Hinkley, a former member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's 1973 NCAA championship hockey team, bought the farm later in life and has since invested between $250,000 and $500,000 in improvements, including gardens, new greenhouses and event spaces. He originally intended to build high-density urban buildings on the property, but a class on cooperatives at UW changed his vision. He now hopes to keep it a family farm for the next century.

"Well, there's magic in this farm. People that show up here love this farm," Hinkley said.

Hinkley was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 12 years ago, and the condition is progressing faster than expected. "It slowed me down but made me more cantankerous and wanted to find something I could be passionate about in life," he explained. He hopes the community can take over some of the work.

Under the plan, 7,000 pledges of $500 each would complete the first phase, buying Hinkley out and providing farm manager Jay Hanson with a $1.5 million budget for the first two years. A nine-member board would be elected in the first week of January. Pledges only take effect if the farm reaches the 7,000 threshold. Checks can be mailed to Hinkley's attention at the U.S. Bank at the corner of Thompson Road and Highway 19 in Sun Prairie, where they are kept in the vault. If the farm falls one pledge short, every check will be cut in two, marked void and returned.

"We're still on the 1st 1000, but momentum is a funny thing," Hinkley said. "And right now, nobody thinks that we'll get 7,000 pledges as well."

Hinkley acknowledged that three private parties are putting together an investment group that may buy the farm, but he prefers the cooperative model. "There's a cooperative idea, and I want to help whoever's the eventual buyer," he said. "But it would be a great dream to have 7,000 people buy the farm and keep it a family farm for 100 years."

A second phase would add another 7,000 people, with the first $2 million going into an investment account, though Hinkley said the fund cannot be guaranteed. A third phase would bring the total to 21,000 pledged owners and turn the farm into a destination featuring flowers and pies.

The farm is preparing for holiday events, including a 12 Days of Christmas light show and a "Hallmark Christmas Carols" event on Sunday, Dec. 20, and Monday, Dec. 21. Mayor Steve Starker will announce on the final night whether the farm reached its 7,000-pledge goal.

For Hinkley, the effort is about more than real estate. It is a chance to secure the farm's future as a community asset and ensure the land remains agricultural rather than being paved over for development.