Daufuskie Community Farm

Hello Everyone,

It's Elijah. I have been volunteering my time at the Daufuskie Community Farm. In the morning, I get up early and bike straight to the farm and feed and let out 10 ducks, 60 chickens, 2 geese, and 8 goats. Hopefully soon we will have a jersey cow and a Great Pyrenees to help protect the chickens and ducks from hawks because 2 were killed this week by the same hawk. I have been here for 34 days and it has been a great experience. I have learned so many new things and met so many new people. Miss Pat lives on the farm has run the farm with the help of volunteers for almost 14 years. I would love to give to back to the farm and people who have helped me grow and thrive in a new environment on this island. I am wondering if you would make a donation to help pay for things like feed, vet bills, farming supplies, the new miniature jersey cow, and more. The farm almost closed right before we got here. Please help me keep it running for many years to come so more people can get the experience I have. Thank you, Elijah Ewers

A note from Matt and Gretchen:

This farm has been a true gift in Elijah's life at the right time. We have witnessed him show consistent responsibility by waking early and biking to the farm alone to feed and let out the animals for over 30 days now. But more importantly the connection he has made with not only the animals but the regular volunteers that have all taken him under their wings with open arms mentoring him in all their various areas of expertise. Miss Pat who lives on the farm (and current farm manager) is 84 years young. She is a Jackie of all trades from sewing to building her own house years ago. She has been a great influence on Elijah with her wealth of knowledge and cool stories from her life's journeys. It is amazing what the farm is able to produce aside from the usual things like eggs including a flower garden and even milling logs donated from around the island into lumber used to sure up fencing and other farm buildings. Elijah has also taken on hatching his own ducklings and chicks in our condo lol with the help of Miss Pat and volunteer Kathy.

The farm is a fully donation based volunteer run non-profit that every dime donated will go toward sustaining and growing the farm. We are looking for property on the island to lay roots here and plan to be on the island and hopefully a part of the farm for years to come. Thank you for your help in helping Elijah give back to these wonderful people and animals. And if you ever visit Daufuskie Island, be sure and take a tour of the farm and tell them Elijah sent you!

Matt and Gretchen

Daufuskie Community Farm is a 501(c)(3). To donate directly to us, visit our website here: Daufuskie Community Farm Donate Page

Over the last dozen years, the Daufuskie Island Community Farm has established itself as one of the “must-see” stops when visiting the island. Gradually evolving out of 8 acres of property that had been leased to the Farm at an amazing rate, Pat Beichler’s (“Miss Pat”) vision became the place where children could walk among the goats and the geese and adults could learn about what sustainable farming might look like on a bridgeless island. There has been seemingly something for everyone, with the garden, orchard, goat dairy, chickens for eggs and meat, guinea hens, ducks, Sir Simon the pig, and even a sawmill for those who enjoy the big toys. Island residents from all corners of the island have come together at the Farm, volunteering and making fast friends, all the while sharing their efforts with tourists and visitors alike.

Unfortunately, events beyond the control of the Farm over the past year now put the existence of the Farm in jeopardy. The owners of the Farm property needed to sell, so the Farm board arranged for a bridge loan to help acquire the land and keep the Farm where it is. Then, in a tragic twist, migrating birds brought Avian Influenza to some of the fowl located at the Farm. The Farm was forced to depopulate every bird on property, and close down infected areas for 120 days. You can read more about it here: Daufuskie Community Farm Loses 170 Birds to Avian Flu and Pastor's Perspective November 10th, 2022 . For more information about avian influenza, link here.

The bottom line is that the Daufuskie Island Community Farm now needs to raise $100,000 to address maintenance needs on some of the buildings and infrastructure, repopulate the flocks that were lost to the bird flu, and address the loan that was required to purchase the Farm property. If we are unable to raise these funds, the Farm will be unable to continue, and it will be necessary to close the Farm and sell the property.

Would you please consider donating to help keep the Daufuskie Island Community Farm going? Every dollar gets us one step closer to keeping the Farm open. We have until April 15th to raise the needed funds.

Hi! My name is Iva and I have been serving as a full time volunteer manager at the Daufuskie Community Farm nonprofit on Daufuskie Island, SC.

To set the stage, the community on this little bridge-less sea island is extremely close knit with well preserved history of Native American and Gullah cultures. Travel here must be by boat and many residents are at the whim of a volatile ferry service. We have no grocery stores and limited options for fresh food.

Because our limited resources, local agriculture is extremely important. We have a unique opportunity here to show what a sustainable food system can truly look like- where residents can get quality food within a few miles of their home anytime they want. In addition to food security we also strive to provide meaningful experiences and a life skills by hosting educational events and hosting volunteers from all over the world. Our farm houses 7 Nubian milking goats (for milk and cheese), about 100 combined chickens, ducks, geese and guinea fowl for eggs and fertilizer, an orchard/food forest, sawmill and wood shop, pottery studio, garden, greenhouse and dairy barn. Because of our geographic location, we value creative solutions to logistical issues and strive to make our community more sustainable. We mill our own lumber for all our buildings and projects, take residential and restaurant food scraps for compost and preserve the food grown at the farm.

The farm was started by 'Miss Pat' in 2010 with these goals in mind. As she looks to pass on her legacy she hopes that the farm will continue as a community hub and be able to support a paid farm manager.

I ended up here by extreme coincidence, some may say a miracle. One year ago my husband got married and I were planning on serving in the Peace Corps as agricultural volunteers. One week before we were to fly to Africa we were medically decline for service. We struggled during the ensuing months to get on our feet financially and figure out our true purpose. We volunteered to work here for 3 weeks through the Wwoof program. Miss Pat and this community took us in as their own immediately and we knew this was the place we were meant to be. We have been here now for 5 months living and sharing meals with different community members and putting all of our time and effort into the Community Farm and do not regret a thing. We have a huge passion for sustainable agriculture and see the amazing potential this farm has as a resource and educational tool.

Miss Pat is constantly encouraging people to dream big and supporting those efforts on the farm. However, for her legacy to continue on, our bills need paid, our animals need fed and we need the finances to justify an employee. Because we want to produce our products at a fair price to island residents, we must outsource some of our donations from generous, passionate people like you. This financial goal reflects our minimum yearly baseline to function. Your money will go directly to keeping this farm running including chicken food, transportation costs of materials, bills and repairs.

Thank you so much for your support and interest, please follow along with our journey and the work we are putting in to preserve this genuine gem for generations of dreamers, artists and farmers to come.

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