Help Kelsey Start Orange Marmalade Farm

Please watch video and read the description below.

Orange Marmalade Farm: Low-Cost Organic Food For Our Community 

We are thrilled to share that Orange Marmalade Farm is about to become a reality in Ashland, OR. We have secured a small parcel of land for lease in partnership with Wild Rose Ranch off of hwy 66. We are prepping to cultivate a 1/4 of an acre this first year with room to expand. 

Hello! My name is Kelsey Jacques, a Michigan-raised, Southern Oregon-transplanted farmer. I've been working on various organic farms and vineyards for the last five years and taking the leap of faith to start a project of my own. My main objectives are to provide healthy food to my local community, fill the large gap in the workforce to replace today’s older generation of farmers, and be a responsible steward of the land by practicing regenerative agriculture. I was exposed to sustainable farming while studying ecovillages and sustainability in 2012 during a study abroad in New Zealand. My knowledge base is a blend of small-scale market veggies, organic and biodynamic practices, Korean natural farming, seed production and cleaning, value added sauces & jams, and non-profit production and education for local food banks. 

Small-scale farming as a career is notorious for being difficult to break into and even harder to come out profitable. The main barriers of getting started are money, access to land, and government subsidies that incentivize monocropping on a large scale while dissuading agricultural land/equipment to be used/made for diversified crops on small farms. These subsidies are reflected in the cost of food. Typically, a highly processed fast food hamburger is a fraction of the price of a bag of organic carrots at the farmers market. We need this to change. The more we support small-scale farmers the more we will see low-cost organic food for everyone in our community. 

I want to grow real accessible food for people in my local community, and the money raised will benefit the business and the people in the communities I plan to help feed.

What will the funds be used for?

The money will be used to invest in various tools and infrastructure that will allow us to grow a successful market garden. Quality, small market garden equipment can make the difference in completing daily tasks in 8 hours vs 1 hour. 

I’ll be purchasing a Paper Pot Transplanter that will allow a single person to transplant over 260 plants, covering over 100ft in just minutes. Farm tasks like transplanting can take a single person an entire day to complete, while being physically demanding. Investing money in quality equipment, infrastructure, and systems is the deciding factor in how successful and efficient small farms become. 

Money raised from this campaign will go directly towards land costs, soil preparation, potting soil, fertilizers, hand & cultivation tools, a compost tea brewer, seeds & propagation materials, growing infrastructure like trellising & row cover, irrigation, harvesting & storage bins, farmers market supplies, marketing, and larger costs like building materials for a post harvest wash & pack station and walk-in cooler. 

Farming is dependent on planning and preparation. A good portion of the funds would go towards investing in the infrastructure we need built by the end of winter 2021 to be prepared for the new growing season this coming spring. 

With Covid having a major impact on shipping the sooner orders are placed, the more we will be prepared for greenhouse/propagation work in the spring. 

Support for a young farmer means everything to the success of their business. With the odds not in favor of allowing access for new farmers to enter our economy, often start-up money is the deciding factor. Your support now will determine the fruition of Orange Marmalade Farm.

My Gratitude

It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am to receive help from my family, friends, and community. This is a dream I have been working towards for the past 8 years. Farming my own crops is my ultimate creative project, and the vocation I have chosen to apply myself as a small contribution to help better the world. I am passionate about growing food, and even more passionate about providing it. Help received from this GoFundMe will be accepted with pure love. Love for the amazing friends and family I am so lucky to have in my life and love for the art of this life project.