In Bloom: Welcoming a New Nonprofit Arm of Churchview Farm

PHOTO COURTESY OF TARA ROCKACY

While in the midst of a massive construction project at Baldwin’s Churchview Farm, owner Tara Rockacy decided to form a nonprofit, too. 

“Because, why not do everything at once?” she jokes. 

Churchview Farm has long hosted special dinners and events that feature farm-to-table meals prepared by chefs from local restaurants, among them DiAnoia’s Eatery, Alta Via and Black Radish Kitchen. Now, Rockacy plans to launch a new nonprofit arm — Churchview Hub for Education and Workshare.

Called CHEW for short, the nonprofit’s purpose is to enhance and expand the farm’s educational and community engagement, and to generally make the farm more accessible. A primary goal is to hire a second farmer and educator, which will allow Churchview to expand existing weekly, no-cost programming. 

Logistically, it will also provide the opportunity to fine-tune and enhance the hands-on agriculture education Churchview currently provides, as well as include more cooking and preserving experiences. Churchview will also offer more agriculture education outside of the weekly programming, such as classes on starting and maintaining an herb garden, identifying pests and beneficial insects or creating pollinator habitats.

Rockacy says CHEW was formed on the advice of some longtime supporters of Churchview and their teaching kitchen project. For the past 15 years, much of the farm’s education, community engagement and food distribution has been not-for-profit, and was entirely supported by Churchview’s events. 

“That model was limiting and unsustainable. My goal has always been to grow and sustain our events … while also expanding the offerings and reach of our engagement work,” Rockacy says “But that was too heavy of a load for our events to carry, as they are incredibly labor-intensive and costly in and of themselves.”

The goal of the nonprofit is to continue to raise the high bar set by the past decade-and-a-half of vibrant and educational Churchview events, and at the same time, to offer some experiences with a more accessible ticket price. This could look like family-friendly dinners or workshop experiences that span beyond agriculture. Think flower arranging and wreath making, dying and printmaking, or preserving and other hands-on culinary classes.

With the support of foundations and tax-deductible donations, CHEW will exist and grow as its own entity, supporting the community work that Churchview does. That way, the organization’s dinners and for-profit events can become more self-sustaining, too. 

Rockacy says now felt like the right time to launch CHEW, partly because it will help make the venue’s new kitchen possible by opening more avenues for fundraising. 

Right now, they’re seeking support from individuals within Churchview’s network, grants and assistance from foundations in the community. Additionally, when Rockacy realized the full potential of what they’d be able to do with a nonprofit — how they could reach and expand their goals, and broaden the reach of and access to Churchview — she simply wanted to “go all in and start right away.” 

There are other broader reasons for the timeliness of this endeavor, as well. 

“I think we’re all painfully aware that our food system is more broken than ever,” Rockacy says. “People are rightly concerned, and justifiably scared.”

She adds that she’s “never received more requests” for folks to join the farm’s weekly programming, or to purchase food from Churchview — something they’re unable to do at this time because all of the food Churchview produces goes to education endeavors and the event chefs.

“So, it felt like there simply wasn’t any time to waste,” Rockacy adds.

The process of launching a nonprofit certainly didn’t happen overnight. Yet with “incredible cheerleading, advice and direction” provided by friends and longtime supporters of the farm, it wasn’t as arduous as Rockacy anticipated. Churchview was able to get the nonprofit up and running, with state and IRS applications approved, in less than six months. 

More information about CHEW will soon be available on Churchview’s website, including bios for the founding board members: Catherine Raphael, Georgia Berner, Patrick Putoirti, Jodi Hohman and Mary Rudock.  

“With them at my side, I feel confident, grounded and know that we’re on the right path,” Rockacy says. “And, that I’m not trying to do this alone or in a vacuum. Because, at this level with this timeline, that’s just not possible.”

There also are plans for the public to get involved, which Rockacy hopes to announce soon. 

“Our community helped us get this far,” she says. “And we know they’ll support us as we move toward this exciting new chapter.”