I’m Michael, and I’m asking for help for Smyly Farms, our family farm. Asking for help is not easy, but we have reached a point where it feels like a dream we have worked so hard for is starting to slip away. Over the years, we have faced ongoing financial struggles and repeated losses that have set us back again and again. One of the hardest recent setbacks was disease moving through our flock. Watching hens get sick and losing birds we had worked so hard to raise was incredibly stressful and discouraging. It was not just a financial hit from losing hens and seeing egg production tank, but also the emotional weight of wondering what would happen next and how we were going to recover. On top of that, neighbors’ dogs got to our young meat birds, and our tractor clutch went out. At the same time, we poured our savings into 2025 and 2026 investments to pursue organic certification and scale production on the farm property we worked hard to secure. Right now, our current production is not yet profitable, and family support and part-time work are what have helped keep the farm going so far and helped us keep our heads above water.

Your support will help us keep Smyly Farms operating through these continuing setbacks. Funds will go toward purchasing our 2027 flock of hens, duck egg layers, and meat birds, along with repairing the tractor and fixing electrical issues in our market van so we can keep working and keep selling what we produce. These are not one-time challenges for us. Rebuilding after disease in the flock takes time, and steady support would help us keep up with the ongoing need to restore production, keep the farm running, and stay connected to the farmers market community that has supported us for so long. If you are able, please consider a recurring donation to help us manage these continuing needs, or a one-time gift if that is what works for you. Purchasing directly from our farm also makes a huge difference. Smyly Farms would not be what it is without our farmers market community and long-time supporters, and we are deeply grateful for every bit of help that carries us forward.