Our friends at Purple Mountain Grown have experienced loss due to a tragic fire at Next Step Produce where much of their grains and dried bean harvest has been stored and processed over the years. These two farms have collaborated for more than 10 years and have been at the forefront of small scale grain production in the Mid-Atlantic producing dryland rice, artisanal grains such as wheat, oats, rye, barley and dry beans.

As a fellow farmer, I know that like me they work countless hours daily with the hope that all things will align and we will be able to harvest a viable crop to bring to market. Our desire to feed our communities motivates us to keep going during droughts, floods, and environmental adversities. While this year has been a challenging year climactically, this fire destroyed crucial infrastructure for small scale grain and dry bean production in Maryland.

"It's beyond devastating, and the list of losses keeps growing as you think of all the big and small pieces lost, and things that are irreplaceable like decades of saved seeds and data collection. My wheels are constantly spinning trying to imagine how to keep our operations afloat." (Amanda)

Both farms still have crops in the fields that require specialty equipment to harvest and process. Your donation will help Purple Mountain Grown complete the necessary infrastructure on their farm to process grains on farm and apply for a Maryland Food Processing Plant license. This is the quickest way to help both these farms remain operational and continue to provide beautiful, nutrient dense grains and dry beans.

Please help @doctorfarmerbrother and family build the infrastructure necessary to create a sustainable and more resilient farming operation.

Gale Livingstone

Deep Roots Farm