Newsletter 12/16/20
Greetings Friends and Neighbors,
Less than a week from Solstice, Sun uses the dark bodies of Hemlock and Pine to draw long sweeps of icy shadow on the ground and pours through house windows to paint the walls and floor with warm arcs of yellow light. Sifted bran from the bakery, spread yesterday as fertilizer on dormant garden beds, catches the attention of Chickadees, and this afternoon the garden is a jangle of their raucous songs and exuberant feeding. North Wind blows a steady note in the tree-tops. The cold, clear air is full of magic.
You responded to our nudge and rallied to bring your joy and heartbreak to the Stand last Saturday. Subtle eye creases hinted to the broad smiles hidden below your masks. We were smiling too. As such, we are thrilled to invite you to join us for Soup and Bread Gift Distribution, this Saturday 11-1. Please bring your mask and a container or two from home for us to fill with Soup.
We will offer lots of extra bread this week, as we will be closed the last weekend of December so that we can tend to the many days of butchering work ahead of us. The soup pot will be filled with simmering, slow-roasted lamb bones all week and we look forward to sharing this food with you when we re-open on Saturday January 2nd.
Thanks to all those who have thus far contributed $2826 to our December Budget Request, leaving $3014 to go. To see where this money goes find the detailed budget below. To make a financial gift, you can click HERE.
I couldn’t be more excited to pass the mic now to Ava to tell the story of the image above. We are printing hundreds of these beautiful hand-drawn cards and will be giving them out on Saturday as a gift to anyone who is thankful for any reason. Do you live far away? We will gladly put a pack of these blank cards in the mail to you if you respond to this letter with your mailing address.
The Story of the Card: Woven in the Wool
-Ava Murphey
There are many stories woven into the wool. They compose the fabric of our farm community, interlaced with a longing for a better way. They trace the arc of the past nine months shared with you: giving away bread and soup, finding enlivenment in the discovery of what is possible in purposeful relationship. Those of you familiar with the farms inner workings will find some friends here in the wool: Brook, garden cart, Nellie’s skull, Nettle, Dandelion, scythe, and so on. All of this beauty is held within the body of our dear sheep friend. Sheep that feeds on the grasses of the valley, fed by the soil, fed by the sun, and so on. As we humans are nourished by the Sheep (a rich lamb bone broth is soon to fill our soup pot) we consume our collective labors, combining our bodies as one, breathing life once again into the world. Thank you, Sheep, for carrying these stories in your wool. Each fiber is filled with love, heartbreak, and gratitude.
We offer these cards to you as a gift, blank inside. Would you weave your stories into the wool with your courageous expressions of thanks and praise? To your loved ones? Neighbors? Distant friends? Perhaps the earnest articulation of gratitude could be a way to feed our collective yearning for connection.
Here is what you will find in this letter:
- GIFT DISTRIBUTION DETAILS and FULL MENU
- FINANCIAL GIFT REQUEST – detailed December Budget
With Great Care,
Ava, Erik, Collin, Evan and Adam – The Brush Brook Community Farm Team
SOUP and BREAD GIFT DISTRIBUTION: Saturday 12/19, 11am - 1 pm
SOUPS:
- Brush Brook Soup – Roasted Squash and Turnips, Tomato, Greens, Beef, Garlic, Herbs, Bone Broth.
- Vegetarian Soup – Pureed Sweet Potato and Turnip, Tomato, Garlic, Herbs.
Please bring a mask with you and wear warm clothes. We will have Soup and Bread to take home, and encourage you to bring quart containers from home for us to fill for you.
BUDGET UPDATE: Thank you for considering the December Budget
Many heartfelt thanks to all who have responded to these invitations by sending in Financial Gifts. If you would like to support our work, you can mail checks made out to Brush Brook Community Farm to PO Box 202, Huntington, VT, 05462, bring gifts to the Gift Stand, or donate through the website. We are 100% financially supported by these personal financial gifts.
Brush Brook Community Farm and Bakery – Dec. Budget |
|
| As of 12/15 | |
| Gifts Received in Dec – Thank you! | $ 2826.00 |
| Estimated Expenses for December | |
| Production Expenses | |
| Bread Ingredients & Packaging | $ 1,115.50 |
| Bakery Overhead (Insur., Electric, etc.) | $ 555.86 |
| Bakery Rent | $ 300.00 |
| Farm Expenses | $ 1,550.00 |
| Farm/Bakery Team Requested Gifts | |
| Adam Wilson Personal Living (full time) | $ 648.08 |
| Adam Wilson Rent | $ 200.00 |
| Erik Weil (part time) Rent/Housing | $ 500.00 |
| Collin McCarthy (part time) Utilities | $ 100.00 |
| Investments | |
| Hay Feeder and Portable Sheep Shelter | $ 300.00 |
| Fees | |
| Estimated Federal/State Taxes | $ 351.22 |
| Paypal Fees | $ 150.00 |
| Total | $ 5,770.66 |
| Negative Balance from November | (70.00) |
| Remaining Balance Requested | $ (3014.66) |
Support the Farm & Bakery
The operations of Brush Brook Community Farm & Bakery are maintained by neighborly working hands and financial gifts. Your generous monetary support propels the gift of food forward to those open to receiving it.
Thank you!