I’d like to start off by first saying “thank you.” Thank you to all of you who have ever contributed to Fernbrook Farms, whether it be as a summer camp parent, a family program participant, a teacher who has brought your class for an authentic farm education program, a financial contributor, a volunteer working to beautify the farm, a shareholder, a wedding guest or bride and groom. It’s you who make Fernbrook the special place that it is and help us to continue our growth and prosperity and our ability to provide folks with a unique perspective on food, agriculture and the environment and the experiences to learn and therefore make more educated daily choices for healthier lifestyles.
As you can see when you visit the farm, Fernbrook continues to strive and expand despite financially difficult times. In conversations with many of my colleagues working in similar environments, I am reminded of how fortunate we are to be continually growing, to be developing new programs, refurbishing buildings and outdoor spaces and hiring more staff. Upon reflection, I have easily deduced that people out there, people like you, just plain “get it.” Our community members understand the importance of farm-based and environmental education. Even in their efforts to downsize and lead simpler lives, they choose to leave it on the list of things in their lives not to sacrifice or omit. In fact, most people tell me a Fernbrook experience is a reminder to get back to the basics, to simplify and remember what is important in their lives and reconnect to the agrarian roots and heritage that all of us share. We all share the past “culture” of agriculture (read more Wendell Berry to explore this concept further).
I’m not trying to mislead anyone, however. Fernbrook, though successfully developing, is still a bare-bones operation which still requires creativity and ingenuity to maintain. We tighten our belts just like the rest of the country and focus on the needs of the program when making decisions. We rely heavily on the farm to provide us with the educational resources we need to deliver top-notch educational programming and we rely on you, our community for help.
This is where my pitch comes in. Now, I really don’t like asking for money (and I’m not about to ask you here in this letter, so don’t put the Moosletter down just yet!) which in this line of work can be detrimental. I’ve gotten much better at it, even to the point where I ask all my relatives and friends twice a year to make a financial donation (Thank you to all who made donations this year). I do not, however, have a hard time telling people that they can contribute to Fernbrook in so many other ways.
“Getting Involved” will be a new page on our website and it will outline a few options for folks who would like to contribute in ways other than writing a check. First, we’ll be having a “Volunteer Work Day” on May 8th from 8:00 AM to 4 PM. We’ll have jobs for everyone, big and small, to help us spruce up the place for spring programs, field trips and homeschoolers. Also, to help get the barnyard and trails in good shape for summer camp. This, by the way is a great excuse to fire up that old chainsaw that doesn’t get that much use.
Another option outlined in the “Get Involved” page, is a request for volunteers to help coordinate and maintain our Children’s Garden. We’ve worked very hard to develop a unique educational garden and need multiple sets of hands to maintain it throughout the summer. The rewards of working in the garden are endless and fruitful (figuratively and metaphorically speaking).
We’re also offering an opportunity for high school students to do some volunteer work with our summer camp kids. The right candidate is someone who enjoys children and has an interest in gaining experience in a work place that provides a safe, structured environment for children to learn and play. Volunteers will be closely supervised and guided by our seasoned summer camp staff.
Also new to the website will be options for folks to make contributions through a wish list for Gifts In-Kind, Planned Giving and other donation options.
Lastly, I give you one more alternative way to give back to Fernbrook. As most of you know, Fernbrook doesn’t delve too far into the political arena, though we do sit at the table with The New Jersey Department of Agriculture at many meetings. With that said, I do ask you all to take a few minutes to explore these two issues.
I’m going to assume that most of you reading this article will agree with me on two basic points. The first is that children deserve to have the option of eating fresh, healthy food at school and the second is that children need to spend more time outdoors. If you agree with me on this, then I encourage you to explore the following websites.
The first Act, which has just been introduced by Rush Holt, our congressman from the 12th Distrcit, is the Farm to School Act. This bill would allow and require school food service providers to contract local growers to supply more fresh food to school cafeterias, as well as supplement nutrition education in public schools.
The second is the No Child Left Inside Act. This act is currently going through congress and needs public support to pass. Briefly, it asks congress for more finan- cial resources for Environmental Education programs, like Fernbrook’s, to facilitate hands-on learning experiences for public and private school children outside of the classroom to instill greater stew- ardship and environmental understanding at an early age. Please visit the website, learn more about the act and write to your congressman or congresswoman in support.
While Fernbrook has been forced to raise some program fees in order to im- prove the quality of our education pro- grams, we are still one of the most rea- sonably priced in private, non-profit, farm-based education. We hope that you’ll take some time to “Get Involved” and help us to continue our mission to “educate about food, agriculture and the environment” Please contact me with any questions. Thanks again to all of you for all your continued support in the sustainability of Fernbrook Farms Education Center.
