News From Horseshoe Bay Farms

Nov. 2021

A periodic newsletter to connect the mission, history, and current happenings of Horseshoe Bay Farms to all.

HSBF: The Season of Gratitude

The mission of Horseshoe Bay Farms, Inc. is to act as a responsible steward through preservation, rehabilitation, and activation of historic Horseshoe Bay Farms to secure its future for generations to come.

After a robust and unique 102 year history, this iconic Door County farm located in Egg Harbor, WI, became a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2018.

As a non-profit, HSBF relies heavily on donations. Financial contributions help preserve the historic buildings, offset operational expenses, and ensure we can grow as an organization.

Please consider a financial contribution to HSBF this year.

DONATE TODAY

Our History (one piece at a time)

The Power House

The farm and its support structures were constructed between 1917 - 1919. One of those structures was the Power House. This building housed 2 diesel engines that supplied electricity to the entire farm, including the farm managers homes.

We estimate that the Power House supplied electricity to the farm until the early 1930's, nearly 15 years before power reached Door that region of Door County!

The Power House still stands today as one of the original farm structures. It recently underwent a remediation cleaning and deodorizing process to help preserve the structure and to make it more accessible in the future.

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The rich history of HSBF is still being discovered by the staff and volunteers. As a critical component of our mission, we must gather as much of the history of this iconic Door County property as possible.

If you have any photos, stories, or connections to HSBF, or see that we may have a made an error in the history that we share, please contact us.

We want to hear from you!

Photo: Inside the upper lever Power House

#GIVINGTUESDAY

DONATE TODAY

In 2012, #GIVINGTUESDAY was created as a day that encourages people to do good. Always held the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, it is a time for people give back after four consecutive days of store busting deals for the holidays.

Over the next nine years it would grow and help recognize non-profits world wide, raising $2.4 BILLION in 24 hours in the US last year alone.

This year, be a part of the nearly 35 million people that participate in #GIVINGTUESDAY and consider making a contribution to HSBF on Tuesday, November 30.

Volunteers

It's no secret that volunteers are a critical component to any non-profit. So when we started planning out 2021, we knew finding volunteers would be priority #1.

We put the call out through a newspaper articles, Facebook posts, and a podcast. We were hoping for 8-10 volunteers and figured that would be a great start. The response was amazing.

At the close of our first season, 23 different people had volunteered in various capacities in 7 months. Volunteers helped with everything from tending the vegetable and flower gardens, leading tours, cleaning barns, to working the farms stand and collecting history.

Those 23 individuals volunteered 250 hours of their time to help HSBF! The monetary equivalent fo their work equals $7,135. But it's more that just money saved. It's the discussions, the friendships, the feeling of helping others, and the belief that HSBF is worth the effort and time.

To all of the volunteers, we THANK YOU for all of your time and energy this year!

Vegetable Garden

Through much work and community feedback, the Master Plan integrates agricultural production and education throughout the grounds of HSBF. This year, hundreds of hours were put into working the vegetable garden by staff and volunteers.

The items grown in the garden were organically grown. We grew 15 types of vegetables, 3 fruits, and 5 different herbs.

The goal is to expand the raised bed gardens throughout the property and not only sell the produce, but utilize it as an educational tool.

Online "Stand" Now Open!

The HSBF "Farm Stand" is now online! (Well, the merch anyway). Check out our website to find out what's available and give the gift of HSBF this holiday season.

Shop Now!

From the Master Plan

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Vision For The Future

During the process of the creating the Master Plan, the group created 6 guiding principles. These principles will be implemented over time using a carefully considered and financially sustainable phasing process.

STEWARDSHIP

1. Be stewards of the site, land, and history

2. Serve the Door County community as a center of learning and culture

SITE ACTIVATION

3. Be a hub for learning and exchanging new and developing ideas

4. Provide access and programs unique to this site

5. Be an incubator for innovation

IMPLEMENTATION

6. Adopt plans and practices that are sustainable for the future

HSBF Master Plan

DONATE TODAY

Horseshoe Bay Farms, Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Our mission is to act as a responsible steward through preservation, rehabilitation, and activation of historic Horseshoe Bay Farms to secure its future for generations to come.

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