End of year and holiday time is often a time of reflection and gratitude. During this year of COVID, what is clear is we cannot succeed alone. From frontline workers to family and friends, we need each other. We haven't walked alone through our difficulties, including business interruptions. Non-profits have been particularly hard hit, they need our help more than ever to continue their essential services.
Crowe's Nest Farm
Friar Consulting is contributing in a way we can; we're helping an educational non-profit that serves 40,000 school children and families each year. The farm is funded by visitor admissions and donations.
Serving the Austin area for some 25+ years, Crowe's Nest Farm is a 100-acre working farm filled with hundreds of domestic farm animals and a wide, ever-growing array of Texas wildlife, gardens, and educational exhibits. Its a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization dedicated to fostering public appreciation, knowledge, and wise stewardship of the agricultural and wildlife resources of Texas.
School Field Trips on Hold
In August, I saw a segment on Spectrum News high-lighting Crowe's Nest Farm interviewing founder Dave Williams regarding the hard hit they've had as a result of COVID. With COVID-19, school field trips are on hold. 40,000 Central Texas children from Waco to San Antonio are not visiting. Consequently full-time staff had to be laid off.
Co-founder Dr. Diane Crowe is a renown educator, and she happens to be the former principal at AISD Gullett Elementary. My son attended Gullett. Children at Gullett had a rich immersion experience in life sciences. Gullett had barnyard animals, chickens, turkeys, goats, which the children cared for. The hallways were lined with tanks full of reptiles and fish. There was a monarch butterfly exhibit and even an apiary in the library. Many of the animals lived on the farm over summer vacation.
On Spectrum, Dave announced a Go Fund Me campaign, so Marketer Professional kicked in and I checked out the Go Fund Me campaign. For a business this worthy it was clear there needed to be more promotion. And, Friar Consulting has started doing that.
2021 - Crowe's Nest Farm & Friar Consulting
Crowe's Nest Farms and Friar Consulting have greater plans. Organizations like Crowe's Nest Farm need to get through this pandemic. They are serving the greater good. But, going forward they need to mitigate financial risk for any new unknowns. The Internet, social networking and digital marketing will play a larger role. Technology is available and can be used for good.
Sponsors
We're working on an exciting program that will launch in early 2021. It will make the farm more digitally available and expand the reach of the farm to more school children. We are excited (in marketing lexicon this is a pre-announcement). Green Tea Technology and Vercada are sponsors (can you guess what it might be?).
So, look for a little makeover and a launch and new opportunities for sponsorships. If you are available to volunteer marketing time and talent, or wish to be an early sponsor, please raise your hand and reach out to Friar Consulting. If you'd like to contribute to Crowe's Nest Farm's educational and wildlife sanctuary efforts, please consider making a donation on the CNF Go-Fund-Me Campaign.
Happy Holidays to all and
Looking forward to a brighter 2021 for us all!
About Crowe's Nest Farm
Crowe's Nest Farm is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization dedicated to fostering public appreciation, knowledge, and wise stewardship of the agricultural and wildlife resources of Texas. Licensed by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, U.S. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Crowe's Nest Farm works with local organizations such as Wildlife Rescue, Inc, the Travis County Sheriff's livestock division, and local humane societies by taking in injured, orphaned, abused, neglected and other non-releasable animals for care and sanctuary.