Giving Tuesday 2024

Help Partridge Creek Farm purchase its Community Garden site to ensure its  continued stewardship as a food access point for fresh, locally grown food for 25 Ishpeming families. 

Our base goal: $5,000

Partridge Creek Farm has the opportunity to purchase the land our Community Garden sits on. Currently this land is being leased to us, so we are not at risk of losing this site. However, with your help this Giving Tuesday we can secure this land, continue to steward it for years and generations to come, ensuring food access to the Ishpeming community.

Our Base Goal: $5,000

Partridge Creek Farm has the opportunity to purchase the land our Community Garden sits on. Currently this land is being leased to us, so we are not at risk of losing this site. However, with your help this Giving Tuesday we can secure this land, continue to steward it for years and generations to come, ensuring food access to the Ishpeming community.

The city of Ishpeming is located within a food desert meaning there is a lack of distribution and access to affordable, quality, fresh food. Nearly 60% of residents report having to travel to neighboring cities for grocery shopping. Our mission at Partridge Creek Farm is to provide local food access and education to connect the Ishpeming community with their food and one another. One way we do this is with the Community Garden.

  • According to a 2024 end-of-season survey, Community Garden Members say this space is important to them because:

    1. It helps offset the cost of groceries.

    2. They enjoy spending time outside.

    3. Being a Community Garden Member has a positive effect on their mental and physical health.

  • Located at Euclid and First Street in Ishpeming, the Partridge Creek Community Garden is one of 6 gardens our organization stewards. This Community Garden site features raised beds that are rented to community members each growing season who work together to grow and harvest their own locally grown food, and work together to maintain this garden space.

    Community Garden Timeline

    2014: The Community Garden, formally known as “The Incubator Garden” , was our very first garden. Built with the help of community volunteers, this space was shared by both community members and PCF for growing space.

    2014-2019: PCF and community members grew vegetables on site to feed themselves and our community. PCF sold items at local farmers markets during this time.

    2020: A grant from the West End Health Foundation allowed PCF to give all food grown at this garden to community members free of charge. A small stand outside our main office on Main Street served as a pick up spot. This is what sparked the idea for the West End Farm Stand.

    2023: With the introduction of the Intergenerational Farm site, PCF no longer needed to use space in the Community Garden for production growing, meaning all beds were fully rented to community members for the first time! PCF hired a Community Food Access Manager to facilitate this offering to our community.

    2024: For the second season, all 25 beds were rented to community members.

    2025 and beyond: PCF plans to continue stewarding this space for community members. We have a long list of improvements including adding additional beds to this space. As the Intergenerational Farm becomes more established, we hope to hand more of our community garden sites over to our community members!

  • Each spring, community members are welcomed to sign up to steward a raised bed within the Community Garden for a growing season. They are required to attend a Garden Orientation where they meet each other, go over expectations and rules, and assign themselves to various committees to ensure the space is maintained throughout the season. Many members choose to return each year, having formed a connection to this space and other members.

    • Ages range form under 18 to over 65 reflecting the intergenerational population of Ishpeming

    • Nearly half have a family income of less $50,000

Top left: Bird’s eye view of the Community Garden. Photo by Lindsay Bean. Top right: Front gate of the Community Garden with a new hand painted sign. Photo by Heather Maurer. Bottom left: Food Access Manager Danielle Sidor and a Garden Member during the 2024 season. Photo by Heather Maurer. Bottom right: Garden Members during the 2023 growing season. Photo by Heather Maurer.

Our reach goal: $10,000

Any funds collected beyond the $5,000 base goal will go towards improving and maintaining the Community Garden.

2024 Community Garden beds in bloom! Photo by Camden Kinnie.

Our Reach Goal: $10,000

Any funds collected beyond the $5,000 base goal to purchase the Community Garden will be invested back into the garden space making this space more accessible and usable for our Members.

  • Many of the raised beds at the Community Garden were built 10 years ago. Until we are able to secure funding for a full rebuild of beds, we are seeking funding to help repair 10 beds that are in desperate need.

  • Providing seating for our Community Garden Members is important for resting, or conversing with friends.

  • Our existing gate works…sometimes. And other times it can put up a good fight. Having a new, functional, reliable gate that takes into mind accessibility, will ensure easy access to our Garden Members.

  • There is an old hoop house on site that is sadly beyond repair. Removing this structure will clear the way for us to add additional raised beds to this space and welcome more community members.

  • Each garden site that is stewarded by Partridge Creek Farm has a composting area for weeds, grass clippings, soil, etc. The existing system at the Community Garden needs to be updated.

  • We do our best to provide basic tools to our Garden Members. Some current needs includes hoes, rakes, pruners, shovels, trimmers and a lawn mower.

FAQs

  • Partridge Creek Farm stewards 6 community gardens throughout Ishpeming. Each garden serves a unique purpose. The Community Garden is currently our only site where community member are able to rent a raised bed each year to grow and harvest their own food. View all our garden sites here.

    Community Garden Timeline

    2014: The Community Garden, formally known as “The Incubator Garden” , was our very first garden. Built with the help of community volunteers, this space was shared by both community members and PCF for growing space.

    2014-2019: PCF and community members grew vegetables on site to feed themselves and our community. PCF sold items at local farmers markets during this time.

    2020: A grant from the West End Health Foundation allowed PCF to give all food grown at this garden to community members free of charge. A small stand outside our main office on Main Street served as a pick up spot. This is what sparked the idea for the West End Farm Stand.

    2023: With the introduction of the Intergenerational Farm site, PCF no longer needed to use space in the Community Garden for production growing, meaning all beds were fully rented to community members for the first time! PCF hired a Community Food Access Manager to facilitate this offering to our community.

    2024: For the second season, all 25 beds were rented to community members.

    2025 and beyond: PCF plans to continue stewarding this space for community members. We have a long list of improvements including adding additional beds to this space. As the Intergenerational Farm becomes more established, we hope to hand more of our community garden sites over to our community members!

  • The Partridge Creek Farm Community Garden hosts 24 members annually, many of whom return each year.

    • Our garden members say the top three reasons this space is important to them is (1) it helps offset the cost of groceries, (2) they enjoy spending time outside and (3) the positive effects this experience has on their mental and physical health.

    • Community Garden members' ages range from under 18 to over 65–a true intergenerational gathering point for our community!

    • 67% of garden members report visiting this space more than 4 times a week, making this space part of their regular routine.

    • The only grocery store located in downtown Ishpeming lacks a variety of fresh produce. Our garden members are helping to fill this need in their diets and share this food with friends and family.

  • Non profits receive grants that often come with restricted funds, meaning dollars must be used for a specific, pre-defined purpose. Partridge Creek Farm has received grants to help fund the build out of the Intergenerational Farm as well as our Farm to School programming. We are lacking funding for our community garden spaces, so we are turning to you, our community, to help us secure this as a long term space.

    Partridge Creek Farm has secured the following grant funding this year:

  • You can help us reach our $5,000 goal this Giving Tuesday by

    • Donating to our campaign. Every dollar helps!

    • Sharing this ask to your network via social media, text messaging, or talking to your friends about why you think this is important.

    • Sign up for our newsletter to stay in touch.