The recent Mountain Fires in Southern California devastated local residents, beekeepers, and organic and non-organic producers alike. When disaster strikes, members of the community have the opportunity to give back to the farms that have fed them for years.
With and decades of landscape design and build experience, John Schoustra founded Greenwood Daylily Gardens with his partner Cynthia to find and grow the best daylily varieties for California. Over time, the mission broadened to include other plants that “performed like daylilies.” First, the farm added irises, then clivias, pelargoniums, and cannas. In each case, the Greenwood Daylily Gardens evaluated hundreds or thousands of varieties, selecting and propagating the few that best met the needs of California landscape professionals.
The recent Mountain Fires in Southern California’s Ventura County threatened many farms in the region, including the well-known Apricot Lane Farms, who have experienced and survived their fair share of fires over the years. Apricot Lane co-founder John Chester started the GoFundMe on behalf of his friends and neighbors, the Schoustras. To support the building efforts at Greenwood, head to https://www.gofundme.com/f/mountain-fire-john-s.
To support all organic farmers experiencing hardship, much of which has been climate-related in recent years, head to www.ccof.org/donate to make a contribution to our Hardship Assistance program. The CCOF Foundation hosts the only U.S. fund providing disaster relief specifically to organic producers across the nation. The CCOF Foundation has granted nearly $3 million in disaster relief funding since 2007.
To get involved or donate through a donor-advised fund or gift of stock, please contact CCOF Foundation Development Director Willow Aray at waray@ccof.org.