Our Commitments
These aren't aspirational statements—they're operational commitments baked into our financial model and daily practices.
Every team member earns enough to afford housing, utilities, food, and meaningful recreation—not just survival.
Our Commitments:
- Full-time positions: $65-70K annually plus benefits
- Part-time positions: $28-40/hr with proportional benefits
- Annual wage reviews tied to cost of living
- Transparent compensation philosophy
- Profit-sharing opportunities as business grows
We acknowledge and celebrate the indigenous and African American histories woven into this land.
Our Commitments:
- Land acknowledgment integrated into all guest experiences
- Partnership with indigenous and African American communities
- Heritage gardens and native plant restoration
- Educational programs on agricultural history and traditional practices
- Cultural advisory board guiding our storytelling
We support socially disadvantaged farmers practicing agroforestry that heals the land.
Our Commitments:
- Cost-share model reduces barriers to farm access
- Priority for BIPOC and historically excluded farmers
- Technical assistance and mentorship programs
- Market access through farm stand and events
- Long-term land tenure security
We invest in the people around us through employment, education, and local partnerships.
Our Commitments:
- Hire locally whenever possible
- Paid internships for high school and college students
- Professional development budgets for all staff
- Procurement from local and BIPOC-owned businesses
- Revenue stays within the community
We share our financial model, challenges, and learnings openly to help others build equitable ventures.
Our Commitments:
- Public wage ranges and compensation philosophy
- Annual impact and financial reports
- Open-source business model documentation
- Honest conversations about what works and what doesn't
- Mentorship for aspiring regenerative entrepreneurs
We prioritize long-term sustainability and community impact over rapid profit extraction.
Our Commitments:
- 5-year runway to profitability built into model
- Reinvest profits into infrastructure and wages
- No exploitation of labor to juice returns
- Values-aligned investors only
- Governance structure prevents mission drift
Why This Matters
The Traditional Model is Broken
Hospitality and agriculture industries are built on exploitation: poverty wages, no benefits, seasonal uncertainty, and extraction of value from workers and land. This creates burnout, high turnover, poor service, and degraded ecosystems.
Our Model Proves Another Way
When people earn living wages and share in success, they show up differently. When land is stewarded regeneratively, it produces abundance. When communities benefit equitably, everyone thrives. It takes longer to profit—but it lasts.
"We're not building a business that extracts maximum profit from minimum investment. We're building a regenerative system that nourishes land, people, and community in ways that compound over generations."
If We Paid "Market Rates"
- •Labor costs: ~$120K/year (vs $224K actual)
- •Year 1 profit: $58K (vs -$105K actual)
- •Break-even: Year 2 (vs Year 5 actual)
- •But: High turnover, extractive model, mission drift
With Living Wages (Our Model)
- •Labor costs: $224K/year (+$104K investment in people)
- •Years 1-4: Operating losses as we scale revenue
- •Break-even: Year 5, then growing profitability
- •Gain: Mission integrity, quality service, community trust
Translation: We're essentially investing an extra $104K/year for 4 years (total ~$416K) to prove that equitable hospitality works. This requires patient, values-aligned capital—not extractive investors seeking quick returns.
