Resource Field Office
Donation protected
Hello!
My name is David Pitterle, I am a Life Scout in Boy Scout Troop 1210 and I am working to earn my Eagle rank. To do this, I must complete a service project to benefit the community, and as such, I am working with a church in South Orange County who runs a large produce farm (“Farm”). The Farm’s mission calls out to me. They grow organic, fresh produce throughout the year and share it with food pantries to bring vitamin-rich and mineral-rich food to those families who need it the most. Orange County has a large population of families who are unable to feed themselves. Also, 70 percent of people in need are under the age of 15, so anything we can do to help adults and children to get a healthy meal is a mission worth pursuing. For my project, I will be restoring an abandoned shed and turning it into a finished resource field office (16 feet by 12 feet) for the farm’s volunteer staff. This office will fill two roles. First, it will act as the farm’s much needed administrative hub, allowing the volunteers to store records, receipts, plans, designs, and other necessary material to run its complex operations. Second, it will act as a showcase to highlight photos, memorabilia, models, and repeatable plans to show visiting organizations as the Farm begins its outreach efforts to inspire other groups to replicate their farm-to-food-pantry model across the US.
What is the purpose of the Farm?
The Farm started as a plot of unused land in south Orange County, and it was converted into a small farm dedicated to providing food pantries with freshly picked, grown for them directly, food. By growing their own organic produce, the Farm was able to donate fresh, nutritious, and healthy food directly to food pantries, as opposed to the food pantries' traditional “second hand and close to expiring” sources.
The Farm is more than just a place to grow food. The Farm wants to help people on a more personal level. They go out of their way to not just feed families, but to also help them get back on their feet economically. The Farm helps them find jobs, it provides them connections into the community, and it teaches them new skills. The Farm is run entirely by volunteers, and it has created a tight-knit community that helps support each other. In this community, everyone is accepted ranging from foster children who may be learning what it means to work with their hands, to military veterans recovering from PTSD via the therapeutic act of planting and harvesting, to the many other volunteers who want to share their gifts with those in need.
The Farm is made of 40 planters where food is grown, and dozens of those planters were built by Eagle Scouts in my troop. In fact, the most recent addition to the Farm was a greenhouse built by one of my troop friends who completed his Eagle project here. I have been fortunate enough to have been involved with the Farm since the start, and I am very excited to help expand their projects.
My name is David Pitterle, I am a Life Scout in Boy Scout Troop 1210 and I am working to earn my Eagle rank. To do this, I must complete a service project to benefit the community, and as such, I am working with a church in South Orange County who runs a large produce farm (“Farm”). The Farm’s mission calls out to me. They grow organic, fresh produce throughout the year and share it with food pantries to bring vitamin-rich and mineral-rich food to those families who need it the most. Orange County has a large population of families who are unable to feed themselves. Also, 70 percent of people in need are under the age of 15, so anything we can do to help adults and children to get a healthy meal is a mission worth pursuing. For my project, I will be restoring an abandoned shed and turning it into a finished resource field office (16 feet by 12 feet) for the farm’s volunteer staff. This office will fill two roles. First, it will act as the farm’s much needed administrative hub, allowing the volunteers to store records, receipts, plans, designs, and other necessary material to run its complex operations. Second, it will act as a showcase to highlight photos, memorabilia, models, and repeatable plans to show visiting organizations as the Farm begins its outreach efforts to inspire other groups to replicate their farm-to-food-pantry model across the US.
What is the purpose of the Farm?
The Farm started as a plot of unused land in south Orange County, and it was converted into a small farm dedicated to providing food pantries with freshly picked, grown for them directly, food. By growing their own organic produce, the Farm was able to donate fresh, nutritious, and healthy food directly to food pantries, as opposed to the food pantries' traditional “second hand and close to expiring” sources.
The Farm is more than just a place to grow food. The Farm wants to help people on a more personal level. They go out of their way to not just feed families, but to also help them get back on their feet economically. The Farm helps them find jobs, it provides them connections into the community, and it teaches them new skills. The Farm is run entirely by volunteers, and it has created a tight-knit community that helps support each other. In this community, everyone is accepted ranging from foster children who may be learning what it means to work with their hands, to military veterans recovering from PTSD via the therapeutic act of planting and harvesting, to the many other volunteers who want to share their gifts with those in need.
The Farm is made of 40 planters where food is grown, and dozens of those planters were built by Eagle Scouts in my troop. In fact, the most recent addition to the Farm was a greenhouse built by one of my troop friends who completed his Eagle project here. I have been fortunate enough to have been involved with the Farm since the start, and I am very excited to help expand their projects.
Why a resource field office?
Many people may wonder why having a resource field office will benefit the Farm. The Farm currently grows several tons of produce each year for families but they want to do more. Lots more. The Farm wants to take the model they have successfully built in south Orange County, and enable lots of other charitable organizations across the country to repeat it in their own backyards. Repeating their successful and sustainable model could mean countless more desperate families are fed across the US. It would be a way to grow the positive impact of the Farm well beyond the addition of a few more acres or planters. Aside from the practical aspects of the office helping to keep the Farm’s operations running smoothly, it is also intended to be a showcase. It will hold inspirational photos of the volunteers and the food they produce, it will hold memorabilia from families positively affected by the farm, and it will hold models and “repeat-it-yourself” plans to aid organizations in building their own produce farms. This is where leaders from other organizations will be taken to learn about the good work they can copy.
To do this I NEED HELP!
In order to fully restore the abandoned shed into a functioning office and meeting space, it will cost around $4,700 for all of the materials. Any donation, no matter how big or small, is much appreciated! Thank you so much for helping me work towards my Eagle rank and thank you for helping the thousands of families in need who are fed by the Farm every day.
Many people may wonder why having a resource field office will benefit the Farm. The Farm currently grows several tons of produce each year for families but they want to do more. Lots more. The Farm wants to take the model they have successfully built in south Orange County, and enable lots of other charitable organizations across the country to repeat it in their own backyards. Repeating their successful and sustainable model could mean countless more desperate families are fed across the US. It would be a way to grow the positive impact of the Farm well beyond the addition of a few more acres or planters. Aside from the practical aspects of the office helping to keep the Farm’s operations running smoothly, it is also intended to be a showcase. It will hold inspirational photos of the volunteers and the food they produce, it will hold memorabilia from families positively affected by the farm, and it will hold models and “repeat-it-yourself” plans to aid organizations in building their own produce farms. This is where leaders from other organizations will be taken to learn about the good work they can copy.
To do this I NEED HELP!
In order to fully restore the abandoned shed into a functioning office and meeting space, it will cost around $4,700 for all of the materials. Any donation, no matter how big or small, is much appreciated! Thank you so much for helping me work towards my Eagle rank and thank you for helping the thousands of families in need who are fed by the Farm every day.
Organizer
Brian Pitterle
Organizer
Lake Forest, CA