Wild Robbins Farm Store
We are growing so fast we have busted out of our small but mighty market on our farm. We need a bigger shed to serve our growing customers.
Project Description
The mission of Wild Robbins Farm is to grow your food locally while building our community. Our farm is 20 miles outside Boston, and we are raising Pork & Chicken and seasonally Lamb & Turkey. We value organically raising our meat in the forest or out on pasture. When we say building our community it also expands to donating a portion of our meat every year to feed our community. This past year we donated over 200 lbs of our meat. We have a passion to help do our part to end food insecurity.
In 2020 our farm opened its doors to customers, in person and online. We are selling USDA processed farm-raised meat. We sell direct to consumer at our farm, in local farmer's markets and our products are also sold in small farm stores.
Currently our farm store at our farm is a small shed that was repurposed from lawn mower storage. It has been perfect and we are able to put freezers and refrigerators in it as well as shelving.
However, this little gem of a farm store that has served us well, that we have had countless customers come to browse and or pick-up their products on the farm is now not meeting our needs. We are growing fast and have found ourselves outgrowing our small but mighty shed.
To operate smoother, and to effectively store all our products in one place we need an upgrade. Our ideal space that we have a price and design for is a 12 X 20 shed.
We have researched and looked at the zoning regulations, and our growth plan for the next few years and have concluded that a 12 X 20 shed is perfect for us. This design offers a door for customers to enter, and a door for loading products. This space will also hold 3 upright freezers, and 3 upright reach in refrigerators, and well as 2 back up deep freezers. This space will have a counter for check-out as well a shelving for other community value-add products.
The above photo is to give you an idea of the back side and the scale of this. Our goal is not only to upgrade the space in size, but also moving the location from where our store currently is, to a space that is easier for our customers to access (about 100 feet closer to the road).
Our store currently is only open for pick-ups or during designated hours. Our 2022 goal is for our customers to be able to access our store everyday. The new proposed store location and accessibility based on a survey of over 400 of our current customers will increase our business by over 50%. Our farm is located in a busy area, with customers who are looking for an easy and fast user experience.
We will be using a model that 3 nearby farm stores on farms use, and hooking up a series of security cameras ( that we currently have) as well as a check-out system that can be operated by our customers alone. Customers will be able to check-out and pay digitally using this system. This is on top of farm staff and owners being in the store when not out working with the animals.
By having a space that customers can use autonomously this will not only increase the number of customers but it will make it even easier for customers to shop in our store when it works for their busy schedule.
Our current model is that customers order online and we schedule a pick-up, or we have open market days. With this new model customers will be able to still order online but they will also be able to swing by with no notice and browse our inventory when it works for them.
Our Goal is to raise the money and buy and have installed this new shed by the end of February 2022. We would then love to be able to open this new space by the end of March 2022, just in time to kick-off our lambing season and as the last of the snow is melting.
Our 2022 Poultry CSA begins again in May of 2022, and with this new space our pick-up’s will be much faster. Not to mention all of our customers will find their user experience much easier when they can park and access our store with ease. Anytime a customer orders ahead of time they will be able to walk into the new space to find their order packed and labeled for easy pick-up.
Wild Robbins Farm will be funding the cost for the extra freezers that will be needed as well and ensuring all the decor and the customer experience is seamless. All we are asking for is the help funding the cost of the new shed.
We thank you in advance for your help and support of this project and can’t wait for our customers to experience this new space!
Your Farmer, Laura
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
What happens if you don't get this store?
We will continue to operate as we have been, and we will most likely offer more hours for our current store to be open and potentially hire a part-time person to help accommodate this.
Will you grow out of this new proposed Store?
When we look at the land we have available to us, along with the animals we currently raise and plan to raise, this new store will be all that we need. We have calculated the freezer space, and the total number of animals we are able to raise in a year, and there is a limit to what we can send for processing and this space will be within that limit.
Do you need a permit to get this new space?
We do not need a permit from our town for a space that is a farm building and for a shed this size. I am also on the towns agricultural commission so there is no doubt to the regulations.
Do you have this shed designed and picked out already?
We do, we are working with a local company who’s only focus is building sheds in our area. Not only do we have the design we are doing a shed that is not a difficult build and therefore does not take more than 4 weeks to build. To help matters, this shed is most likely already built and in the warehouse and all we would have to do is pick out the paint and trim color.
Is this space going to hold up in Massachusetts Weather?
Absolutely, this is why we are not building our own from a shed kit, or buying and having moved a used one. We will be welcoming customers, as well as storing most of our inventory in this space. This shed is designed to withstand high winds, rain and many many feet of snow.
Is this space accessible?
It will be accessible, as there are 2 wide doors that swing open with a ramp for anyone who needs to access the space in a wheelchair or who can not handle 1 step.
Will you need to add electricity?
Yes, but that’s an easy problem to solve and we have a great electrician who has given us a bid to do the work, the cost of this is under $400. We have run electric to our barns and other structures so we are familiar with the process and have budgeted for this.
Will you need new appliances?
Yes, we plan to purchase 2 new upright freezers with glass doors as well as 2 new refrigerators. We have everything else we need. We have budgeted and have the money set aside for the new appliances.
With Construction costs rising are you raising enough money?
We believe so, we have a bid and have shopped around for a while. We are not getting a super fancy and intricate space so we believe our budget is right in line.
Will you have an opening party?
Yes, in the spring we will have a grand opening party and all contributors to this will be invited!
Just Because I Care
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get one dozen eggs on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and donor event if you are local.
If you are not local to use you will be mailed a Wild Robbins Farm Sticker.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get one package of pork sausage on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and our donor event if you are local.
If you are not local to us you will receive a coupon code for 10% off when you visit our online Swag Store to purchase.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get 2 packages of Bacon and 1 dozen eggs on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and our donor event if you are local.
If you are not local to us you will receive a coupon code for 15% off when you visit our online Swag Store to purchase.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get one dozen eggs and one whole pasture raised chicken (when it's in season) on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and our donor event if you are local.
If you are not local to us you will receive a coupon code for 25% off when you visit our online Swag Store to purchase.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get a $50 Gift Certificate to shop on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and the donor event if you are local!
If you are not local to us you will receive a coupon code for 50% off when you visit our online Swag Store to purchase.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get your 2022 Thanksgiving Turkey on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and our donor event if you are local.
If you are not local to us you will receive a coupon code for two free items when you visit our online Swag Store to purchase.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store.
Your amazing investment of $1000 will allow you to name one of our spring lambs and get personalized updates on them for the first year of their life.
You will also receive a gift certificate to shop in our store for $50 in value.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and our donor thank you event if you are local!
If you are not local you will receive 2 items from our our online Swag Store to purchase.
Rewards
Just Because I Care
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get one dozen eggs on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and donor event if you are local.
If you are not local to use you will be mailed a Wild Robbins Farm Sticker.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get one package of pork sausage on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and our donor event if you are local.
If you are not local to us you will receive a coupon code for 10% off when you visit our online Swag Store to purchase.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get 2 packages of Bacon and 1 dozen eggs on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and our donor event if you are local.
If you are not local to us you will receive a coupon code for 15% off when you visit our online Swag Store to purchase.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get one dozen eggs and one whole pasture raised chicken (when it's in season) on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and our donor event if you are local.
If you are not local to us you will receive a coupon code for 25% off when you visit our online Swag Store to purchase.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get a $50 Gift Certificate to shop on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and the donor event if you are local!
If you are not local to us you will receive a coupon code for 50% off when you visit our online Swag Store to purchase.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store. You will also get your 2022 Thanksgiving Turkey on us, when you visit our store.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and our donor event if you are local.
If you are not local to us you will receive a coupon code for two free items when you visit our online Swag Store to purchase.
We thank you for your support and belief in us, our mission and our store.
Your amazing investment of $1000 will allow you to name one of our spring lambs and get personalized updates on them for the first year of their life.
You will also receive a gift certificate to shop in our store for $50 in value.
You will also get an invite to our Grand Opening Party and our donor thank you event if you are local!
If you are not local you will receive 2 items from our our online Swag Store to purchase.