Help California Street Farm recover from fire damage

6/14/2024 Update -- Thank you!! Because of your amazing care and support, we have reached our fundraising goal for California Street Farm! Deep gratitude for your generosity. If you wish to stay tuned for other ways to engage this community, follow @californiastreetfarm on social media, hit up californiastreetfarm.com, or stop by a Monday night farm stand (4:30-6:30 on the farm) or Saturday morning Farmer's market (Saturdays 9am-1pm, 629 NE 2nd Street) sometime!

On the evening of May 1st, Elyssa Eull, steward and farmer of California Street Farm, experienced a house-fire, causing extensive damage to the seedling operation she had in place. Without a greenhouse, Elyssa grew plants for California Street Farm in the basement of her home. After months of planning, seeding, and tending these young seedlings, almost 4,000 plant starts were wiped out by the fire, as well as many pieces of equipment. On the cusp of planting season, this was shocking and devastating. Thankfully, every resident (and pet!) made it out safely, if very smoky.

The amount of support Elyssa and California Street Farm has received in the wake of this overwhelming event has been truly incredible; loved ones, neighbors, and fellow farmers have sprung into action to donate a plethora of new seedlings, volunteer on the farm, and offer their support as Elyssa navigates this growing season. However, we have learned that California Street Farm is not yet eligible for MN specialty crop insurance, and as such there are remaining outstanding costs to repair and replace various equipment and materials destroyed in the fire.

Items to replace include the following:

We have offered to put together this GoFundMe to help Elyssa recoup some of her losses, and give the wider world the opportunity to support this vibrant and beloved member of the community. We believe California Street Farm is an integral part of the fabric of Northeast Minneapolis, and we want to support an amazing young farmer working tirelessly to get good, healthy vegetables into the neighborhood. If you feel the same way, we'd love your support!