Fundraisers Planned for Dartmouth Farm’s Barn Fire

In the early hours of Saturday, January 12, Sarah Cogswell left her house to get ready for a farmers' market, only to find her barn ablaze. Fire crews from Dartmouth and the surrounding communities battled the intense fire for four hours, but the barn was a complete loss. Sarah, along with Kate Levin, own and run Cluck and Trowel, a small family farm in Dartmouth and Westport, MA. It is a certified organic farm raising pastured poultry and heritage pork as well as a variety of seasonal produce. Sarah and Kate lost over 200 laying hens, a brand-new chest freezer full of their pork they were selling at farmers' markets, and all of the equipment that they stored in the barn for the winter.

Unfortunately, their farm insurance will not cover equipment, poultry or product replacement, so they will be relying on fundraising more than they initially thought. Members of the community and local businesses are standing by these farm owners to help get them back on their feet and continue to farm.

Destination Soups will be donating a percentage of sales all day on Thursday, January 24. Destination Soups is located at 149 Union Street in downtown New Bedford. Check out their Soup It Up for Cluck & Trowel event on Facebook.

Farm & Coast Market will be hosting a fundraiser on Thursday, January 31 at the market located at 7 Bridge Street in South Dartmouth. There will be apps, beer, wine, and live music with Barry Gross and Neal McCarthy. Tickets will soon be available for $25.

A “Hootenanny” is currently being organized at Weatherlow Farms in Westport for the end of February. Just the name alone makes me want to put my cowboy boots on for folk music and dancing.

If you can’t make any of these events, but still want to show your support, then consider sending a check to the Dartmouth Grange on their behalf. Please make checks out to Dartmouth Grange and add “Cluck and Trowel relief fund” to the memo. Their address is 1133 Fisher Rd, Dartmouth, MA 02748. Sarah, Kate, and all the little goats are eternally grateful for your contribution.

Kate Levin posted about one donation in particular that made the goats very happy: "BIG thanks to Peter and the Concordia Team for helping us with a foul weather shelter for Judith, Lucy, and Higgins this morning!"