Being part of the agricultural, animal husbandry world, we love supporting the growth of educational opportunities, particularly for families.  We are losing rural farms and the skills that operate them at an alarming rate. Helping the public develop an appreciation for farms and historical skills is critically important.
The Anderson Township Historical Society (ATHS) (Cincinnati, OH region) purchased 10 acres of a nearby farm about 10 years ago. Some of the members had memories and family ties to the land. The land sat for a while; then local business people envisioned an Urban Farm. Invasives & overgrowths were removed, and volunteers stepped up to create a community garden. The garden has grown to 70 plots, and extra produce was donated to the local elderly.
Some other developments include:
*Eagle scouts building raised beds for limited mobility gardeners
*With a small grant, a chicken project was created with the idea to incorporate chickens into a curriculum for third-graders
*A pollinator waystation was created by volunteers, encouraging the arrival of pollinating insects
*An earthworm composting bin was developed by a volunteer and provided compost to plot gardeners
The goal for this Urban Farm is a place for the community to interact with the natural world, explore sustainable farming, and rediscover the agricultural history of Anderson Township and Ohio at large. Workshops, Day Camps for kids, visiting Ambassador Animals for educational sessions, and more are the dream. Repair & restoration of the historic barn is a critical need.
During the week of Feb 7th through Feb 13th, we will be donating 25% of all online sales proceeds to this non-profit to help the ATHS progress on their projects.  It is important to protect, save & share sustainable farm practices and prevent losing valuable skills to old man time. An extremely worthy cause, and we humbly ask that you consider it as you place your orders during the month of February.  We will report the proceeds in the March 2021 Newsletter.
