Old Gem Farm Revival Fund

To my friends, family, and colleagues,

A little over a month ago I made one of the biggest decisions of my life- I said "yes!"  to an opportunity to live out my life purpose of land stewardship and relocated to a 7 acre farm in a historic agricultural valley in Northern New Mexico. I have been preparing for this moment for many years though education and hands on experimentation, always holding the intention to immerse myself fully in sustainable living. After graduating from Naropa with an MA in Environmental Leadership in 2009, I spent 8 years working mostly indoors, longing to create a life and work that more accurately reflected my love for the natural world and my passion for growing food.  

A series of bafflingly synchronistic events created an opening in my life and supported my inner knowing that now was the time to make the shift into the lifestyle and vocation that could nourish my community and my soul at the same time.  

The property had everything that I would need....the space, soil, and a springfed acequia - an irrigation system that was built by Spanish settlers in the 1700s- which is still communally managed today by the residents of the valley. The farm has been out of operation for 6 years... a farm without a farmer.  When my partner, Tasi, and I arrived we found there was a lot more cleanup and maintenance needed than we had estimated. We spent the first month clearing, hauling, and organizing remnants of a once vibrant veggie farm.  

The farm, affectionately known as the High Road Santuario, looks and feels amazing post cleanup. We are now moving forward with bringing the the fields back into production and are building new infrastructure to support our vision of a holistic, regenerative farmstead, retreat and educational venue. This includes a new greenhouse, chicken coop, beehives, new composting toilets, and solar showers. I plan to use the money raised here to fund material and building costs for these projects as well as the purchase of seeds, fruit trees, various tools and farm equipment such as a wood chipper and tractor. I am also asking for money to cover a portion of the farm’s operating expenses while we are laying the groundwork for a financially and environmentally sustainable farmstead and pursuing our non-profit 501(c)(3) status.

Your initial capital investment into the High Road Santuario will fund the creation of systems that sustain themselves, requiring fewer and fewer inputs both financial and otherwise as these systems get established. Although I plan on incorporating annual crops into our farm for market and seed production, there will also be a focus on perennials such as raspberries and fruit trees that will provide sustenance for many years without the need to disturb soil microlife when replanting.  

The first step in this process was making a commitment to myself, aligning my actions with my deeply held values of earth care and people care. Now, I am asking you, my community, to support me in living and sharing my purpose on earth. I extend my deepest gratitude to each of you who have supported, inspired, and nurtured me over the years and thank you in advance for any contribution to this project.

Everyone who gives to the project through the first week of May will be entered to win a 3 night stay with daily yoga classes at the High Road Santuario Farmstead!

With love and gratitude,
Roslyn


Below is a more detailed breakdown of our budget and how we are spending any money raised through this campaign.

Chickens- new coop and flock $800

Composting system upgrades- $150

Greenhouse materials and labor- $1500

Composting Toilets/ New outhouses- $1000

Outdoor Showers- $1000

Beehives and colonies- $800

Native plants and fruit trees- $1000

Seed stock & soil amendments- $4000

Mushroom cultivation project- $800

Hand tools and other small equipment- $650

Woodchipper- $1000

Farm Truck- $8000

Used Tractor and attachments- $12,000

Canvas tents for volunteers- $1500

Solar water heating- $800

Insurance- $2000

Labor costs- $3500

Non-profit registration- $500

Operating expenses- $3000