Help Save Pioneer Renee's Organic Farm
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Yesenia - I am starting this Go Fund Me to help a dear friend and farming mentor Renee, a pioneer in the organic food movement and land conservation since the early 1970's. I'm an environmental lawyer who is passionate about our food integrity and preserving our land in harmony with nature. 20 years ago I met this beautiful soul - Farmer Renee, owner of Willow Ridge Organic Farm. I admired Renee's devotion and dedication to preserving our land and farming for 50+ years. And of course her vegetables and fruits were absolutely delicious…beyond anything I had ever tasted!
Here is Renee’s personal story & why we are humbly asking for your support.
“Maybe it was destiny but it certainly was unplanned. It took only six months to change my life, and, in 1973, and with very little money, as if by a miracle, I was able to buy a small farm and move my little family to a beautiful, magical place now called the "driftless" in southwestern Wisconsin. I became a woman farmer who certified organic before it became a trend. I was headed for a career in nutrition before that move, now I thought, if I couldn't teach nutrition, I'd grow nutrition. But that road was not an easy one, and it wasn't just me and being new at farming. The fate of farming was changing.
This move to farming became the story of my life and with all the challenges, I've became part of this land. Now I'm reaching out for help because this small family farm is set for a sherrif's sale with a redemption date of March 31st. Over these years, I've watched the slow, steady, and sad decline of small family farms around me being replaced by factory farming. When I first moved here 50 years ago, there were 24 small family dairy farms around our nine mile ridge, and now there is only one, very newly resurrected by the neighbors hopeful kids as a grass fed dairy.
In the farm crisis of the 1980's thousands of small generational farms and farmers lost their land to foreclosure. In the last few years so did thousands more. In our volunteer grass roots movements, many of us spent a lot of time with desparate farmers at their farm auctions. With land as collateral and factors out of the control of the farmer, like weather, markets, and policy decisions, those losses mean that factory farms are taking their place.
Now, after fifty years, it's this farm that's at risk. This looming March 31st date will outrun the chance for our appeal to be heard and any expectation of an extension of time in this case has become impossible. Here, in Wisconsin, there's no chance to redeem after the confirmation of a sherrif's sale, so this window of time is truly critical.
You may be asking how did I get here…this is how.
In June of 2015 an EF1 tornado hit my farm causing catastrophic damage and a huge setback in every direction, then, not even three months later, I had a serious health emergency that required a med flight, and weeks in ICU. That made two disasters in 3 months during the 2015 growing season. When I let my mortgage holder know my circumstances, she replied by email, "sorry to hear that, but I'm foreclosing". She was an individual who, in the past, made an interest only loan to me for $25,000 at 7%. It seemed like a blessing at the time when I needed to pay overdue property taxes. Fast forward with nine long years of prolonged and complex litigation and the death of my son in early March of 2021, that foreclosure case is not yet resolved. The price tag after years of interest payments and attorney fees will be almost $127,000. Possibly the worst of the mortgage surprises I've learned about through this ordeal is that a defaulting debtor pays all of the attorney fees--your own as the debtor and the creditor's. It's been long and hard.
What is needed at this point to save the day is an additional $28,000 to complete an accepted offer and to finally settle this case. I've exhausted my resources. My family has helped to put together almost two thirds of this final settlement offer but they're also at the end of what they can do. Please do what you can to help, I have more work to do and saving this farm will keep one more small organic farm on the landscape."
In gratitude, here's a list of "5 Things You Should Know Right Now about the Integrity of Our Food and Land in the US and what you can do"
The total tally of farmers, from organic to corporate make up a number that's less than 1% of our population. In the 70's the policy was "get big or get out" and that's given us factory farming, acres of hydroponics, lots of agicultural plastic, and poinsoning of our air and water. We can take it back. It will take education and intention but the pay off is worth it and there are many forerunners out there dedicated to help. Here are a few ideas, both big and small to power up and make a difference.
1. If you garden, promote diversity. Learn about seed saving and why you
should. If you don't garden--please get familiar with seed companies
that have comtinually protected our seed heritage. There's Johnny's
Selected started in 1975 and now employee owned and Baker Creek Seed
Company started in 1998. Baker Creek has a catalog so beautifuly donel
it can be given as a gift. These and other quality seed companies have
taken on the work of preserving our seed legacy. Order Spring catalogs
featuring heirloom herbs, flowers, fruits and veggies and be amazed.
2. Although I first certified organic in 1974, there's an organization of activists like Vandana Shiva, Elliot Coleman, Alice Waters and more, called the Real Organic Project. It really is the real deal. It's educating on the organic movement and how to preserve it's integrity. I containers suspended over ground that is not organic. This is creating organic food opportunities but is it truly organic if we aren't caring for the land. https://realorganicproject.org
3. Your food dollar has power! You can help direct the food movement by how you spend it. When you complain about prices just know that, although farmers bear almost all the risk, they are getting only a small % of that price. Avoid the middleman when you can and buy direct from farmers markets in season and get familiar with like minded shoppers and go in together on direct sales from farmers. It makes community at the same time.
4. The land--my particular concern. "The current system is moving towards farming without farms and farms without farmers."- Vandana Shiva () The world is moving towards farms without land. Land is the prize that wars are fought over. It is irreplaceable and precious. Our land and our food are not separate, we need to care for the land and the food we put in our bodies. soil ..... Don't it always seem / That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?/ They paved paradise, put up a parking lot...Big Yellow Taxi
5. Learn the terms so you're not fooled by marketing hype. Grass Fed. Cage Free. And my favorite--"sustainable". Can't almost anything be called sustainable if it just has the ability to keep going--like a Texas oil well. And read labels for ingredients. See how often the term natural falvors is used--do they distill the essence of strawberries in a secret formula from fresh ripe strawberries ? Last but not least, the new more digestable term for GMOs in a product is bioengeered. The label I'm reading says all good things and in the fine print-yep!
We need a bigger voice for the care of the land and the integrity of our food system. It's too big a job to be left solely to the farmer."
For those that are able to donate $500 or more, Farmer Renee is happy to do a phone consultation to help give advice on farming, gardening, or any other questions you may have about food, seeds, starting/optimizing your own garden, starting a farm (related topics).
Additionally, here’s a past video interview with Farmer Renee that includes some photos of her farm:
Thank you!
With much gratitude & blessings,
Farmer Renee & Yesenia
Organizer and beneficiary
Yesenia Villasenor
Organizer
Wauzeka, WI
Renee Randall
Beneficiary
