisco, TX | April 10, 2018 |
Jonathan Siegmann | Hingham, MA | April 10, 2018 |
Anonymous | Alstead, NH | April 10, 2018 |
Andrew Cunningham | Brattleboro, VT | April 10, 2018 |
ann acheson | alstead, NH | April 09, 2018 |
Laura Syria | Acworth, NH | April 09, 2018 |
Julia Smagorinsky | Kennett Square, PA | April 09, 2018 |
Bob Hutnick | Herndon, VA | April 09, 2018 |
Elizabeth Spahn | Bradenton , FL | April 08, 2018 |
Peter Wurst | Pennsburg , PA | April 08, 2018 |
Peter Wurst | Pennsburg , PA | April 08, 2018 |
Joann S Wood | Bethel, VT | April 08, 2018 |
Christopher Higley | NEW YORK, NY | April 08, 2018 |
Karin Asseng | Marlow, NH | April 08, 2018 |
Francis Peruzzi | Herkimer, NY | April 08, 2018 |
Francis Peruzzi | Herkimer, NY | April 08, 2018 |
Matthew Mena-Landry | San Francisco, CA | April 08, 2018 |
John Golden | Brooklyn, NY | April 08, 2018 |
Christopher Lopinto | Port Jefferson, NY | April 08, 2018 |
James Cusson | Auburn, MA | April 08, 2018 |
Ryan Bouffard | Southington, CT | April 08, 2018 |
S Lengel | Kennett Square , PA | April 08, 2018 |
Katie Schwerin | Gilsum, NH | April 07, 2018 |
Hannah Billian | Marlow, NH | April 06, 2018 |
Vin & Family Nolan | Rochester, NY | April 06, 2018 |
Maureen Buonpane | , MA | April 06, 2018 |
Christopher Carney | South Lake Tahoe, CA | April 06, 2018 |
Doug Olenic | Tahoe City, CA | April 06, 2018 |
Tejas Moses | Dublin, NH | April 05, 2018 |
Tokeem Talbot | Brattleboro, VT | April 04, 2018 |
Kelly Cochran | APO, NY | April 04, 2018 |
Paul Buonpane | Mansfield , MA | April 04, 2018 |
Patti Powers | Winchester , NH | April 03, 2018 |
Bret Ingold | Warner, NH | April 03, 2018 |
Jamie White | Keene, NH | April 03, 2018 |
Theresa and Joe Darling | Alstead, NH | April 03, 2018 |
Nora Lanahan | Bel Air, MD | April 03, 2018 |
Judith Kinnear | Keene , NH | April 02, 2018 |
Rachel Zegerius | Petoskey, MI | April 02, 2018 |
Lisa Sieverts | Harrisville, NH | April 02, 2018 |
Marianne and John Sinopoli | , MA | April 02, 2018 |
Missy Prodoehl | Acworth, NH | April 02, 2018 |
Missy Prodoehl | Acworth, NH | April 02, 2018 |
Anonymous | Glen Arm, MD | April 02, 2018 |
Kerry Hughes | NH, NH | April 01, 2018 |
Faith Holle | Pacifica , CA | April 01, 2018 |
Faith Holle | Pacifica , CA | April 01, 2018 |
Denise Armstrong | Philadelphia, PA | April 01, 2018 |
Jennifer Risley | Keene, NH | April 01, 2018 |
Debra Rivest | Keene, NH | April 01, 2018 |
Matthew Castriotta | Hubbardston, MA | April 01, 2018 |
David Eisenberg and Jennifer Dolce | , NH | April 01, 2018 |
Anna Elbers | Oakland, California | April 01, 2018 |
Sueño LeBlond | Brattleboro, VT | March 31, 2018 |
Mary Ellen Sheehan | Chittenango , NY | March 31, 2018 |
Josh Traeger | Brattleboro , VT | March 31, 2018 |
Tammy Andrew | New Ipswich, NH | March 31, 2018 |
Tracie Loock | Fitzwilliam, NH | March 31, 2018 |
Michael, Sarah & Zeke Matson | Madison, TN | March 31, 2018 |
Kat & Forest Stiles-Hanna | South Acworth, NH | March 31, 2018 |
josephine Russell | surry, NH | March 31, 2018 |
josephine Russell | surry, NH | March 31, 2018 |
josephine Russell | surry, NH | March 31, 2018 |
Michele Chalice | Keene, NH | March 31, 2018 |
Arlene Seksinsky | Keene, NH | March 31, 2018 |
Eliza Davis | Charleston, SC | March 31, 2018 |
Ashley Connolly | Peterborough, NH | March 31, 2018 |
Pamela Harmon | Tulsa, OK | March 31, 2018 |
Jocelyn & Jason Goldblatt | Keene, NH | March 30, 2018 |
Anton & Eleanor Elbers | ALSTEAD, NH | March 30, 2018 |
Norm and Rosemary Bronzert | , Maryland | March 30, 2018 |
Gloria and Ray Castriotta | , MA | March 30, 2018 |
Silvano Biffis | , New Hampshire | March 30, 2018 |
Dan and Beth Kurz | , NH | March 30, 2018 |
Campaign Updates
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04-04-2018
Overwhelming Support
Two days before we launched this campaign we chickened out and lowered our goal from $10,000 to $8,500. Given the overwhelming support of the community, we are raising this goal back to $10,000. The extra $1,500 will allow us to pay for the installation of a walk-in cooler, which is critical to our goals for this space.
Thank you for demonstrating that this is possible!
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06-05-2018
Getting Started
Thank you to the community of supporters that helped make this fund raising goal a reality! Your donations of time, money, rewards, materials, expertise, advertising and emotional support have all led us to this next important phase, construction!
Getting started
We’ve been stirring on ideas for quite some time now and the planning process continues every time I feed the animals or grab a tool. Now with the campaign a success we are wrapping up details of the design, gathering materials and starting the first phases of the timber frame construction.We are adjusting our timber drawings to reflect the materials we have on hand. Many of these timbers, I milled on site two years ago. Joules is adding some animals to the drawings.
We have begun to layout joinery on barn post timbers.
We have picked up a trailer load of 200 year old, hand hewn timbers (with the help of Hans Mayer) and have begun the process of cleaning these up. These came from an old barn in Acworth (Bascom’s Sugarhouse) and will become floor joists in the new barn.
Stay tuned. Now the real fun begins. -
19-07-2020
Help Village Roots Move 4WARD
We appreciate all your support for Village Roots Permaculture. We hope you’ll consider supporting us on TLC 4WARD, a shared crowdfunding campaign that’s helping participating locally owned businesses weather the COVID-19 crisis, meet changes in community needs and seize new opportunities to move towards a more local, green and fair economy in the Monadnock Region.
Like many local farmers, COVID-19 boosted sales at our farm. This surge focused our efforts on upgrading our food handling and processing capacity. Specifically, we hope to get our walk-in cooler up and running by late summer.
Your support will help us purchase and install a walk-in cooler with a cool bot unit and ultimately increase our ability to provide fresh, healthy and safe food to our community.
This is what we farm for: healthy communities and economies. We farm for our love of the land, and because we learn lots from our neighbors and the plants and animals we raise. We farm to build soil. Mostly, we farm for the Earth. Your support helps us meet our mission. Thank you!
Help us move 4WARD!
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A Village Roots BOOK
We’ve launched a new campaign on TLC Monadnock! We hope you’ll check it out:
A Village Roots Book – Patterns of Resilience: Northeast Permaculture in Action
Campaign Discussion
Rewards
$250
2 hour site consultation
We will visit your site if it's within a 45 mile radius from Alstead for a 2 hour design consultation. This could be appropriate for a small backyard or a full scale farming operation. We will look at your site through a permaculture lens, considering water, soil, plantings, infrastructure, access, microclimates, and use. We will help you identify your goals for the site and will help turn your problem areas into possibilities.
$250
Intro to Permaculture workshop
This offer is for businesses, organizations and nonprofits. We offer a 2 hour Intro to Permaculture Slideshow, highlighting permaculture on a variety of sites and scales; including regional to global, rural to urban, and land-based to social applications.
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