School is well underway, the leaves have fallen and we all anxiously await the first snowfall.  It seems like it was just yesterday that I was writing to you about the activities planned for Farm Camps at Harvest Hope Farm and now they have come and gone!  Spring and summer here at the farm are busy, okay, let’s be honest, they are very busy.  The hustle and bustle that comes with every week of camp makes things exciting and exhausting at the same time.  A grantor that visited the farm recently asked me what it is like to have Harvest Hope Farm on our homestead, my answer, “It’s a blessing and a beast”. 

 

We have been blessed abundantly to be able to run Harvest Hope Farm from our homestead.  Being able to schedule around our busy family of 10, making the camps, events, and special activities that are all a part of what we do intermix and work around our schedule is a huge blessing.  I often stop to think, “how do my kids feel about this”?  as their yard is taken over day after day and week after week by kids and families that are fortunate to be a part of Harvest Hope Farm activities.  How do they answer, “It’s what we do mom”.  “Why wouldn’t we do this”. “It’s what we are called to do”.  Wow!  I don’t take these answers lightly, but rather, I thank God for giving Jason and I the courage and strength to do the hard things, to literally raise our kids in an environment of giving, to be able to keep going, even when we want to give up because we are physically and emotionally exhausted.

 

Our mission at Harvest Hope Farm is to enhance well-being through hands-on farm experiences and education regarding sustainable food resources and environmental stewardship.  That’s a lot!  To sum it up, we use our farm to get your hands a little dirty and teach you a lot!  If you have visited the farm, you know the love that we have for sharing this small piece of heaven on earth with others.  You know the joy that it brings to every child who sees a llama, hears Herman the Donkey “talk”, holds a lamb, and pets the kitties!  You also know the peacefulness that comes with walking the trails, experiencing the sounds of the barn, visiting the Growing Dome and learning about our mission as we strive to Grow Hope 365.

 

This year, we are especially grateful to the MN Department of Agriculture, West Central Initiative and FM Area Foundation for helping to make our mission possible through the youth programs we offer, now year around!  In 2024, we served 34 youth in our 11-week Farm Camp Program, 42 youth in Llama Llama Camps for PreSchoolers, 14 youth in Camp Agnes, 148 youth in summer Farm Camp on Wheels, and we are currently serving nearly 275 youth in our Farm Camp on Wheels School year program.  We are very excited about this growth and are grateful for the grantors and donors that have made these programs possible.

 

Behind our mission, there is another very special cause that is near and dear to our hearts.  Every day, we are hoping, praying and fighting for a cure for Huntington’s Disease.  This disease has not only impacted my family, but it has impacted many of those that we love and care for deeply.  Since I was 10 years old, this disease has surrounded my life.  Over the past 10 years, I have come to know 100’s of more families impacted by HD, many like my own.  The “special” sheep at Harvest Hope Farm are currently being maintained for future use for research in cooperation with Glycoscience Research.  These sheep, may hold the key to life-changing research for those with HD.  The next time you visit the farm, please take a moment to read the names of some of these Ewe’s on the wall in the barn.  Some are silly, like Oreo Cookie Blizzard, but many have special intentions within them.  As I frequently visit groups to talk about our mission, I am also educating those groups about the need for a cure for this dreadful disease.  Please continue to pray and hope always that my generation will be the last to fear this disease.

 

As we approach Thanksgiving, know that we are thankful for each of you and your generous support for Harvest Hope Farm and our mission!  If you did not have the opportunity to attend our fall fundraiser in September and would still like to give, we would be grateful for your year-end donation.  As we look forward to 2025, we also look forward with Hope, Gratitude and Joy!

 

Blessings to you –

 

Lynn Kotrba

Co-Founder

Executive Director