Help Winter Damaged Bamboo Nursery
Donation protected
[UPDATE: We've moved the campaign to raise money for the bamboo farm here: http://www.gofundme.com/americabamboofarms]
I started Brightside Bamboo with the belief that bamboo farming was one of the few great hopes for America's environment, economy, and health. I still believe that.
Five years ago, me, my wife and children took the step of faith and started the company. We began helping people manage their existing bamboo, harvesting edible shoots for sale to restaurants, consulting with famers and homeowners, and even helping several people get bamboo farms started. But the farming projects were few and far between. So the nursery was started three years ago to grow bamboo for farms, and also to fund the vision.
Last month was the coldest February in 35 years, and despite our best efforts, we lost 80% of the nursery stock. We have given everything we have to make this business work, but after just two weeks of bad weather we're in danger of losing it all. Soon I will have better pictures of the damage, but for now there are a few on Brightside Bamboo's Facebook stream.
The bulk of our sales happen in spring, and we don't have nearly what we need to make this season successful. I was in shock and didn't know what to do as it became more and more apparent that almost all of the bamboo was dead or damaged.
I had the idea to create this GoFundMe campaign to see if you good people would be able to help set us on our feet by funding the digging and buying of enough bamboo to make a good spring ($19,000 replacement cost) as well as funding the materials to build a greenhouse, so this doesn't happen again (another $9,000).
There are 3 ways you can help:
1 - Be a champion for our cause. Get to know more about bamboo in America and join the American Bamboo Society.
2 - Invite others to be engaged. Share this page and find others to join you in supporting Brightside Bamboo as we move forward.
3 - If you are able, make an investment in our future, and the future of our country.
Thank you for your time. I'll see you soon.
I started Brightside Bamboo with the belief that bamboo farming was one of the few great hopes for America's environment, economy, and health. I still believe that.
Five years ago, me, my wife and children took the step of faith and started the company. We began helping people manage their existing bamboo, harvesting edible shoots for sale to restaurants, consulting with famers and homeowners, and even helping several people get bamboo farms started. But the farming projects were few and far between. So the nursery was started three years ago to grow bamboo for farms, and also to fund the vision.
Last month was the coldest February in 35 years, and despite our best efforts, we lost 80% of the nursery stock. We have given everything we have to make this business work, but after just two weeks of bad weather we're in danger of losing it all. Soon I will have better pictures of the damage, but for now there are a few on Brightside Bamboo's Facebook stream.
The bulk of our sales happen in spring, and we don't have nearly what we need to make this season successful. I was in shock and didn't know what to do as it became more and more apparent that almost all of the bamboo was dead or damaged.
I had the idea to create this GoFundMe campaign to see if you good people would be able to help set us on our feet by funding the digging and buying of enough bamboo to make a good spring ($19,000 replacement cost) as well as funding the materials to build a greenhouse, so this doesn't happen again (another $9,000).
There are 3 ways you can help:
1 - Be a champion for our cause. Get to know more about bamboo in America and join the American Bamboo Society.
2 - Invite others to be engaged. Share this page and find others to join you in supporting Brightside Bamboo as we move forward.
3 - If you are able, make an investment in our future, and the future of our country.
Thank you for your time. I'll see you soon.
Organizer
David Benfield
Organizer
Chapel Hill, NC
