All's Well: Fundraiser for Farmer Jerry Boone Hits Goal
The local food community comes through for one of its own... again
Water Flows Again at Froggy Meadow Farm
Last week, I shared that well-loved farmer Jerry Boone of Froggy Meadow Farm was facing a drought-induced water shortage that put his livelihood at great risk.
Now I am thrilled to share the good news that a GoFundMe campaign — started by some leading Chicago chefs who have been buying Jerry’s superb artisanal produce for years — has now surpassed its goal of $40,000.
Thanks to a contractor who recognized that Jerry was facing a severe crisis and moved him off the waiting list, water is already flowing from his new, much deeper well to irrigate his parched crops. Jerry now has hope that he’ll be able to salvage his summer crops after losing his entire spring season.
Jerry shared his thoughts with me this morning: “Thank you to all the kind people who made so many generous donations. My farm was on the verge of shutting down when this wonderful community stepped in to save it. I'm very grateful.”
Jerry has experienced what I like to call a “George Bailey moment.” Anyone who has watched It’s a Wonderful Life remembers the final scene, in which everyone whose life has been touched by generous, self-sacrificing George shows up to help rescue him from a desperate financial situation.
There are people who find this hokey, but I’ve watched the movie dozens of times and that scene gets me every time. And we see this kind of rallying effect time and again in real life. If you are kind to other people and you are in a place and a community where generosity is commonplace, then those people will be there for you when your chips are down.
Over his 15 years of growing specialty crops in Beloit, Wisconsin, Jerry has become beloved to both his customers at his stand at Green City Market’s flagship location in Lincoln Park and to the chefs who use his beautiful produce in the recipes they serve to their diners.
The GoFundMe was organized by Jodi Fyfe and Chef Devon Quinn, the wife-husband team who run The Paramount Group catering company and eden restaurant, in concert with Chef Sarah Stegner of Prairie Grass Cafe. These other chefs lent their names and support to the campaign: Jason Hammel, Lula Cafe… John Shields, Smyth and The Loyalist… Oliver Poilevey, Obélix… Ethan Pikas, Cellar Door Provisions… and Cesar Murillo, North Pond.
The campaign got a big boost from the non-profit Green City Market, which donated a $10,000 Crisis Response Award from its Farm Forward Fund. According to Green City, the fund assists “vendors experiencing extraordinary financial constraints due to a crisis,” providing “temporary, short-term financial assistance to current vendors who are unable to meet essential expenses due to a temporary or unexpected hardship.”
The rapid community response enabled Jerry to move ahead on having a new, much deeper well dug and a pump added, along with a temporary electrical line that already has water flowing to his fields. I’ll be visiting him at Green City on Saturdays to share my personal congratulations.
The GoFundMe is still open, and any additional funds he receives will help cover his losses from his failed spring crops. Click below to help.
Smoked Chicago
Ah, if only there was a fundraiser to get rid of this. Smoke from Canadian wildfires, which plagued cities on the East Coast earlier this month, is now our problem here in the Midwest.
Our south view from our apartment normally gives us a clear vista of the downtown skyline and Navy Pier. In fact, on a clear day our view reaches about 40 miles east and 20 miles west. Since yesterday — when officials who track these things declared that Chicago had the world’s worst air quality — our visibility has been less than one mile.
Most people agree with the scientific consensus that global climate change is triggering more catastrophic wildfires with dangerous degradation to air quality anywhere downwind. I suppose the deniers can just stay inside, close the blinds and pretend that none of this is happening.