By Mary Gardner-Ruch
ALFRED, NY - On May 4, 2020, Mascho Homestead Farm in
Belmont, NY suffered a tremendous loss when fire destroyed two chicken coops
containing 60 laying hens and a garage with freezers full of their meat
products. Unfortunately, the insurance
did not come close to covering the amount of loss. On May 18th, the Alfred
Farmers Market started a Go Fund Me on-line at
https://gofundme.com/f/mascho-homestead-farm-fire-relief-fund. With the
help of so many in the community and some time to heal, the Mascho’s are one
step closer to normalcy. Around $6,000 has been raised from various markets,
those who donated online, and those that gave checks, with a goal of
$40,000. Earlier in August, a check was
presented to the Mascho’s by the Alfred Farmers Market Board Members to help
defray the cost of their loss.
Supporters and patrons of the farm continue to fundraise,
and checks can be mailed to the Alfred Farmers Market at PO Box 142 Alfred
Station, NY 14803 with Mascho written on the memo line. The market has been
organizing and compiling all donations for the farm in multiple formats. There
is a donation can at the Manager’s Tent at the Alfred Farmers Market which
meets on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Alfred University
Bandstand at the corner of Main Street and Saxon Drive. Stop by, meet Danelle and James Mascho and
Danelle’s mother Gretchen Vincent, and learn about their farming practices.
They sell delicious pasture raised pork and grass-fed beef and have been busy
restocking their meat supplies after the fire.
“We feel so grateful that we can help this family in their
time of recovery” says Market President Amanda Khodorkovskaya, “They have been
a staple vendor at our market for many years and it warms my heart to know that
the community has been able to give back to them what they have given to
Allegany County”. The Mascho’s participate in local farmers markets and Cornell
Cooperative Extension’s Farm to School program, where their beef can be found
in multiple local school districts. Their products can be purchased on their
farm in Belmont as well as at the Rogue Carrot in Alfred. For more information
or to get involved, contact Alfred Market Manager Mary Ruch at marketmanagerinalfred@gmail.com.
