Earth Source Gardens Mission Statement
(The New Pioneer Co-op Board of Directors Planning Committee recently asked members and staff for input regarding the future of New Pioneer Co-op. Here is my vision.)
Mission: How do we expand the seasonality, availability, variety, affordability, and sustainability of local foods in accordance with natural and organic principles?
Create programs which empower individuals, business owners, and the community to produce and consume good clean local food, as well as to have fun, and learn from educational events.
By: Establishing a non-profit foundation possibly named Local Abundance, with a board of directors from the local community, beginning with grants and creating funding streams, with staff paid by grants and money generated by projects.
Who might serve on Board: a Co-op vision person, a small biz and finance person, a grant-writing person, a knowledgeable legal person, possibly the land owner, possibly a food bank person, animal welfare person, Project Green type community person, City of IC person, local food growers, consumers, and buyers?
Year One: Year of the Vegetable
Consumer Project: Individual garden plots using sustainable methods
Small Business Project: Market gardens, bedding plants, hoop greenhouses, root cellar space delivery or rental, winter CSA
Educational Project: Classes as suitable on various aspects, with demos and hands-on experience
Cultural Project: Begin to establish an Arboretum starting with perennial fruits and vegetable beds, create associated seasonal events
Capital Needs: Land, seeds, plant material, water source, fencing against deer, hand and power tools, and storage for tools, produce washing station, seated classroom/cooking classroom with kitchen on site
Community Service: Donation of surplus produce to food banks, creation of picnic campfire site
Year Two: Year of Grains and Dried Beans
(Continue previous year’s projects)
Consumer Project: Continue individual garden plots using sustainable methods
Small Business Project: Small scale grain and dried bean production (especially soy for tofu, and corn for cornmeal), cut flower markets, establish prairie plantings for seed harvest, raise red worms for sale, bee-keeping, tofu-making, maple syrup production, natural tobacco
Educational Project: Continue classes that are popular from Year One, plus harvesting, winnowing, and grinding grain, making tofu, tour Arboretum to see what is thriving Cultural Project: Establish additional species in Arboretum, including fruit trees, herb and craft plants in arboretum, add perennial and annual and flowering plants, trees and bushes in arboretum
Capital Needs: Land, seeds, plant material
Community Service: Campground for local groups on site
Year Three: Year of the Chicken
(Simultaneously continue all of previous years’ projects)
Consumer Project: Continue individual garden plots as previously
Small Business Project: Establish a laying flock/sell eggs, raise and slaughter meat chickens, raise crops to feed chickens, make and deliver chicken waste compost
Educational Project: Continue year one topics of interest, plus aspects of egg harvest and chicken dressing
Cultural Project: Establish additional fruit trees, herb and craft plants in Arboretum
Capital Needs: Chickens, seeds, plant material, create or locate chicken shelter, fence protection from predators, facilities for on-site overseer
Community Service: Creation of meditation/spiritual studies site, all faiths welcome
Year Four: Year of Milk
(Continue all previous years’ projects)
Consumer Project: Continue individual garden plots using sustainable methods
Small Business Project: Establish cow and goat dairy herds, market milk, make cheese
Educational Project: Continue previous years’ classes as interest directs, IE: how to milk a animal, make cheese, butter, ice cream, sour cream
Cultural Project: Ice cream social, cheese donations
Capital needs: Land, animals, dairy equipment, plant material, shelter for animals
Community Service: Educational tours for groups
Year Five: Year of Meat
(Continue all previous years’ projects)
Consumer Project: Continue individual garden plots using sustainable methods
Small Business Project: Establish beef, pork herds, and goat meat harvest in conjunction with dairy goat management; establish organic local meat processing plant
Educational Project: Continue previous years’ classes and more as interest directs, IE: how to milk a animal, make cheese, butter, ice cream, sour cream, grazing management
Cultural Project: Ice cream social
Capital Needs: Land, animals, shelter for animals, plant material
Community Service: Donate meat to shelters