Barnraiser launched to increase local farm’s sustainability
Push from the community needed
Ben and Karah Davies’ love of the outdoors and the food they eat sparked their interest in opening the Wild Fox Farm in Barto.
“We love to eat good food and dabbled in gardening all our lives but became more interested in farming as a lifestyle and possible career,” said Ben. He credits Wendell Berry, an American novelist, environmental activist and farmer, together with their passion for environmental sustainablility for the idea of opening Wild Fox Farm.
Wild Fox Farm is located in the Butter Valley with 40 acres of land where the Davies grow vegetables and raise livestock that are both used for their summer and winter Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) shares. The Davies are rounding out their seventh season in the farming business. Wild Fox Farm is ran with two full-time, one part-time employee, and two summer employees to harvest the meat and vegetables that are sold and used within many local businesses and restaurants, as well as weekly at the Emmaus Farmers Market.
“We sell to Santosha Café, Savory Grille, Trappe Door, Heirloom, 187 Rue Principale, Bolete, Molinari’s, Saucon Valley Country Club, The Inn at Bally Springs and Craft Alehouse,” said Ben.
Due to the continuing growth of the farm and the goal of staying energy efficient, the Davies have started a Barnraiser fund in an effort to make their farm more sustainable from an energy/carbonfootprint standpoint.
Barnraiser is a crowdfunding site like GoFundMe, but specifically for the food movement of sustainable food and farming. The Davies have titled it “The Footprint Campaign.”
“Our goals are simple: to reduce our energy consumption by consolidating our frozen meat storage with the installation of one energy efficient walk-in freezer and to produce as much of our own electricity as we can,” Ben explained. The best way to accomplish this is to install solar panels on the roof of the house which could produce much of their electricity needs.
Like GoFundMe, the Wild Fox Farm needs a push from the community. Like their Facebook and Instagram pages, tell your friends and pledge support to a local business. To donate to the Wild Fox Farm campaign, go to <www.barnraiser.us/projects/building-a-brighter-futureat-wild-fox-farm>.
“We would like, most of all, to set an example for people to follow where we can all take steps toward a more sustainable future,” said Ben.
As an added bonus for contributing to the cause, the Wild Fox Farm is giving away rewards. For example farm merchandise, the opportunity to name a farm animal, dinner on the farm, gift baskets and more.