Help The Homeless Community Supported Agriculture Project

As seen on CBS San Diego -- We are raising funds to start a farm-to-table Community Supported Agriculture Project which will also focus on finding individuals and families who are currently experiencing homelessness, and helping them find meaningful employment as well as semi-permanent to permanent housing solutions. This venture will be called "Help The Homeless CSA". Additionally, we will also be practicing "regenerative" agriculture, with a focus on restoring soil health, sustainable/best practices and biosequestration (the capture and storage of carbon through natural plant processes).

To begin, we are asking for $50,000 to purchase and secure as follows:

1. We need to purchase and prepare a location to accommodate a travel-trailer on our property, including water lines and a minimal system for solar-power, in order to provide a rest/break space and shelter for Marcos De La Sierra, his wife and children, and any other workers when they are out at the property and/or working on the farm during the day. It gets very hot and dry in Valley Center and having a decent shelter with basic facilities is a bare minimum requirement to ensure the health and safety of workers in these conditions.

2. Since living in a trailer on an undeveloped piece of land is illegal in San Diego County, we also need enough money to pay several months' rent in a "granny flat" or similar housing located close to our farm in Valley Center, while the farm and the business structures are being put in place. This will provide a semi-permanent home for Marcos De La Sierra and his wife (who is currently seven months pregnant) as well as their one-year-old baby (currently all living in Matthew Holten's spare room/home office). In the longer-term we are planning on building a home on our farm/land in Valley Center, however for now there are no structures on the property, so Marcos must rent a home nearby until we can afford to build a house on the property. We hope to accomplish this within the next year.

3. We need to purchase farm tools/equipment as well as any business/expenses that will be needed to start our "Help The Homeless CSA" (Community Supported Agriculture) project, including but not limited to: seeds, starts, drip lines, hoop houses, shade cloths, pvc piping, beneficial insects, weed barriers, stakes, timers, compost, pressure regulators, boxes/packaging, internet/web presence, office supplies, and more.

4. Any remaining funds will go toward locating, screening, and helping additional families or individuals who are currently experiencing homelessness, with the goal of helping them find their way into permanent homes through the utilization of our CSA project.

We will offer three different options for our produce box sizes, $39 for small, $59 for medium, and $79 for large, and you will also have the option to subscribe to weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly delivery. Not to mention you'll have the peace of mind in knowing that your hard-earned dollars are actually helping make our community a better place! We expect to deliver our first CSA boxes within 90-120 days from the end date of our crowd-funding campaign.

We hope that once this project grows and matures it can help numerous individuals and families find their way out of homelessness and into both a home and a meaningful, fulfilling career and/or business opportunity. Eventually we would like to expand this idea and start a regenerative cattle ranch, which will produce healthy, great-tasting meats, and simultaneously help people into permanent, sustainable housing. With your help we can get there. Together, we can make a difference.

Thank you for your support!

Kindly,

Matthew Holten