Thanks to the generosity of over 65 individual donors and countless shout outs and other types of support, we are 71% to our year-end fundraising goal as of December 21st, 2020! We’ve got 10 days to finish strong!
Help ensure our low-income community members experiencing food insecurity can access delicious Rock Steady produce in 2021. Donate today!
Thank you to Walter Hergt for filming and editing this video!
Learn more about our Work:
This month we’ve been sharing about the 4 interconnected issues that drive our work — from Food Access, to Climate/Land Care, to Farmer Advocacy and finally, this week is all about Community Engagement. Thank you for reading, sharing, reflecting and contributing financially if you are able!
2019 Collaboration with Wildseed Community Farm and Soul Fire’s Youth Immersion.
Our Food Access initiatives succeed because of the strength of our community partnerships, and the time we invest in them.
These relationships, both locally upstate and throughout New York City, center on outreach, distribution and connection with the communities we feed.
This is in stark contrast to the majority of existing food aid in our country which separates, hides and dehumanizes those who can not afford healthy food. Typically people have no choices beyond highly processed, shelf stable foods with very little nutritional value.
Instead, we survey all of our members, catering our crop plan to meet people’s diverse culturally-specific needs, send weekly farmer newsletters in season, and during non-COVID times welcome them to the farm or give workshops in their neighborhoods. We do our best to meet people where they are at, bringing our produce to community centers, and door-to-door locally, in order to create a unique and accessible experience with our farm and food.
To read more about some of our 2020 food access partnerships click here or here.
This shot is from one of our legendary Fall farm parties, back when 400+ people in a greenhouse was a thing!
Moreover, we see Rock Steady as a space to gather, learn, restore, and take action.
We are committed to sharing our stories, amplifying the needs of the communities we work with, and using our platform to organize, educate and inspire collective change.
We’ve got exciting plans in the works.
One of our goals for 2021 is to strengthen our Community Engagement pillar by offering new education programs, workshops and virtual programming to existing CSA members, community partners and an extensive network of LGBTQ+ farmers.
2021 will be a year to test programming ideas and logistics in order to evaluate and intentionally develop educational programming and curriculum that is aligned with our mission.
If our fundraising is successful, here are some of the things we can all look forward to in 2021!
We hope to pilot two seven day immersions, a program we are calling “POLLINATE!”, for beginner queer and trans farmers at Rock Steady, in order to help us on our journey towards a bold vision for a paid apprenticeship program in 2022!
We also plan to offer virtual and occasional in-person workshops for the public on topics ranging from a 101 on our sliding scale model, to tractor training and herbal medicine — taught by Rock Steady farmers & incredible guest teachers.
As COVID safety allows, we will host three community Work Days & farm tours throughout the season — open to all CSA members, solidarity share recipients and the public.
We also hope to host our Fall Farm Party again! As long as COVID allows.
As always, we’ll continue to collaborate and strategize with regional partners to organize to meet the needs of our community.
Help us reach our goal - we are so close!
If you have the resources to contribute, we hope you’ll consider a year-end gift to our Food Access Fund. Your donation will allow us to grow and distribute high quality, sustainable produce to those who cannot afford food.
To everyone who has already donated — THANK YOU! Your support means so much.
Want another way to get involved? Forward this series along to someone in your life who might want to join you in this effort!
Lastly, even though we are focused on our fundraising initiative right now, our 2021 CSA is also open for registration! Anyone can join for the best of the season’s harvest, with 20 weekly shares, June through November. We offer sliding scale pricing, flexible payment plans and “full diet” optional add-on shares.
