Our story
------------
Norwich FarmShare produces local, seasonal, chemical-free veg with and for the community. We are an eco-award winning not-for-profit cooperative, modelling sustainable urban food supply in Norwich. We've been doing this for seven years now - reconnecting with nature, learning together... and having lots of fun while we're at it.
In 2016 we lost our rented growing land, and we have since secured two new plots. We need funds to become fully operational on our city centre site, and to begin setting up our second, main growing site. These funds will enable us to buy a van, buy and repair equipment, create sheltered areas for storage and volunteers, install a compost loo, and more (read on for details).
Our vision is for a fairer, healthier food system. It's about food security for our communities and our children. And it's about caring for each other and our precious planet. Together we can make it happen.
"I love knowing that my veg has come from just down the road. There's also a real sense of community and solidarity - when FarmShare people get together, you get the feeling it really is possible to change our food system for the better." - Olivia Hanks, FarmShare member
Our new sites at Valpy Avenue and Whitlingham
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After a long search, we have now signed a contract for a new site at Valpy Avenue allotments - two miles north of the city centre in Norwich, and we are in the process of setting this up. As well as growing delicious veg, we'll be focusing our educational and community engagement work here. We also have plans to develop additional growing capacity and opportunities for organic horticultural training on a beautiful three-acre, south facing, second site at Whitlingham.
What we're crowdfunding for
---------------------------------------------------------
Our aim is to become fully operational on our new site at Valpy Avenue by late spring 2018. Your support will enable us to achieve this goal and set up essential infrastructure:
- Purchase or hire equipment to clear couch grass
- Buy a van to deliver produce to our distribution centre
- Buy a roof for our pizza oven
- Install and customise pre-built shed to use as a packing area
- Install a compost loo
- Install a pond liner
- Buy harvesting rainwater kits for polytunnels
- Install mouse-proof storage for produce
- Transport heavy equipment
- Buy a woodburning stove for our volunteer shelter
We will also be able to purchase green manure to begin preparing our second site at Whitlingham and we will have some additional funds to pay for organisational development and marketing to enable us to grow:
- Recruit and train a new grower
- Getting some professional HR (Human Resources) support
- Printing leaflets and flyers
- Ongoing website development
A note about rewards
---------------------------------------
We're really pleased to be able to offer a range of different kinds of rewards from our members and supporters, as well as some small tokens of our heartfelt thanks to everyone who makes a pledge. We have more exciting offers coming in, and will be adding them as we go along.
Please note that we will be asking all Norfolk and Suffolk based pledgers to collect their rewards (if it is a physical object) from a central Norwich location. We will happily post cards, calendars and other items (except tote bags) to people outside the region.
We're planning to have the rewards ready to go as soon as we close the campaign on 11 December - so you can use them for Christmas presents. All the experience based rewards (music lessons, places on courses, etc) will be offered in the Norfolk area. If you like, we can send you the reward in the form of a gift voucher.
More about us
--------------------------
Working co-operatively with local agroecological farmers and growers, we are part of a global network of small-scale growing projects - a dynamic and growing movement commonly referred to as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Our vision is to support food systems that educate, connect and empower local communities to be healthier and more resilient, to be rooted to the land and to each other, and to experience a direct relationship with how our food is produced.
Over the last seven years some 440 Norwich residents have been part of our growing community - learning about ecologically sensitive methods, enjoying and celebrating local seasonal food, and sharing knowledge and expertise. We have also offered volunteering, educational and social events to our members and to the wider public – including schools, youth groups and other disadvantaged groups - and we hope to do much more of this in the future.
Since losing our growing site in Postwick in 2016, we have been working with local organic producers to continue to provide delicious, fresh, chemical-free produce for our members each week.
“The vegetables I receive from FarmShare form the main staple of my weekly shopping and I find it really important to not only know where this food comes from but to have a direct hand in helping to grow it and to see the produce change as the seasons pass. The Farmshare community is brilliant too. I have made some lifelong friendships since I joined and it has inspired me to make some positive life changes.” - Owen Bushell, FarmShare member
Thanks
---------
Thankyou... to our team of volunteers for helping run this campaign and for contributing time, skills, enthusiasm and passion. Thanks to all our members and supporters, to those who have pledged, and those who have offered fantastic rewards.
Special thanks to Matt Robinson for a beautiful campaign video that has made us all proud - www.mattjamesrobinson.com | vimeo.com/matthewrobinsonfilm and to James Frost and John Mudd for the soundtrack www.jamesfrostmusic.com.
Norwich FarmShare - A Growing Community
#NorwichFarmShare #fundourfarm #communityfarming