document by Philippe Donald, 18 Dec 2008
Island Community Agriculture (ICA):
Cabin Creek Farm Planning Assessment
Project Overview:
Maine heritage is earmarked with a tradition of utilizing abundant natural and social resources. As the first Maine inhabitants, Native Americans lived entirely off the land as prolific hunter-gatherers in self-sustaining communities connected over large areas to other geographic regions and cultures. American descendants of settlers to the New World succeeded with new technologies, traditions, and cultural forms. The past few hundred years of Maine history is rife with a traditional American life-way typified by a sustainable agrarian homestead connected to a much larger society through commercial economy of specialized products.
Lobstering, forestry, art, manufacturing, and tourism exemplify economic staples of contemporary Maine culture. Though increasingly profitable, economic complexity has led to dispersal and dependance on larger networks of trade for goods and services to support Maine communities. Natural and social resources are exported for profit, the value of which is exchanged on import for specialized goods such as automobiles, fuel, technology, information media, and food.
If profitable economic venture includes maximizing export of goods and services, then economic vitality can only be strengthened by limiting importation needs and increasing diversity and intensity of available material and social products at a local level.
But not everything is about money! Maine communities are unique social environments equivalent to the majestic landscape they inhabit. Communities large and small variously exemplify types and values of social connectivity. We are fools not to recognize our most valued product in life is experience with family, friends, and neighbors in our unique communities and environment.
Connecting to the material and social world around us, we must recognize that stasis is a universal impossibility. Not even our sub-atomic particles are constant forever. Any instance of change represents an opportunity to affect the outcome. Particularly in regard to our community and personal well-being, there is always a process by which quality of life can improve. Is it not human to strive for a better life? And why not, when the product of our effort directly impacts the circumstance of our livelihood.
Island Community Agriculture aims to cultivate high-quality agrarian products primarily for a local market, and to sustain and invigorate local economy and community. The primary tasks of ICA are to re-start Cabin Creek Farm as a sustainable organic produce farm, market farm products, and disseminate information, technology, and labor for successful food production and community development.
Long-term goals of ICA are to
- operate a profitable business enterprise;
- market high-quality whole and value-added goods and services, such as plant products, garden soil, etc.;
- support community involvement projects such as community dinners, ornamental town gardens, and any valued project deemed accessible given material and social farm resources;
- disseminate information on home and farm scale sustainable agriculture;
- increase general knowledge of culinary, health, and utilitarian uses for agricultural products (including long-term storage methods);
- create an agriculture hub for year-round and summer residents, visitors, and potential new community members; and
- support the quality and vitality of local community and economy.
ICA Project Planning:
In order to facilitate the operation of Cabin Creek Farm beginning 2009, site improvements and material inputs include, but are not limited to:
Phase I
Capital Site Improvements:
Greenhouse facility requires new plastic outer shell for up to three 20! by 50! structures
Optimum: $149 per 15.5! x 50! section, two per greenhouse. $300 per greenhouse.
$900 total.
Or, $185 for 3mm 32! x 100! roll, two rolls needed for all three greenhouses: $370
Additionally, row covers offer low-cost temperature modulation:
Agribon+ AG-19 Row Cover - 83" x 1,000' $156 + S&H. (Johnny's Selected Seeds).
Arable soil requires deer fencing, 800 to 950 feet to enclose 1.2 acre area:
$220 for plastic fencing, $880 for metal fencing (posts not included: locally available).
Repair of previously constructed water drainage system, including fill of 100 yard ditch, and digging of new 40 yard (approx.) drainage with a vehicle access such as culvert or small bridge to be negotiated regarding needs of Gary Allen, property owner. Blair Colby estimate:
$800 per day, $1,600 for two-day estimated minimum, $2,400 for three-day maximum, depending on project development. Culvert piping price not included.
Feral plant control over arable soil: one-time removal of existing flora, process undecided but may include mechanical tillage, plowing, or mulching. Assumed equivalent per-day cost for heavy machinery, or low cost for hand-operated small machinery such as renting rototiller.
Phase II
Farm Activation:
Garden bed preparation for greenhouses and field; first year soil is extant at site, input requirements manual for making soil containers and moving soil.
Purchase of seed, sprouting, and planting seedlings: cost of seed unknown (based on crop selection).
Maintenance of plants: sump pump and hose for irrigation. Mulch, weeding, and plant care: labor intensive, but no material investment cost.
Farm labor: use of common small-farm model where labor is exchanged for work experience, limited but guaranteed room and board, and $50 per week stipend per employee. Goal is to employ two persons under said model, Memorial day through Columbus Day. Complete cost summary dependent on room and board circumstance, to be decided.
Phase III
Product Marketing:
Offer portion of seeded plants for sale as off-site gardening product, pricing to be valued in comparison to equivalent off-island purchase. May include investment of containers for transporting seedlings, but not required. Container prices unknown.
Produce washing facility, such as stainless steel second-hand restaurant sink, with wellwater feed (not surface water). Sink $, hose $, water source unknown, dependent on negotiation with Gary Allen or LaHotan Foundation, nearest well-water sources. Secondary option is to sanitize surface water, requiring a holding tank for sump water and sanitation method (chemical or heat).
Tertiary option is off-site processing facility meeting legal requirements as such.
MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association) organic certification: price based on volume of production, to be decided (few hundred dollars at most).
Product packaging, distribution method, and facility:
Direct-to-consumer CSA program, and/or farm market stand requiring high-humidity low temperature storage, facility unknown. Payment record medium required: by receipt, with a cash register, full process to be decided (costs unknown).
Farm marketing and advertising media: costs unknown, dependent on project development and scale.
Current Total Start-Up Cost Summary (thus far): $2,926 minimum
Funding Procurement Goals and Means:
ICA must activate as much external sources of start-up capital possible. Primary goals include procurement of third-party grants from:
- Maine Community Foundation!s Community Building Program (up to $7,500), requiring a 501 c3 non-profit fiscal sponsorship to receive funding;
- Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund, up to $10,000 potential grant (process pending);
- matching grant from the Island Institute for larger of grants received from above sources;
- as-yet unknown third-party donations to ICA.
Note: Cabin Creek Farm could be started as an operational farm for almost no up-front capital. A bag of seeds, a shovel, and a willing hand is all it would take. The result, however, would be equally profitable-- meaning very minimal. More initial investment increases the farm!s viability as an enterprise by guaranteeing first-year inputs such as: greenhouse facility, fencing, proper soil preparation, drainage, irrigation, facility maintenance and development, on-site washing and processing facility, initial labor costs, and up-front advertising and marketing costs.
Update:
Philippe Donald, current sole proprietor for ICA (Cabin Creek Farm), IRS listed EIN #30-0520160
Please consider this as a project in development. Patience, suggestions, and support are thankfully welcomed. Let us make this project a reality for the benefit of our community and ourselves, and hold to the highest standard of choice. Thank you!
Food for thought: though in early stages of development, ICA would like to pursue animal husbandry projects such as: chickens for meat and eggs, pigs for meat and use for tillage, beef and dairy cows (especially for cultured products such as yoghurt, cheese, and whey as a culture and preservative for meats and produce). Farm animals require feed, but produce high-quality soil nutrient additives as a by-product, and would be a great addition to vegetable produce for a local food economy.
Sincerely, Philippe Donald, ICA/Cabin Creek Farm manager
ICA / Cabin Creek Farm
POB 88
Cranberry Isles, ME 04625
