Dear Friend,

You probably already know how important small family farms are to the future of our community, but I want to tell you about the profound impact one small farm had in my life.

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The healing power of our farm means a lot to us, but it’s just a small example of the many ways in which local agriculture makes our community strong. At Winlock Meadows Farm, we have dedicated ourselves for the past three years to creating a new model for preserving small family farms.

A growing number of people like you are realizing that the preservation of agricultural land and small family farms is essential to our future. However,

Farmers face an unprecedented crisis. Large-scale industrial agriculture has brought skyrocketing costs and falling prices, threatening hundreds of thousands of America's family farmers with losing their farms.

Already, less than 1% of Americans work in agriculture. The disappearance of yet another generation of family farmers will hurt our economy, threaten our health, and pollute the environment.

This crisis threatens more than a small group of active farmers, it threatens all of us: You, me, our children and the generations to come. Without a steady supply of clean, life-enhancing food, we are without the most basic ingredients to sustain the health of our communities.

I am writing to ask for your help, because I can see a different future coming soon, a positive future in which farms support our community, and communities support our local farms—a full circle of support. Our model for preserving family farms depends on forging new relationships between people, communities and the farms upon which they depend. Imagine, if each person in your community were connected to local farms, a growing sense of partnership would prevent the disappearance of so many small farms. I am inviting you to get connected—by investing in our farm.

In turn, our farm will invest in the community. For example, we grow healthy food—not only for people with the means to buy it, but also to donate the same high-quality food to soup kitchens, food banks and social service organizations.

More than growing healthy food, we are also “growing” healthy people. Winlock Meadows Farm will soon provide an innovative job and life skills training program, based on the proven "Windows to Success" model which empowers people in their lives and takes advantage of the powerful therapy nature offers.

The investments we make in the health of the community are made possible by your investment in us: the generous contributions of individuals, businesses and organizations in the communities we support. We receive support from people like you, stores like Fuller's and the Olympia Food Co-op, and groups like The Community Foundation, which provided a grant to build our greenhouse.

This full circle of support can restore farming as a secure and satisfying vocation, and protect the future of our community.

We have set a goal of raising $50,000 this year, which will allow Winlock Meadows Farm to take the next crucial steps in developing our farm and our model. I know you will want to help us by making a generous contribution of $10, $25, $100 or more, depending on what you can afford.

If you make a contribution of $50 or more by November 6th, I will send you a complimentary ticket to attend our Community Farm-Raising Dinner on November 11th at Judy’s Unique Dining in Toledo, WA. The event will feature local, fresh seasonal vegetables, a slide show of our farm, and the inspiring words of Chef Tom French, known throughout the world for his groundbreaking work empowering people and communities through local and sustainable agriculture.

With demand for quality food growing fast, we know we can make this farm a successful business on our own. My kids and I grow lots of great food, but my vision drives me to do more. I’ve come to realize that connecting people to local farms is essential if we are to prevent more farms from disappearing without anyone noticing. We are investing the extra effort it takes to make this connection. Won’t you invest in us?

Your generous contribution will help us take the next crucial steps—to give away more food to the community, and to begin the "Windows to Success" job and life skills training program this Winter. Most importantly, it will help us demonstrate the power of our new "full circle" model for successful family farms where, with your partnership, we are creating:

A viable farm business that can support your family and mine, while safeguarding the environment and our rural quality of life.

• A source of affordable healthy food to sell in the community, and to place into the stream of community food banks, homeless shelters, etc.
• A unique and effective life and job skills training program
• A strengthened local economy through jobs, both on the farm and in related "value-added" cottage industries
• Regular educational events and on-farm celebrations to help connect you and others to the source of your food
• An inspiring alternative to the current model of agriculture—a "full circle" model for preserving small family farms
  

By building on this vision to strengthen family farms, we can create a positive future of farm-supported communities and community-supported farms. But I cannot do it alone. I know you'll want to join me in this vision, and help us take the next crucial steps. Local agriculture is the key to a strong community. Every day, more and more people make a connection with this idea, and choose to invest in the future of small family farms.

In Partnership,

Susie Kyle

P.S. Get connected to and invested in family farms today! Remember, with your contribution of $50 or more by November 6th , you will help us meet our fundraising goal, and you will receive a complimentary ticket to our upcoming Community Farm-Raising Dinner on November 11, 2000! Thank you for your support.

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Farmers face an unprecedented crisis. Large-scale industrial agriculture has brought skyrocketing costs and falling prices, threatening hundreds of thousands of America’s family farmers with losing their farms.

Already, less than 1% of Americans work in agriculture. The disappearance of yet another generation of family farmers will hurt our economy, threaten our health, and pollute the environment.

This crisis threatens more than a small group of active farmers, it threatens all of us: Without a steady supply of clean, life-enhancing food, we are without the most basic ingredients to sustain the health of our communities.

How did this happen? By not being connected to our local small family farms, farms disappeared and no one noticed because there was always food on the grocery store shelves.

What we didn’t know is that commercial produce travels an average of 1,400 miles from farm to dinner plate (about a week and a half), and that it is selected for its shipping ability, packing quality, and shelf life which leaves us dependent upon imported food.

What can we do? Support local farms. Farmland in Lewis County is one of its greatest resources, but industrial farms have forced small farms out of business. The past 5 years Winlock Meadow Farms has been developing a model to preserve small family farms and in the process learned about Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA Farms.

What is CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)? An inspiring alternative to the current model of agriculture – a “full-circle of support” model for preserving small family farms where:

• A partnership connecting people directly to where their food is grown, and who grows it for them
• Where people receive a weekly mix of seasonal
• farm-fresh produce delivere
• To convenient pick-up location

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This letter was developed after completing our first year as a CSA farm. I had become inspired to create a model to preserve small farms and my dreams kept getting bigger and bigger. I love to create and the farm gives me an wide-open arena. Fortunately I've developed the ability actually bring the dreams into existence, something I wasn't able to do in my earlier years. Sometimes I think the model to preserve small farms is also about how to make dreams come true. Find out what you are passionate about, make a commitment to pursue it, and providence will follow.
-Farmer Susie