Temple Wilton Community Farm
The Temple Wilton Community Farm in Wilton, NH, is a year-round biodynamic CSA with 105 member households and will soon begin the 28th season since it started in 1986. We have a dairy with 16 milking cows and many calves and heifers and we also raise pigs and chickens. We grow six acres of vegetables which provide our members with a very full range of summer and fall produce as well as a large amount of storage crops for the winter and early spring.
Early in the morning on Sunday, September 16th, one of our founding farmers and herdsman, Lincoln Geiger, was tossed by our bull and luckily managed to crawl under an electric fence before the bull could finish the job he had started. Lincoln's co-worker in the dairy immediately took him to the local hospital, which sent him to a bigger hospital, which had him airlifted to Boston. He had suffered a broken pelvis and a few fractured ribs, but the most critical injury was to his liver which had been split in two by the impact. Luckily Lincoln fit right between the bull's horns so he was not gored, but the force of the toss was substantial and the subsequent landing on a rocky pathway did not help much.
The bones were left to heal themselves but a few operations were needed to remove part of the liver and then to staunch the bleeding and to deal with a subsequent infection. After two months in the hospital Lincoln finally went home but even though things are now looking good he still needs to make many follow-up visits to the hospital.
Lincoln had basic health insurance with a $5,000 deductible and a 20% co-pay until the next $5,000 had been met, which means that his effective deductible for 2012 was $10,000. As of Jan 1st 2013 his deductible and co-pay have begun again and his healing process is going to involve more hospital treatment as well as substantial expenses for alternative types of treatment that are not covered by the insurance.
When the accident happened we immediately began to appeal to our local community for help and raised over $11,000. In addition to this one of our farm members, who is a well known artist, raffled off a painting and raised another $5,800. However more is still needed and our local community has mostly done what it can, so we are now starting a CSF (Community Supported Farmer) campaign in the wider biodynamic and anthroposophic community.
We have opened an account for Lincoln and donations (which are not tax-deductible) can be made out in his name and mailed to Temple Wilton Community Farm, 608 Abbot Hill Rd, Wilton, NH 03086.
Thank you for your help,
Anthony Graham