Franklinton Gardens Tractor Fund
Franklinton Gardens needs your help to purchase a 2 wheel walk-behind tractor! The tractor will allow us to increase the amount of food we grow and to expand our garden sites.
Since 2009, Franklinton Gardens has evolved from a small community garden, into a 2.5 acre nonprofit urban farm. In 2015, we started a weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program to provide healthy food to our neighbors. This year, we plan to double our CSA from 20 members to 40 members, and we have a greater potential to reach hundreds of households if we expand our farm.
We currently have about 200 garden beds, and we plan to create 50 more this year. To prepare these beds by hand, using digging forks, hoes and takes, it would take 81 ½ hours (3.4 days nonstop!!!). A tractor would have it done in 8.3 hours! Preparing beds for planting is a common task that is highly weather dependent; we can only work when the soil is just right. The tractor will allow us to take advantage of days when the soil can be worked, which can be few and far between during the spring and summer months.
Not only will the tractor allow us to expand our operation, it will greatly increase our productivity. This increase in productivity will enable us to better pursue our mission of creating community food security in Franklinton.
We would love to get our hands on this tractor by June 2016. We’ll use some of the farm’s money to acquire it, alongside the funds that are donated.
Franklinton Gardens has the experience and expertise to greatly expand its farming operations, but cannot do so without a tractor. Please help Franklinton Gardens expand by donating today!
