Saving Daisey Hill
Donation protected
Hey everyone, my name is Hailey Cookingham. You probably either know me as a hairdresser in millerton or as “the farmers daughter” of Daisey Hill Farm, also in millerton. I am making this on behalf of the most hardworking people I know; my parents/ the owners of Daisey Hill Farm.
With all that follows in this gofundme, (I know, it’s a lot sorry) we are asking for help. Help to keep the traditions and memories alive. Help to keep it so that you can drive 5 minutes from town & get local homegrown vegetables. With the debt that the farm has endured due to a huge loss in profits (mostly from weather) the outlook seems pretty weak that we will be able to come out of this. Any & all financial contributions will be appreciated more than words can describe. With this fundraiser we can hopefully keep the farm going for many more years. Or at least pay off the huge losses we’ve taken the past few years due to unforeseen circumstances. We don’t want this to be the end. Thank you. :)
As everyone knows, inflation has been a very real burden for everyone. It has affected everything in our lives, especially for small/local businesses. At Daisey Hill we do not own the land, we own the business, which makes this even more difficult. Times are very different & with that being said; we all need help.
Daisey Hill has been a yearly tradition for many families, whether it’s during the fall for pumpkins & hayrides or during the summer for our award winning corn & veggies. The past couple of years it has been hard to keep up with activities that everyone loves to do. From Covid, inflation & weird/unpredictable weather, it hasn’t just affected the families that love to go out & do these things; it’s affected the family that makes it happen. This is our livelihood. Not just the farm, but also our part in making memories that last forever. I have many clients that get so excited and love to share their memories when I tell them my family owns Daisey Hill Farm & that kind of stuff makes my heart so happy. It shows just how much my parents do to make other people’s and families happy. My parents have put their all into this, working day & night to keep the farm going. But what happens when a tractor tire for the hayride goes flat? You have to pay for a new tire, someone to fix it & someone to drive the tractor so we can still have the hayride. Not just is it about supplies & maintenance, it’s about having enough people to help/work so we can keep this going. I grew up with the luxury of being able to bring friends over and randomly go for a hayride, go through the corn maze, or even just walk across the driveway & help my friends make a special potted plant for Mother’s Day. It’s something I didn’t know was so special and rare, until it was almost gone.
Farming is so hard. One year it doesn’t rain enough, and that means we have to go through the local brook to irrigate so plants/crops/corn can grow. The next year it rains too much so our pumpkins/gourds & hay water-rot in the field. It’s unpredictable & it’s cruel. My parents do so much, spend so much of their energy, time & effort into making this farm ‘the’ farm to go to. It is not, by any means an easy job, but they continue to do it to provide for not just our family, but for yours. My dad started working at this exact farm, and living in that exact home at 17 years old (a long time ago haha). A few years later my mom and he got married and have been working there ever since. They then bought the business (not the land) in 2018. It’s not just a job, it’s a passion, as farming is not for the weak of heart. Everyday I look up to my parents in awe of how much they do, how much they’ve accomplished & how much they continue to do.
Thank you for reading.
Organizer and beneficiary
Hailey Cookingham
Organizer
Millerton, NY
Jessica Cookingham
Beneficiary
