Help Kakadoodle Recover and Rebuild After Avian Flu

Dear Friends,

This is a post I never thought I’d have to write, and to be honest, it’s not easy for me to ask for help, but our farm has just lost our entire flock of nearly 3,000 hens to an outbreak of avian flu.

After much thought and encouragement from those who care about us, we’ve decided to start a GoFundMe to help us get through this difficult time.

The revenue from these chickens has been essential to our operations, supporting our family, our employees, and our mission to make chemical free food more accessible.

Our Story

We started with a dream of getting more local, chemical-free food to our community. After Marty survived non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma—a battle that strengthened our resolve to avoid the harmful chemicals—we dedicated our lives to farming differently.

Since our start, Kakadoodle has grown into a thriving online farmers’ market, delivering pasture-raised eggs, grass-finished beef, fresh greens, and more to families in our community. Each dozen eggs and every delivery represents a step toward a healthier future for our community and planet.

How You Can Help

First and foremost, we want to thank our customers and community for your overwhelming support during this time. The best way you can support us is by simply placing orders online at kakadoodle.com. This is a great way to help us bounce back strong once it's safe to start deliveries again. Your continued trust and loyalty are what keep us going, and we are so grateful. Our marketplace growth remains our top priority—so thank you, thank you.

For those that want to help financially, the funds from this campaign will help us:

Sharing this campaign with your friends, family, and networks can also help us reach others who believe in the importance of local, sustainable food systems.

What's Next?

We’re committed to using this setback as an opportunity to come back stronger. After the 150-day quarantine, we plan to move our new flock into a new high tunnel chicken coop—offering better protection for the hens while keeping their feed safe from wild birds. This coop will cost $60,000 and house 3,000 hens, ensuring their health and productivity for the future.

In the mean time, it has always been our ambition to help other local chicken farmers move their eggs through our marketplace. We are using this opportunity to kickstart that ambition, and ensure that our community continues to have access to local pasture-raised eggs, even through the quarantine period.

As our pastor reminded us last week, we can either ask, “Why me?” or “What’s next?” We’re choosing to focus on what’s next, and with your help, we can make it happen.

Thank You

To our customers and community: We understand that times are tough for everyone, and we truly appreciate any support, whether it’s a donation, a share, or just kind words of encouragement. Your overwhelming support during this difficult time means everything to us. With your help, we’ll not only recover but continue building a brighter, healthier future for our farm and our food system.

With gratitude,

Marty & MariKate

Kakadoodle