The Family
Christine Davis is a prolific mother, home educator, steadfast ally, wannabe homesteader, and chief operations officer of a a single-income family of ten. After years of dreaming for a piece of land to nurture while bouncing from one apartment to another, the Davis family finally found the right home with a bit of land earlier in the year. They've worked incredibly hard, on a shoestring budget, to raise their children in an environment of healthy spirit, healthy food, and abundant educational options. For the past several years I've been a family friend and have seen firsthand how Christine and her husband Jason are quick to offer a helping hand, whether for childcare, helping us move, participating in work days at our farm, or whatever other service they can offer.
They're also active in our local community; they are members at St. John of the Ladder Orthodox Church, where their oldest son is an altar server. Christine is a frequent volunteer at local homeschooling meetups and the agricultural gatherings and work days. Also they are geeks, raising their children on a diet of Doctor Who, strategic board games, and classic Sci-Fi and Fantasy (one of their children is named for the hero in C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy).
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The Massacre
After moving into their new home they were able to scrape together a chicken coop and run, a brooder, and an incubator to raise a small flock of Americaunas and Guineas. This past Friday evening, a raccoon made it past their fence and killed 13 of 14 of the twelve-week-old birds. They need a better fence, but will have to wait until next year to be able to afford to start over, and in the meantime the family is going through eight dozen eggs per week.
Losing livestock is a fact of life. Many of us who raise animals for food have experienced a few deaths, and a few of us have had catastrophic total losses such as these. The Davis' are resilient; they will rebuild as they can, even while Christine's heart is aching from the loss and setback.
As someone who firsthand has experienced their kindness and help without hesitation, I am not willing to let this awesome family go another year without being able to produce their own protein, and I'm hoping you might be willing to help me get them back in business. Joining me in this effort is renowned homesteading author Jenna Woginrich, owner of Cold Antler Farm and author of five books on the joy and loss of raising your own food. Christine, inspired by Jenna's journey into becoming a farmer, reached out to Jenna to offer a word of wisdom on moving on after such a loss. Jenna responded by writing an eloquent and heartfelt blog entry that same day.
The Plan
I want to raise $1,000 to rebuild the Davis chicken empire within 14 days. I brought the idea to Christine, she doesn't understand why anyone would be interested in contributing, but she views all of life as a gift, and is more than happy to have any assistance. I've even talked her into creating a few creative ideas for rewards. One Thousand dollars should allow her to rebuild her fence, expand her coop a bit, and buy new birds. If there are any funds leftover after this, or we raise more than $1,000, she plans on using that money to add ducks and turkeys to her setup and help her 13-year-old daughter start up a rabbit breeding mini-business.
The current coop:
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Perks
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$1 - Heartfelt thanks - Every little bit helps!
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$5 - Religious Remembrance - For the next month, you or a person of your choice will be remembered daily at family prayers.
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$10 - Agricultural Posterity - Your name and/or a family-friendly short phrase will be written on the walls of the updated coop.
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$25 - Modern Art - You will receive an original watercolor painting of your favorite farm animal from one of the Davis children as well as your name on the coop.
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$50 - Nomenclature - You get naming rights to one of the laying hens purchased with the campaign funds, as well as all the above rewards.
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$100 - Benefactor - You are the kind of person that makes magic happen. You'll receive all of the above rewards and most likely have a standing offer to share a meal with the family if you're in the neighborhood.
Resources