About this project
Earth Elements plans to rebuild a commercial kitchen and restructure its business model to expand its mission of facilitating community shared preservation, processing and distribution of local food.
Creating a community shared facility will:
-utilize produce from local farmers, allowing them to increase production
-provide an outlet for seconds and surplus produce, eliminating waste
-consolidate local food supply for easier distribution to area schools
-create jobs and build local economy in rural OK
-provide the missing links to secure a stable future food supply
-increase healthy local food options for consumers
-allow the expense of refrigeration to be shared among area growers
-provide an approved facility for food artisans to make and market
their creations to the community
-create a replicable model for others to use to strengthen the local food industry
In Nov 09, The OK Dept of Transportation notified Earth Elements of eminent domain acquisition. Our current facility is being torn down and we need to rebuild. With the economic situation, we have been unable to find standard financing and obtaining alternative financing is our hope to carry on our 12 year mission of building community food systems.
We plan to construct a new facility using the salvageable materials from the current facility. This, along with sweat equity from our community and these Kickstarter funds, will enable us to create a facility that the community can use to process and preserve local food products. Currently, 5 businesses, 50+ regional farmers, 8 employees, 4 sales staff and countless consumers are affected. Earth Elements sees the ODOT situation as a catalyst to implement a new employee-owned business model suitable to the unique demands of local food; pioneering a new community based model for others to use in creating more efficient food systems.
Our goal is to raise the $25,000+ dollars through Kickstarter, we will use that money to have a 1,200 square foot metal building erected, most likely on Earth Elements Farm unless a location closer to Norman or OKC presents itself. We plan to start construction by the end of November, giving us just enough time to build, move and install all the equipment by the ODOT vacate date of April 2011.
The building will be a simple metal structure with spray foam insulation. In the next few weeks we will start the blueprint approval process with the OK Health Department preparing for that November construction date.
Thanks for helping Earth Elements continue its fight for local food.
FAQ
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67
Backers
$11,570
pledged of $25,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Unsuccessful
This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on November 5, 2010.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
Will receive an invitation to the "Celebration of Supporter Appreciation" after the construction of the new facility is complete. You will also have your name proudly displayed as a supporter on our website.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
Will receive an invitation to the "Celebration of Supporter Appreciation" plus an Earth Elements "I put my money where my mouth is " Reusable Grocery Tote Bag and your name proudly displayed as a supporter on our website.
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
Will receive an Earth Elements "I put my money where my mouth is " T- shirt and an invitation to the "Celebration of Supporter Appreciation" plus an Earth Elements "I put my money where my mouth is " Reusable Grocery Tote Bag and your name proudly displayed as a supporter on our website.
Pledge $75 or more Pledge $75 or more
Will receive an Earth Elements "I put my money where my mouth is " T- shirt and reusable Grocery Tote Bag, an invitation to the "Celebration of Supporter Appreciation" and your name proudly displayed as a supporter on our website.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
Will receive a sample assortment of Earth Elements Canned and Baked goods, an Earth Elements "I put my money where my mouth is " T- shirt and reusable Grocery Tote Bag, an invitation to the "Celebration of Supporter Appreciation" and your name proudly displayed as a supporter on our website.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
Will receive our Locavore Gift Basket filled with assortment of Oklahoma made products, an Earth Elements "I put my money where my mouth is " T- shirt and reusable Grocery Tote Bag, an invitation to the "Celebration of Supporter Appreciation" and your name proudly displayed as a supporter on our website.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
Will receive The Locavore Dinner catered for you and three of your friends, our Locavore Gift Basket filled with assortment of Oklahoma made products, an Earth Elements "I put my money where my mouth is " T- shirt and reusable Grocery Tote Bag, an invitation to the "Celebration of Supporter Appreciation" and your name proudly displayed as a supporter on our website.
Pledge $5,000 or more Pledge $5,000 or more
Will receive The Locavore Dinner catered for you and seven of your friends, the honor of contributing to the development and naming of a new product, our Locavore Gift Basket filled with assortment of Oklahoma made products, an Earth Elements "I put my money where my mouth is " T- shirt and reusable Grocery Tote Bag, an invitation to the "Celebration of Supporter Appreciation" and your name proudly displayed as a supporter on our website.
Project By
Connected as April Harrington
Earth Elements was founded in 1998. The last 12+ years have been an exciting journey from producing fresh herbs and herbal products , to growing organic fruit and vegetables, to educating an array of curious minds of all ages. Today, we focus our energy on the preservation, processing and value adding of local food, filling the missing link for Oklahoma farmers to feed Oklahoman's which strengthens our community food system.
