Come Grow With Us
‘Come Grow With Us’ Project St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Washington Court House, Ohio
Information Packet November 2012
2
Introduction Thank you for your interest in the Come Grow With Us fundraising project. This packet contains all the information needed to successfully complete your own project. On the following pages, you will find a step-by-step guide including case studies, photographs, project update samples and other helpful suggestions.
Harvest event, 2011
Planting soybeans, 2012
Table of contents 2 4 5
Introduction Project summary Project guide
Addendums Update samples 9 Event photos 12 Press coverage 15 Contact information 16
4
Project summary Come Grow With Us began in the summer of 2011 as a fundraising project to grow 22 acres of field corn and use the profits for the funding of community outreach programs. Under the direction of Reverend Gayle Hansen Browne, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church has greatly expanded its outreach programs to become more active in the Washington Court House and Fayette County communities, yet additional funding has been needed to support this multi-year strategy. The Come Grow With Us project, which has recently completed its second year, was initiated by the Vestry to accomplish these goals. Use of the 22-acre field was donated by two families of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. The entire project, including seed, fertilizer, fuel, trucking, insurance, machinery, chemicals and labor were donated.
Sign hanging, 2011
A sign was erected at the field identifying the project and recognizing the sponsors. The field was planted on June 5, 2011. Numerous members of St. Andrew’s participated during the planting of the corn, as well as at the harvesting event held in the fall. These events gave members the opportunity to observe first hand the farming practices involved in raising corn, and a great deal of interest in farming and agriculture has been shown by the members of St. Andrew’s as a direct result of this project. Pictures and weekly updates were posted to St. Andrew’s website to keep all members informed of the project’s progress. The Come Grow With Us project generated more than $15,000 dollars during its first year, and year-two proceeds amounted to $11,825. Discussions concerning year-three planning have already begun with several church families expressing interest.
5
Project guide Step 1 – Project manager to identify farm land • To be donated for one (1) crop year • Project requires 10 to 20 acres of tillable land • Location should be accessible for members of the congregation, but should also be visible to the community (i.e., located on a well-traveled state highway) •
•
Land must be capable of growing corn, soybeans or wheat •
•
Create and post signage Since the goal of this project is to generate revenue, smaller projects and other crops are not recommended
Land must be separate from other farm operations •
Since sponsors are participating, the project should have a separate identity and distinguishable boundaries from other fields or crops.
Blessing the corn, 2011
Corn, 2011
Planting corn, 2011
6
Project guide Step 2 – Project manager to identify a farmer to carryout field operations • Responsibilities of the farmer include planting, spraying, harvesting, transportation of grain, etc. •
Planting corn, 2011
It is important to select a project manager that has experience in production agriculture, or that has access to this expertise
•
Planting corn, 2011
•
The farmer can be the same person(s) who donated the use of the land Identify what crop will be grown •
This decision will be made by either the person donating the land, the project manager, or a combination of both individuals
7
Project guide Step 3 – Project manager to secure sponsorships • Contact seed company(ies) for donation of seed • Contact fertilizer and herbicide supplier for donations and recommendations of fertility program and weed control plans •
•
Contact insurance company (crop and liability insurance) •
•
Sponsors for seed and fertilizers are easily obtained. Companies are aggressive regarding their participation in these types of projects. They like to promote their products and have promotion budgets that are often difficult to execute. Project manager to determine crop insurance plan, if any. Project manager must also make sure the Vestry is properly insured against possible accidents or injury.
Contact grain company to purchase the crop at harvest. Secure favorable price and purchase terms. •
The project manager can negotiate favorable sales terms since the buyer of the grain can be included as a sponsor of the project. Project sponsors, 2011
8
Project guide Step 4 – Project manager to develop communication plan for congregation • Weekly updates should be provided to the congregation about the progress of the project • One of the benefits is to educate the congregation and public regarding the growing of agricultural products. Members of the congregation will consider the crop being grown as “their” crop. • Press or media opportunities should be considered (i.e., project announcement in the paper, or harvest success with photos)
Harvest event, 2011
Harvest event, 2011
Step 5 – Project manager to organize events throughout project • Congregation should be invited to events such as a planting event and a harvest event • Other miscellaneous events can be scheduled (photo opportunities, kids’ day, hay rides) • Events should be used as learning opportunities for the congregation. Invite knowledgeable members to contribute during events.
9
Update samples
10
Update samples, cont.
11
Update samples, cont.
15
Press coverage
Aug/Sept 2011, Interchange (Episcopal Diocese Newsletter)
Sept 2011, Record Herald (Washington Court House Newspaper)
16
Contact information For a digital copy of this information packet, please visit: www.standrewswch.org
Rev. Gayle Hansen Browne, Vicar Robert Rea, Senior Warden & ‘Come Grow With Us’ Project Manager
[email protected] 740 335 2129
Planting event, 2012
Information Packet November 2012
2
Introduction Thank you for your interest in the Come Grow With Us fundraising project. This packet contains all the information needed to successfully complete your own project. On the following pages, you will find a step-by-step guide including case studies, photographs, project update samples and other helpful suggestions.
Harvest event, 2011
Planting soybeans, 2012
Table of contents 2 4 5
Introduction Project summary Project guide
Addendums Update samples 9 Event photos 12 Press coverage 15 Contact information 16
4
Project summary Come Grow With Us began in the summer of 2011 as a fundraising project to grow 22 acres of field corn and use the profits for the funding of community outreach programs. Under the direction of Reverend Gayle Hansen Browne, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church has greatly expanded its outreach programs to become more active in the Washington Court House and Fayette County communities, yet additional funding has been needed to support this multi-year strategy. The Come Grow With Us project, which has recently completed its second year, was initiated by the Vestry to accomplish these goals. Use of the 22-acre field was donated by two families of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. The entire project, including seed, fertilizer, fuel, trucking, insurance, machinery, chemicals and labor were donated.
Sign hanging, 2011
A sign was erected at the field identifying the project and recognizing the sponsors. The field was planted on June 5, 2011. Numerous members of St. Andrew’s participated during the planting of the corn, as well as at the harvesting event held in the fall. These events gave members the opportunity to observe first hand the farming practices involved in raising corn, and a great deal of interest in farming and agriculture has been shown by the members of St. Andrew’s as a direct result of this project. Pictures and weekly updates were posted to St. Andrew’s website to keep all members informed of the project’s progress. The Come Grow With Us project generated more than $15,000 dollars during its first year, and year-two proceeds amounted to $11,825. Discussions concerning year-three planning have already begun with several church families expressing interest.
5
Project guide Step 1 – Project manager to identify farm land • To be donated for one (1) crop year • Project requires 10 to 20 acres of tillable land • Location should be accessible for members of the congregation, but should also be visible to the community (i.e., located on a well-traveled state highway) •
•
Land must be capable of growing corn, soybeans or wheat •
•
Create and post signage Since the goal of this project is to generate revenue, smaller projects and other crops are not recommended
Land must be separate from other farm operations •
Since sponsors are participating, the project should have a separate identity and distinguishable boundaries from other fields or crops.
Blessing the corn, 2011
Corn, 2011
Planting corn, 2011
6
Project guide Step 2 – Project manager to identify a farmer to carryout field operations • Responsibilities of the farmer include planting, spraying, harvesting, transportation of grain, etc. •
Planting corn, 2011
It is important to select a project manager that has experience in production agriculture, or that has access to this expertise
•
Planting corn, 2011
•
The farmer can be the same person(s) who donated the use of the land Identify what crop will be grown •
This decision will be made by either the person donating the land, the project manager, or a combination of both individuals
7
Project guide Step 3 – Project manager to secure sponsorships • Contact seed company(ies) for donation of seed • Contact fertilizer and herbicide supplier for donations and recommendations of fertility program and weed control plans •
•
Contact insurance company (crop and liability insurance) •
•
Sponsors for seed and fertilizers are easily obtained. Companies are aggressive regarding their participation in these types of projects. They like to promote their products and have promotion budgets that are often difficult to execute. Project manager to determine crop insurance plan, if any. Project manager must also make sure the Vestry is properly insured against possible accidents or injury.
Contact grain company to purchase the crop at harvest. Secure favorable price and purchase terms. •
The project manager can negotiate favorable sales terms since the buyer of the grain can be included as a sponsor of the project. Project sponsors, 2011
8
Project guide Step 4 – Project manager to develop communication plan for congregation • Weekly updates should be provided to the congregation about the progress of the project • One of the benefits is to educate the congregation and public regarding the growing of agricultural products. Members of the congregation will consider the crop being grown as “their” crop. • Press or media opportunities should be considered (i.e., project announcement in the paper, or harvest success with photos)
Harvest event, 2011
Harvest event, 2011
Step 5 – Project manager to organize events throughout project • Congregation should be invited to events such as a planting event and a harvest event • Other miscellaneous events can be scheduled (photo opportunities, kids’ day, hay rides) • Events should be used as learning opportunities for the congregation. Invite knowledgeable members to contribute during events.
9
Update samples
10
Update samples, cont.
11
Update samples, cont.
15
Press coverage
Aug/Sept 2011, Interchange (Episcopal Diocese Newsletter)
Sept 2011, Record Herald (Washington Court House Newspaper)
16
Contact information For a digital copy of this information packet, please visit: www.standrewswch.org
Rev. Gayle Hansen Browne, Vicar Robert Rea, Senior Warden & ‘Come Grow With Us’ Project Manager
[email protected] 740 335 2129
Planting event, 2012
