Replace Heartbeet Farm’s greenhouse

In the predawn hours of March 11, fire  took over our greenhouse and burned it almost completely down.  The fire department came and put it out but not before it was almost completely destroyed.  We heated the greenhouse  with a large woodstove and it appears to have gotten some rusty spots which allowed sparks to escape and start the blaze.  Our full time work is as vegetable farmers and our one and only greenhouse is the beginning of the season and an integral part of getting things going for the year.  We already had around 65,000+ onions and shallot seeds planted in there.  This loss is a massive setback for us as it was a key piece of our infrastructure as a working farm and it is extremely timely that it be re-built asap as it is seed starting time.  This greenhouse was also shared by another small vegetable farm, Hare and Tortoise, who depend on the infrastructure and also lost plants and seed starting supplies in the fire.  

We immediately began the major clean up job and will be completely replacing the greenhouse plastic ($1,000), replacing the woodstove with an outdoor wood furnace/boiler set up, rebuilding the north wall of the greenhouse, getting electrical needs situated such as for thermostats, replacing fans, germination chamber, heat mats for seed germination, ordering replacement seeds for the shallots and onions that were lost, more plant trays, potting soil, hoses, and more.  For now, the frame of the greenhouse seems strong enough and hopefully it will hold up.  The goal of our fundraiser is for about 50% of what we estimate we will need to replace. We humbly ask if you have a little to share, it would be of great help.  Sharing our go fund me site among your network is helpful as well. We appreciate our community and any support you have for us is invaluable.  

Unforeseen accidents are never part of a small farm’s financial plan for the year.  This setback comes at a time of year when farm income is at it's lowest and equals a major loss of time as we try to get rolling for the season.   We appreciate your prayers, thoughts, and support as we get through this rough patch!