For 2024, our 31st anniversary, our Royalty has chosen to support Tri Cycle Farms in Fayetteville. Tri Cycle Farms is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to grow community through soil.
From their website, here is the farm’s story:
Tri Cycle Farms is a community urban farm-park, working to address food insecurity by growing food and teaching others to grow food. We have a beautiful, productive garden on 2 acres of land in the heart of Fayetteville. Our friends and neighbors come to work in the garden, or they might stop by to soak in the rejuvenating natural beauty. We strive to create community by reconnecting with the land, with our food, and with each other.
Though growing food is what got us started, we have expanded our programming to include much, much more! We have begun to create our own circular economy through the enactment of various programs, which include garden tending, chicken tending, hydroponics and food recovery, as well as educational classes and workshops.
Sharing: Food grown at the farm is allocated using our Tri Cycle Farms’ Thirds Share Initiative in which we share a third of what we grow with volunteers, give a third to food pantries and community meals, and sell a third to sustain the farm and demonstrate the economy of food.
Teaching: Tri Cycle Farms collaborates with knowledgeable local teachers and farmers to offer garden, food, and holistic health classes to the community. Some are hands-on workshops while others are classroom-style, and some charge a small fee while most are donation-based, but we invite all to come share in the knowledge and wisdom.
Farming: Tri Cycle Farms’ first garden was started in 2012 after a volunteer force cleaned up the overgrown property purchased by our director, Don Bennett. Our soil has only been tilled three times since 2012, for good reasons. The soil in our gardens is full of life, with a beautiful soil structure that has been built up over the years. This is just one method of farming that we learned from a local gardening teacher.
Food Recovery: Tri Cycle Farms Food Recovery, Rescue and Resources Program coordinates businesses, community organizations, and some serious volunteer muscle in order to recover and redistribute over 90 thousand pounds of chemical-free food and make over twenty thousand pounds of compost. We redirect this valuable nutrition to people and plants and away from the landfill!
When you support the Fayetteville Mardi Gras’ 2024 celebration, either through sponsorships, entries, or donations, you also support the Farm’s mission to “to grow community through soil, as we steward food awareness, education, and empowerment. We envision a world with food security, sovereignty, and sustainability for all.” To learn more about the Tri Cycle Farms, visit https://www.tricyclefarms.org/, or follow them on Facebook, or on Instagram!
If you would like to support Tri Cycle Farms by becoming a sponsor, please click here to visit our sponsorship page to sign up. Thank you!