Growing Together: Non-Profit Collaboration at the Barnyard Estates

Great meet up this morning with Selena Darrow, the executive director of a non-profit, Rooted In Inc, an organization whose mission is focused around helping those in the community who don’t have regular access to healthy food, and at the same time building partnerships and strengthening the community.

Additionally, talking with Selena, I learned about her passion for not just bringing local food products to the table for, but understanding the food gap that actually exists in developing ways to use the fresh products, like through the Chef’s Table at the Market program was fascinating and inspiring to say the least. The shared kitchen at the Barnyard Estates and the in-door farmer’s market, was definitely a point of interest for Rooted In.

Selena Darrow was recently on the news for her work with gathering left-over food from community gardens and then donates the produce to food pantries, a term she calls “gleaning” which is basically saving the leftover produce from these gardens to be used for food or composts. 

We are excited about this new partnership, and are committed to learning more about each other, strengthening this relationship, sharing resources and connecting people to both of these entities to build a more sustainable world. 

Forming Partnerships is Key to the Success of the Barnyard Estates in Pulaski, WI.

Today, I had the opportunity to meet with author and Shawano Leader editor Lee Pulaski on the latest updates for the Barnyard Estates. The last time we met was in April of this year, so our conversation was extensive, and we covered a lot of ground. We are truly grateful for the strategic alliances we are forming with this community project and know that they are key to the success of the Barnyard Estates.

Since April, we have dedicated a significant amount of time and energy into the Keller discovery meetings, architectural planning, business and organization meetings to help build awareness and support the project, and planning and follow-up from the “Unveiling of the Barnyard Estates” event which was held at Keller in Kaukauna on September 26th. Now the fun part begins, right?

Our next steps will be building awareness and support. We have been meeting key individuals, businesses and organizations to continue to build momentum. If you would like to learn more about the project itself, please contact myself, Tammy Brzeczkowski at tammy@dynamicdesignspulaski.com, or 920-822-4450, or any Steering Committee members listed on the website. I would be happy to schedule a time to talk to you about the project, and create some potential ideas for partnership opportunities.

A second step in this process is researching fundraising opportunities, naming right criteria, grant opportunities, and corporate funding. We will continue to meet with corporations to garner support. If you have an institution or know of an individual who has a passion for Pulaski, or a mission that aligns with the Barnyard Estates we would love the opportunity to talk with you.

Finally, our steering committee is working towards the logistics of how business and community will work together in this barnlike structure. Everything must align in order to sustain the Barnyard Estates. Questions that we must answer: 1) How much space will need to be leased to cover the common space or public area of the building and at what cost per square foot? 2) Who do we hire once the project is up and running - What type of position or role do we need to help execute events, tenant leasing or memberships for the co-shared work space and at what salary will we need? 3) How will the building be maintained, and who will maintain it? These are just a few of many questions we are working on.

While there are numerous questions surrounding Barnyard Estates, what truly excites me is the profound impact it will have on our community. Not only will it bring families closer together, but it will also provide a platform for small business dreams to flourish. This project will offer opportunities for individuals of all ages to gather, socialize, eat, drink, and have fun. Additionally, it will showcase the talents of local artists, authors, and entrepreneurs. Major corporations will also benefit from the facility, utilizing it for off-site meetings and professional development. Furthermore, the project will create additional learning opportunities and foster cultural growth, all thanks to the collective belief in the dream we call Barnyard Estates.