2023 Annual Appeal
Our efforts to provide infrastructure and tools to our farmers and opportunities to learn about healthy eating for island school children over the past few years has been made possible by the continued support from our generous donors, supporters, and grantors. At the Farm, we have installed solar, cold storage, a new heated greenhouse, a beekeeper storage and honey extraction shed, and of course, our hugely popular farm stand. Farm to School has benefitted from refurbished raised beds, a new greenhouse and improved irrigation - all making it easier for students to relax and engage with the joyous act of growing food. With food insecurity on the increase on Nantucket, we asked, how can we enable more islanders to begin to grow food at home? Our Homesteading program which commenced in 2022 and further expanded this year has been our response. Plant starts purchased from our farmers and pre-planted in 60 GrowBoxes, each delivered to island families, allowed them to grow their own tomatoes, chilis, basil and squash. Our next phase is to offer mobile chicken coops, complete with laying hens, for those with small backyards - an "egg-cellent" source of protein!
Your donations have enabled us to make growing more food locally and increasing access to all at the center of our mission. Each day,, we are gaining traction and we welcome your company on our road to greater food self-sufficiency for Nantucket!
Together this fall and next year, we hope to:
- Enable more farmers to free range, raise and process more poultry on island with the mobile processing services under discussion with the Town
- Expand our outreach to students and community members interested in a career in farming through workshops, Sustainable Agriculture classes in the high school, internships, and access to land at our Walter F. Ballinger Mentor Farmer Program
- Improved the community visibility of our collaborative role with Nantucket Public Schools to purchase island grown produce from farmers and donate it to the school lunch program. So far this year, this grant-funded effort has resulted in over $10,000 of fresh produce made available for student meals.
Your partnership and generosity towards our mission benefits our community in many ways. We truly couldn't have come this far without your ongoing support.
With our deep thanks in advance,
Posie Constable, and the Sustainable Nantucket Team