How It All Started
There are two spiritual dangers of not
owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from
the grocery store and the other is that heat comes from a furnace.-Aldo Leopold
Charles Keefer, a local gardener and master craftsmen along with his wife Tarah Singh, local artist and business owner moved back to the Hendersonville, NC area with a vision to revitalize our community through sustainable ideas and positive energy. Their blended family with six children made them consider many ideas about raising individuals that can offer something real in this world. They began realizing this vision by growing food as a family and distributing farm fresh food to families in the area through Harvest Thyme CSA. They have worked with their group by encouraging simple micro-enterprise projects that demonstrate a focus on environmental stewardship practices. With the help of Dr. Elizabeth Harding, Heidi Mayfield, John and Jeanne Fry and many local artisans, they have participated in helping to arrange educational projects in our area, for "real life" artisan skills. It is their goal to create a simple plan that can easily be duplicated anywhere in the world.
Past Projects
Harvest Thyme Co.Op. and Hendersonville Homegrown
2011-7th Ave fair 2011- children made soap
and saved seeds and planted mini gardens (video on RelyLocal Hendersonville site and on you tube)
2011-True Nature Fair 2011- children
made salsa and pressed over 50 gallons of apple cider
2011-Community garden and Orchard in Hendersonville Phase 2 Approved
2010- 6mo. program for at risk teens modeled as a vegetarian cafe
NC
Food Co-Op and G.O.O.F -Raleigh, NC
(G.O.O.F= growing our own food,families and fun)
2008-2010-Our group worked on cheese and soap-making, milking, gardening skills, vermicomposting (farming worms) and animal husbandry(goats,rabbits and chickens). We also grew herbs in an aquaponics program for local restaurants.
2006- G.O.O.F Hendersonville, NC and in 2007- Inverness, Fl
(G.O.O.F= growing our own food,families and fun)
We did many recycling projects with children, and had a small
community garden off of Buncombe St. in Hendersonville,tie dying and rescuing plants from nursery trash cans. The Children restored these plants to health and sold them for donations.
Our Goal
There is a lot of talk about Occupying Wall St., we also want to encourage this community to "occupy" its own streets, by voting with their dollars. Committing to purchase products that are locally made, businesses that are locally owned and creating job opportunities for artisans to teach their trades to others in a fun, family oriented environment. Hence, the desire is to open a Co-Op with a brick and mortar location. The Harvest Thyme Co-op will facilitate the creation of community gardens and orchards, provide a CSA (community supported agriculture) that will do distribution for several local growers, have cooking demonstrations, and create a storefront that functions to offer classes, artisan sales, and a community gathering place where creativity through arts, food and music can flourish.
The world is full of people from challenging backgrounds with limited resources, striving to attain their goals, to achieve ours, we need a sustainable community model that work for all the members and promotes cooperation for a vibrant local economy. We can't change history, but we can change the future if we work together NOW.
What these funds are for:
This project is being Sponsored by Harvest Thyme CSA
estimate cost
Contributions are for the following to open the doors on a location for a storefront and a classroom and to fund educational projects of Hendersonville Homegrown :
Opening orders with local manufactures with in (80 miles): $6,000
Opening an account with New Sun and Returning Sun herbs and supplements which is based in Hendersonville,NC. Hoping to connect with Gaia Herbs is in Brevard, NC and Leopard Forest Coffee is in Travelers Rest, SC, Things from Home inc. from Asheville, NC, and many other local vendors are contacting us daily.
To finish our non-profit status for Hendersonville Homegrown and allow us to apply for future grants for educational funding and other legal fees. $1,800
Funds will be used for setting up displays and purchasing bulk bins $3,000
Community Gardens materials
(wood,tools,shed,seeds,starter plants,etc) $1,200
Materials for youth public art in these gardens $1,500
Create contract pay positions for local artisan or people who can $3000
teach sustainable life skills as classes
Promotion and marketing materials
(including website update, signage, t-shirts printed for the youth art contest and establishing programs, which will be printed by Green light Printing in Hendersonville, NC) $3,000
Build a stage and purchase stereo equipment and lighting to promote local music, poetry, open mic night, art $3,500
Creating a certified kitchen space and purchase coolers $6,000
We will accomplish each of these goals in the order above as needed funding amounts become available.