‘It's truly a community project’: Spring on the Farm fundraiser returns to Monocacy Farm Project

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — In the spring of 2020, “things were shifting for everybody,” Eli Stogsdill said.

• Monocacy Farm Project's Spring on the Farm fundraiser is set for Saturday
• The event includes a greenhouse plant sale, local food and craft vendors, farm tours and an opportunity to learn about beekeeping
• The nonprofit educational farm donates a large portion of its harvest to those underserved

“We were growing seedlings and were getting demand from people to have more support to start their gardens at home and we have a greenhouse here, so we're able to give it a head start for some healthy seedlings grown without herbicides or pesticides or artificial fertilizers,” said Stogsdill, project manager and farmer for theMonocacy Farm Project. “And there was real interest in that.

“We first set up a contactless pickup just for people who reached out and wanted plants and then it evolved into an event where we invite people to the farm to visit, see what's happening at this time of the year.”

In its third year, Spring on the Farm is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 13, at 395 Bridle Path Road, with free parking and admission. In addition to a greenhouse plant sale, there will be local food and craft vendors, farm tours and an opportunity to learn about beekeeping. Proceeds from the event benefit the Monocacy Farm Project, an energy-efficient and sustainable farming nonprofit.

Seedlings available include tomatoes, peppers, basil, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, scallion, parsley and dill, as well as various flowers, among others, he said.

“We have a pretty nice selection of lots of different varieties, and this year we used Vermont compost, which is really high quality compost, potting soil and we have biodegradable pots that can be purchased you can plant the part right in the ground, so we are trying to reduce your plastic waste,” Stogsdill said.

The event acts as a fundraiser for the project, which is a nonprofit educational farm, he explained. A large portion of the harvest goes to those underserved and most in need.

“We have the pick your own program, where people can come and share in our harvest and then what people just contribute for pick your own helps us give to people who don't pay for it because we distribute primarily to our partners in the emergency food system,” he said. “And so more than half of our harvest goes to people who aren't paying for it.”

Confirmed vendors include Simply Soy & Scent, The Marquee Kitchen, Bethlehem Food Co-op, The Farmhouse Bakery, Creation Care, Black River Farms Vineyards & Winery, Foodstuff Inc., Truly Pure & Natural, Cutco, Kellyn Foundation, Hippie Momma Soap, John Chrysostom Academy, Y Knots & Baubles, Seasonal Hangups, Broken Branch Creation, Monocacy Creek Watershed Association, Bob Swaim Bikes and Jeff Csatari.

“Spring on the Farm is made possible by lots of volunteers who come and help out and have been in terms of getting all the seedlings ready and potting up little tiny seedlings and making individual labels for each plant,” Stogsdill said. “We have a really supportive team of volunteers and it's truly a community project.”