For many people JED has been the place to play in the pond, to plant garlic and make cider at the annual Garlic Gathering, to plot and strategize at meetings, to join in on the wild dress-up dance parties, to help in the vegetable gardens or walk in the woods. We're excited to announce that we are now fundraising for the preservation and conservation of almost 400 acres of the farm and wild land that many have grown to love. JED now has the opportunity to purchase and preserve the land that we have lived on for the past 6 years. It is an opportunity that none of us are willing to pass up, no matter how big the bill. And indeed, this first part of the project does come with a hefty bill of $415,000. This total sum gets broken into two parts.

Half of this money, ($200,000) will be raised to purchase the land’s development rights, placing the land itself under protection for all of Maine’s future. This will allow the 31 acre pond, the woods and wild lands, the meadows and marshes, the mountain top and almost it’s entire watershed to remain as they are; undisturbed habitat.

As JED, we are currently working toward a partnership with the Androscoggin Land Trust who we hope will eventually hold the development rights. Androscoggin Land Trust or ALT, has a 15 year history of land preservation and currently preserves over 2,700 acres of land in and adjacent to Androscoggin County.

The money we raise will be the first step in legally supporting JED’s efforts to protect this incredible landscape and all of it’s inhabitants.

The second half of the bill will go toward the purchase of the JED house and 30 acres of land ($200,000) and towards making necessary repairs on the house ($15,000) . Once the purchase is finalized, much of JED’s acreage will be put under protection as well, but the fundraising efforts will be of a different sort. Most, if not all of the $200,000 will need to be borrowed and we are hoping to do this through an exciting, alternative financing method known as Community Financing.

Community Financing can be a successful grassroots alternative to banks and other traditional lending institutions. It works by acquiring low- to no-interest loans from friends and supporters in the larger community. We hope to receive loans from people who believe in the JED project, both it’s past and it’s exciting future, and who have money to invest.

To learn more, please read our "Community Financing F.A.Q." here.  

Over the next few months, we will be inviting people to participate in this land purchase. If you are interested in lending money or learning more about Community Financing, please email us with your name and contact information so that we can get in touch with you.