Hub Farm Friends and Supporters,
As I sit at my desk on a bright and early morning in preparation for another day, it came to me that we have not fully recognized the many donors and volunteers that have supported the Durham Hub Farm over the last few years. Your efforts, support and care have transformed an abandoned 33-acre backwoods into a very special place for the children of Durham. The Hub Farm owes its success to you. I am sorry we have not recognized you all earlier.
Please know that we value your contributions deeply and they are going directly to build a facility that will be used by children in a multitude of educational activities that range from Career and Technical Education to science to art to reading.
There are so many of you to lift up for your contributions. I would like to highlight several groups and individuals for their unwavering support.
One group that I would like to thank is the Town & Country Garden Club. This wonderful group of women from Durham has gone out of its way to adopt the DPS Hub Farm as one of the recipients to whom they have graciously donated. They provided $18,000 this past year to the Hub Farm to help us design and build a front entry garden at the Hub Farm. This is only one of the many Durham projects to which they have contributed over the past 50+ years in pursuit of their overall goal which is “to encourage interest in, and to promote the beautification and enhancement of our environment, promote the betterment of the community and make this commitment by way of membership participation through education, through projects and through financial support”. Thank you so much, Town & Country Garden Club, for your dedication to this goal and for the support you have given the Hub Farm.
An individual I would like to recognize who has been with the Hub Farm since the beginning is Larry Herst, the founder of Triangle Ecycling. He has provided countless hours of volunteer services as a member of the Hub Farm Advisory Board and the Friends of the Hub Farm Board of Directors. He is the reason we have a non-profit organization that supports the Hub Farm (Friends of the Hub Farm) and he also gives 10% of his profits back to Durham Public Schools, the majority of which is invested in the Hub Farm. Thank you, Larry and Triangle Ecycling.
There are two philanthropic entities that deserve additional recognition. We have received tremendous support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation of North Carolina and the Greater Good Foundation of Burt’s Bees/Clorox. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation of NC gave us our very first grant that helped the improvements on the farm step up to meet our vision. They have continued to support the farm to take our organization and this work to the next level by improving our organization’s capacity and create a model that could be replicated across the state. We also hosted their Foundation Fellows for several site visits to the farm. Burt’s Bees/Clorox, through the Greater Good Foundation, has been a stalwart supporter, funding projects such as 3 bee hives and multiple garden areas that support bee health.
This past year Bayer Crop Science donated to the Hub Farm after finding about the mission and how we are trying to help students learn science through experiential learning. It is our hope that this partnership continues as we share a common passion for exciting students about science and food production.
The Hub Farm is also supported by the time and talents of numerous individuals and organizations that partner with us to create programs, engage children and bring their passion to these 33 acres. We cannot do this work without you. The following partners have been essential to our success: UNC MEDX, SEEDS, Durham County Health Department (DINE program), the EPA, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, SPOON, Stone Brothers & Byrd, and the Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District.
There are also innumerable volunteers who have given their time to making the Hub Farm successful and without whom the farm would not be able to survive. I thank each and every one of you who have pulled weeds, harvested produce, mulched, mowed and dug over the past 4 years.
The Hub Farm is run on volunteer time and the passion of individuals who see more than just a plot of land behind a school. We are a small organization that relies upon all of you. If you are reading this, you have been a part of the Hub Farm’s growth and success. It is critical that you know that you are valued and important to the farm and its impact. Thank you from all of us at the Hub Farm and Friends of the Hub Farm. We look forward to many seasons of growth and harvest on the farm with you.
Thank you!
Rick Sheldahl
CTE Director
Hub Farm Champion