Hohenwald TN Small Farm/CSA in trouble
Spende geschützt
Avalon Acres is a small local Tennessee farm In Hohenwald that works with 40+ other partner local farms to provide fresh, local, natural food to it's members. We have been successfully providing this service to the greater Nashville area for 10+ years. It is a subscription based service.
This year, two major floods contributed to the destruction of much livestock, fencing and equipment. We lost thousands of chickens. We also had many refrigeration and mechanical failures on our farm. These events caused over $30,000 in damages and unexpected expenses. The result is that the cash reserves we had were quickly depleted and our operating pad decimated. Moreover, mass food chains are beginning to offer alternative products similar to ours causing an unexpected drop in customers to half of what they were last and preceding years. We planned for, grew for, hired for 750+ customers and we have only 360. We never expected this or saw it coming.
We have laid nearly everyone off and are operating on a skeleton crew to make it to the end of the season. We have fallen behind paying our farmers, butcher, and remaining employees. We were a debt free farm for all our years until, in a few short weeks we fell way behind. I cannot tell you the anguish of not being able to pay our bills and the fear of losing our farm we have worked so hard to build. We have adjusted our future plans to overcome these problems, but we’re barely making ends meet to make it to the end of the season. If we don't make it now, there will be no future seasons to put the changes in place. We really need to get our hard working farmers, employees, vendors, local hardware stores paid up. It would mean the world to us.
Throughout 12 years of operation, we have never asked for or received an ounce of help from the government or anyone. After much urging of a few customers and much prayer we have humbled ourselves to ask for help. It is a hard thing to do.
We would be truly be blessed if God answered our call for help through you.
This year, two major floods contributed to the destruction of much livestock, fencing and equipment. We lost thousands of chickens. We also had many refrigeration and mechanical failures on our farm. These events caused over $30,000 in damages and unexpected expenses. The result is that the cash reserves we had were quickly depleted and our operating pad decimated. Moreover, mass food chains are beginning to offer alternative products similar to ours causing an unexpected drop in customers to half of what they were last and preceding years. We planned for, grew for, hired for 750+ customers and we have only 360. We never expected this or saw it coming.
We have laid nearly everyone off and are operating on a skeleton crew to make it to the end of the season. We have fallen behind paying our farmers, butcher, and remaining employees. We were a debt free farm for all our years until, in a few short weeks we fell way behind. I cannot tell you the anguish of not being able to pay our bills and the fear of losing our farm we have worked so hard to build. We have adjusted our future plans to overcome these problems, but we’re barely making ends meet to make it to the end of the season. If we don't make it now, there will be no future seasons to put the changes in place. We really need to get our hard working farmers, employees, vendors, local hardware stores paid up. It would mean the world to us.
Throughout 12 years of operation, we have never asked for or received an ounce of help from the government or anyone. After much urging of a few customers and much prayer we have humbled ourselves to ask for help. It is a hard thing to do.
We would be truly be blessed if God answered our call for help through you.
Organisator
Tim Jen Bodnar
Organisator
Hohenwald, TN