Initially, we had set out to come up with a plan that would feed the poor, train and employ aspiring farmers, contribute to the rise of urban agriculture, increase the availability of local food, persuade conventional farmers to switch to more sustainable methods, and generally address environmental and social justice issues. Trying (and failing) to envision how all this would fit into a single business plan, I was reminded of a proverb: “If you chase two rabbits, you will lose them both.”

At our last meeting (Thursday, Sept. 18), we discussed how to narrow our focus to a single project, and came up with the idea to buy a vacant lot from the Columbus city land bank, build a greenhouse there, and produce mixed salads throughout the winter (and presumably the rest of the year as well). Karen suggested that these salads could be sold to local restaurants and in local grocery stores to compete with similar products imported from California and elsewhere. She also pointed out that Second Harvest would pay for produce that may not be of sufficient quality to sell on the open market.

We were talking about doing this as a non-profit organization and using that non-profit status to get a grant for the startup money we’d need. The problem was that we needed a charitable cause, some place to donate any profits. We randomly threw around ideas of possible beneficiaries–OEFFA, Four Seasons Community Garden, Ohio Food Bank, and some others.  Thinking on this since the meeting, I’ve come up with a different idea, one that could grow with us if and when we expand beyond the greenhouse operation, and that more directly addresses our concerns about a lack of processors and canners to handle food from local farmers. Following are some notes outlining this idea that could later be put into an actual business plan:

Overview

The purpose of the foundation is to encourage local production of food by offering material and instructional support to needy entrepreneurs who wish to start new farms or food processing facilities or expand existing small farms and food processing facilities to serve the local community. Principal funding to support this foundation would come from operating the very sorts of industries the foundation wishes to promote.

Goals

- To improve local food security and food quality by increasing the amount of locally produced food available to consumers.

- To strengthen the local economy overall by encouraging the growth of local food production industries.

- To assist people aspiring to work in agricultural or related fields when they might not otherwise have the resources to do so.

- To directly provide jobs, food, and land stewardship to the local community through the farms and other production or processing facilities operated by the foundation.

Operation

The way this would work is that the foundation would, through grants, donations, or other assistance, acquire startup capital to run a farm, orchard, greenhouse, livestock operation, food processing facility (commercial kitchen/cannery), or similar operation, and then run it the same as a private business. Revenues generated would pay operating costs including equipment, materials, supplies, labor, fuel, utilities, etc. Any money generated in excess of costs would go into a fund to be distributed as grants to start or expand local food production and processing operations.

As Karen pointed out, a non-profit organization is allowed to pay for services rendered, and many non-profits have paid employees, so it would be possible (assuming it’s managed well) for members of the organization to earn at least a modest, part-time income doing this. We may be able to get seeds and other supplies donated, and get a grant for the initial money to purchase land and to build a greenhouse. Karen and I have talked some about how to fit out the greenhouse to work as efficiently as possible, collecting and storing rainwater on site. There’s still a lot to work out.

One concern I have is about utilities at the greenhouse site. While water may not be necessary, I think electric is. To avoid the need to heat the entire greenhouse in the winter, we had discussed using soil heating cables in raised beds. Also, fans are useful in a greenhouse, both to ventilate during warm weather and to keep the air moving to prevent fungal diseases. This would require electrical hookup at the greenhouse, which could drastically increase the cost of building one to code. Obviously, this is going to require some more study before we apply for a grant.

On Friday, I met with Ellen Walker, township administrator and farmers’ market manager of Jefferson Township. She and I had been talking earlier in the season about Frijolito Farm renting some land. I’m currently leasing about a fifth of an acre from a friend in Kirkersville, but the 58 mile round trip has encouraged procrastination, not to mention it’s really darned expensive, especially in a truck that gets about 13 miles per gallon. Ellen told me the township owned a 10-acre parcel, seven acres of which they had been renting to a farmer for about twice the price I was paying for less than a quarter-acre. She went on to explain that when the tax assessor discovered a crop was being grown there for profit, he said he was going to tax the land far in excess of the money the farmer was paying to use it unless they destroyed the crop.

See, the land is behind a school and had been set aside for development as a park; therefore, it was exempt from taxation. Since they weren’t immediately able to begin construction of the park, Ellen figured the land might as well be productive while they were waiting. When the county auditor got wind of the soybean crop growing there, he ordered it to be plowed under. Ellen’s idea for next year is to make this acreage the site of Jefferson Township’s community gardens, with individuals being able to apply for their own allotment. This is an appropriate use of park land, so it should put to rest any problems with the auditor.

Before she told me of her plan to turn the field into the community garden site,  I told her about this non-profit organization we’re putting together. I suggested that allowing us to use the land might be a way around her township’s tax problem. She didn’t seem too interested in that particular solution, but she was very interested in the organization itself. She’s involved (on the board, I believe) with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, and in her work as Township Administrator she’s been dedicated to farmland protection and the preservation of the rural nature of the township. She introduced me to Eric Pawlowski of Shepherd’s Corners (who, according to Shepherd’s Corners’ website is currently on the board of OEFFA) and suggested that he might be able to help us in some way. She also gave me contact information for Michael Jones of Local Matters and the Greener Grocer at North Market.

by Frijolitofarmer