WOG was founded in 2022 by 4 dads to bring organic, and better-than-organic foods from local farms to local families. Our members and fans buy from the coop online and in-person.

Waves of Grain raised $5,000 in February and purchased our "new used cargo van", but we still must raise the second $5K to buy a laptop computer for inventory management, outfit our second booth setup, and help with general admin costs as we gear up for 2024. Our required licenses and market fees are well over $1K, for example. Your participation in raising these needed funds will help Waves of Grain hit new milestones in our third season of operation. This is our first general request for funding.

As we increase the % of our community’s annual food budget that stays in the local food system, here's what we've achieved, and our new targets for 2024:

	2022 Results	2023 Results	2024 Plan
Volume	>$40K	>$80K	>$240K
Communities with Pickup Locations	2	4	10
Markets	0	5	12
CSA Farms	1	3	3
CSA Families	31	39	50
Veggie & Fruit Producers	5	11	15
Meat, Eggs, Dairy, Honey Producers	3	8	12
Artisan and Local Food Makers	4	6	10
Wholesale Distributors Connected	2	2	3
Food Hubs Connected	2	2	4
Farm Starts	0	1	1

While we doubled our volume in 2023, this year we expect to triple by adding pickup sites at Farmers Markets and Pop-Up Farm Stands from Denver to Fort Collins. Based on the success of our in-person markets, we are confident in our ability to scale up, with your help, getting more local food onto local plates up and down the Front Range.

How we'll use the funds from this campaign:

Purchase of cargo van. DONE!!! This is a Dodge Power Wagon 5500 class van, the heaviest haul rating, with a rebuilt transmission, new shocks and brakes, in excellent running condition.
Buy a computer for inventory management. We'll be loading out to two markets five days a week in 2024 -- and loading in items that don't sell. We must manage inventory and expect to onboard a warehouse management intern working 20-30 hours per week to oversee our stock.
Outfit our second booth setup. To hit two different markets each day, we need an additional canopy tent, four more folding tables, a second point-of-sale device, cash box, coolers, bins, bags, and other supplies.
Help with general admin costs. We have other cash needs, including paying various upfront costs such as local government fees to enable us to sell meat and produce in farmers markets this summer and signing agreements with farmers.

What’s a Farm-to-Family Food Coop?

Waves of Grain batches online orders from many families to place a consolidated order with farms and food makers. Rather than drive to multiple locations, members purchase from over 20 farms and makers on our site, then grab their box at convenient pickup sites from Denver to Fort Collins, including farmers markets and weekly pop-up farm stands. In 2024, we plan to serve Denver, Westminster, Broomfield, South Boulder, Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Erie, Longmont, Loveland, and Fort Collins.

Good for Your Health

Local food systems deliver freshness in fruit and vegetables. Regenerative and organic farms build soil health for maximum mineral and phytonutrient content. According to a literature review published by NIH, “multiple studies show that organic varieties do provide significantly greater levels of vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus than non-organic varieties of the same foods. While being higher in these nutrients, they are also significantly lower in nitrates and pesticide residues.”

Good for Farmers

Waves of Grain works with regenerative and organic farms and favors food makers that utilize local farm products. As Waves of Grain expands access to local foods, we also work with farmers to increase production and help new farms get started. By representing our farms at many markets, farms can increase production and spend less time away from their farms. Our members benefit from greater access to local foods, and our farms and food makers enjoy expanded markets and recognition.

Good for the Economy

The mission of the Coop is to increase the share of our community’s annual food budget that stays in the local economy. Local food systems exist to add value "from plow to plate:" plant, tend, harvest, wash, sort, pack, haul, merchandize, select, slice, cook, serve. For each item of food consumed, how many of these layers of service and value happened in the local food system? Small farmers and processors in a local food system spend their income right away on labor and services. The effect of fast-turn local money is a higher standard of living for our community.

We need your help to grow

We are asking for your financial support to help us grow. We know that many people share our desire to live in a community that values organic/regenerative farms and wholesome food makers. We have proved that we can make it happen. Now is the time to grow the vision. Stand with us, come with us, share with us the happiest, tastiest, proudest activity of building our local food system. Thank you!

This campaign is unpublished.

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