Sometimes in the nonprofit world, it can be easy to overlook the role we have in not just being the recipients of support, but the important role we have in supporting other organizations and businesses, particularly those partners who have been alongside us for many years. Now is one of those times.

Birchwood Cafe and Tracy Singleton have been supporters of Youth Farm’s for as long as I have been here (which is almost as long as Birchwood Cafe has been around). They have been an unabashed leader and voice for the local food movement in the Twin Cities for 18 years. I cannot think of a time when we were having an event and needed food, or we needed a chef to come and teach youth in a cooking class, that Birchwood Cafe did not show up. Now it is our time to show up for them.

They are literally “bursting at the seams”, cooking on one stove or offsite kitchens for years just to meet the demand of their Good Real Food. Now it is time that they grew. So, in addition to traditional bank financing, they have started a Kickstarter Campaign to raise the additional capital needed to finance the expansion project. The good news, as of today they have over 500 backers and over $55,000 worth of pledges towards their $100,000 Campaign. Watch this video to see their story:

You want one of those savory waffles now, don’t you?! Me too, but first, I’m going to Back Birchwood. So I know most people are used to receiving fundraising or donation requests from me to support Youth Farm (and you still will), but we are excited to share this great opportunity to support a long time partner of ours in making their dream a reality. Watch the video, and then please do support this effort and share it with your friends. The Twin Cities food movement would not be where it is at today without Tracy and Birchwood Cafe.