An Announcement

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We're writing to share some news: Deaf Ecofarm is closing.

Our board has been spread across different parts of the country, and over time that distance made it hard to build the steady, hands-on capacity this work needs. 

At the same time, something exciting has been growing in Rochester. Rochester Deaf Kitchen's Rochester Community Farm has fertile soil and real momentum. We believe in community interconnectedness; we want to help water this fertile ground. 

Deaf Ecofarm began with a $70,000 donation from Mosaic Interpreting Services and $600 in individual donations. These gifts launched the organization, covered board education, and funded a 10 month, paid apprenticeship program across Albuquerque, New Mexico and Richmond, Virginia. This cross-country program provided real, hands-on experience on the land, a foundation upon which our apprentice is now building–in Rochester.

We have approximately $28,000 remaining, and we're donating all of it to Rochester Deaf Kitchen, earmarked for the Rochester Community Farm program. We will continue to support this work as individuals, but–after handing over our assets–formally dissolve Deaf Ecofarm. 

To everyone who believed in this idea: thank you! This isn't a sad ending; it’s genuinely an exciting pivot. We believe in resourcing this dream, regardless of who is holding it. 

With gratitude,

The Board and Directors of Deaf Ecofarm Karina Baker, Founder & Initial Director Emily Haynes McGee, Founder & Initial Director Susi Wilbur, Board President Stu Soboleski, Board Vice President Alex Lynch, Board Treasurer