GROWING HOMES
Housing Security for farmers
West Branch Commons Partnership
Developing a partnership to build housing on and off site to rent to farmers on the farmland that West Branch Commons is raising money to save. West Branch Commons is a Community Land Trust in Delaware County, made up of the following farms:
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Serra Vida Farm, led by a queer, BIPOC farmer, provides culturally relevant produce to the Bronx and Delaware County, feeding families and fostering community connections.
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Iridescent Earth Collective is an anti-capitalist land stewardship farm project, centering the experiences of Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous and Persons of color in our work. In collaboration with our partners and friends we are establishing socio-political infrastructure founded on radical authenticity, grassroots community care and mutual aid work to benefit these vulnerable and representative members of our farming community.
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Tom, the former owner of River Haven Farm, remains a cornerstone of the community, mentoring new farmers with his mechanical expertise and deep connection to the land.
Please consider making a donation to our partnership, here. When you make the donation, please select in the dropdown that you heard of the campaign through Growing Homes.
Ag adu
A program in development to partner with homeowners (both farmers and non farmers) to build Accessory Dwelling Units that are
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restricted to agricultural workers
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are permanently affordable
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affordable to build
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are environmentally responsible
Inspired by the Plus One ADU grant.
We are exploring piloting our Ag ADU at Sugarshack Mushrooms, a year-round, family-run organic mushroom farm in New Paltz, NY. Since 2018, they have been growing sustainably in the forest, and in their historic barn and passive solar greenhouse.
Land in Black Hands Farm
We have developed a partnership with KWEST YouthBuild and the Underground Center to build an off the grid eco-cabin, the Commons Cabin, to provide housing for Land in Black Hands farmers. Land In Black Hands (LIBH) is a land-based program focused on restoring Black and Indigenous relationships with land through cultural reclamation, ecological stewardship, and community empowerment. As a program of the Kingston Land Trust, LIBH provides a platform for healing, education, and regenerative land practices.
Taproot
Community land Trust
We are exploring how to partner with Taproot CLT to secure land for farmer housing that Growing Homes can then build on and rent out. TapRoot Community Land Trust creates Community-Controlled Affordable Housing. It is a nonprofit housing organization based in Kingston, serving Ulster County and surrounding areas. Each home placed into the trust is permanently designated for affordable home ownership, serving household after household, generation after generation, thereby protecting and stabilizing the community as a whole.