BETTENDORF, Iowa — Tapestry Farms, the Quad Cities nonprofit urban farm, is inviting supporters to celebrate the beginning of the growing season with a Spring Fling benefit on Friday, April 26.
The event will feature food, drinks, a silent auction, live music and a special guest speaker from Burundi. It will be from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf.
Tickets range from $60-$100 per attendee, depending on which donation level you choose. A group of 8 attendees will cost $480. You can purchase tickets here.
Tapestry Farms utilizes a shipping container to implement hydroponic (or vertical) farming. It uses small spaces to maximize produce production while using minimal water or energy resources. All in all, it's a more sustainable way to grow fresh produce year-round.
The nonprofit also reclaims underutilized land in Quad City neighborhoods experiencing food insecurity. By growing sustainable crops in food deserts, Tapestry Farms hopes to make healthy food access the norm throughout the community.
Tapestry Farms also assists refugees and their families as they rebuild their lives in the Quad Cities.
"We persistently work to eliminate barriers refugees experience to housing, education, medical and mental health care, work, food, transportation, community and citizenship," Tapestry Farms said in a press release.
Over the last seven years, Tapestry Farms has helped hundreds of refugees. 30 of those individuals are now United States citizens.
The hope is to build a city-wide infrastructure that welcomes all people — visitors, refugees or long-time residents — into a vibrant and thriving community.
“We are so excited to gather in love and support of Tapestry Farms and the work that we do,” Ann McGlynn, founder and executive director of Tapestry Farms, said in a press release. “The [benefit] will be a joyful celebration. We look forward to a great time, all the while raising funds to invest in refugees in the Quad Cities community as they build their lives in our wonderful community.”
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