The Fleischer family turned a 1.75 acre urban lot in Lakewood, CO into a thriving farm, having now achieved their mission of building community through food.
Funded on 04/22/2021
The Fleischer Family Farm was born in 2015 as Paul and Chelsie Fleischer grew produce in their 1/18th-of-an-acre yard for a CSA that included four families. Five years later, the Fleischer Family Farm CSA is one of the largest in Denver Metro, serving over 90 members.
The Fleischer Family Farm is a true urban farm operating on a 1.75 acre parcel right out the family's back door. Paul’s persistence and community support rescued the space from becoming a high-rise parking lot. Now, what would have been more asphalt and urban runoff is a thriving agricultural ecosystem, fueled by wood chips, microorganisms, and compost. Each season neighbors fill a waitlist to participate in their popular CSA and line the block to buy-out the farmstand on the weekends.
Learn more about the farmers and their background.
As demand for the Fleischers’ products increased, they needed to expand in order to provide for a larger community. A Steward loan funded the purchase of an additional 1.1 acres (the new lot), which tripled the size of the farm operation and supported infrastructure upgrades: a walk-in cooler for preserving the harvest, a new farmstand, compost to fuel growth, and the purchase of cover crops, garlic, and perennial flower shrubs.
The interest rate on the initial loan reflected the associated risk of the new venture, but the past several seasons have proven the consistency of the Fleischers’ business model and the incredible growth potential of local market demand. Refinancing their current loan accordingly is a necessary step to lower their interest rate and free up resources to continue developing their land and business.
This lending campaign supports a real estate mortgage loan secured by the property and assets of the farmland. Now that The Fleischer Family Farm’s business has been established and validated, more permanent financing will reduce their expenses. Minimizing the pressures of higher interest rates will allow the Fleischer family to pay off debt sooner, commit more resources to business growth and revenue-driving ventures, and ultimately allow Paul to transition to full-time farm management on land the Fleischers own outright.
The Fleischers are also committed to providing nutrient-rich food for their neighbors at affordable prices, ensuring all income levels can access their natural and locally-grown produce.
Visit The Fleischer Family Farm website to stay up to date on current farm happenings. Better yet, join an online class to learn more about backyard chicken keeping, soap making, beekeeping, or growing your own food or food preservation.
In just a few weeks we've had more than 45 individual lenders support this project from all over the world. We are incredibly humbled and inspired by this outpouring of support for our farm. This project is motivating us to work harder than ever and make this the best season yet. Our farm is expanding this year by adding two new fields, two additional high tunnels for covered growing, and we also locked in our first wedding flower job! This is just season three on this lot and there is still much expansion to come. Thank you all so very much for the support. We are at over $117K raised already (69% of our total goal) and the finish line is right around the corner. Thank you all for your support. We couldn't do this without you.
| Metric | 2019 | 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $33,532 | $63,036 | ||
| Operating Cash Flow | $11,064 | $7,332 | ||
| Debt Service Coverage Ratio | 1.00 | 2.01 |
This loan will be made to The Fleischer Family Farm LLC, a Colorado limited liability company owned by Paul and Chelsie Fleischer.
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