Designing Ecological Habitats - Gaia Education

120 Designing ecological Habitats
Who has not
experienced the smell
of a production
greenhouse in full
bloom? This is where
hobby turns into
science.
Knowing how delicious their strawberries are, I was not surprised to find
how succulent their other fruit is, too. It gives me great pleasure to bite into
a crisp apple or juicy peach grown on our own land!
New Ownership Model:
Despite its success, West Haven Farm has required tremendous dedication
and sacrifice from Jen and John and also created a financial stretch for its
owners. While the non-profit EVI, Inc. owns the land they farm (which the
farm leases for a very low rate), they have had to invest about $200,000
of their own money to build a small barn and a permanent greenhouse,
install a pump and expand the existing farm pond, acquire hoop houses to
protect early seedlings from frost, install a ten foot deer fence, and much
more. They had to take out a second mortgage on their home, and after 12
years of farming, started to feel burned-out. They tried to sell the farm, but
few people met all the criteria. They were looking for experienced farmers
who had enough money to buy the business, and preferably wanted to live
in community. Many candidates visited and some even seemed to fit the bill,
but nobody actually made an offer. Just when it looked as if we might be
losing a very important on-site farming enterprise, Jen and John decided to
try a new model, and bring in investors. They found a handful of families
(mostly residents at EVI) who wanted to invest in long-term food security.
These investors were able to help pay off the couple’s debt, in return for a
share of the modest profits.
A Groundswell of Local Food and Farming
In the meantime, the potential crisis spurred the hatching of another vision.
For years, West Haven Farm had offered a modest level of educational