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2009-11-17 issue:

PA mission farm to grow food and faith

Living Hope Farm offers CSA shares, plans to develop ministries

by Sheldon Good

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Rolling hills of silage corn on a century-old farmstead along southeastern Pennsylvania’s historic Indian Creek are being transformed into a sustainably oriented market farm with a local ministry twist.

Jill Landes, organic farmer, drives her John Deere tractor on Living Hope Farm. Photo by Grace Nolt.

Jill Landes, a former teacher and now organic farmer, is the energy behind the new, farm-based ministry. Living Hope Farm started selling shares for its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) marketing program on Oct. 3, with the first harvest expected in May 2010.

The nonprofit social enterprise model will enable various agriculture-related ministries to sprout from the farm.

"It's the ministry part of the farm that has our board dreaming," Landes says. As Living Hope Farm becomes established, the ministry may
• partner with urban congregations to increase access to fresh, local, reasonably priced produce;
• work with local ministries to train former inmates marketable job skills in commercial horticulture and food enterprises;
• offer community training about composting, garden planning and food canning;
• provide gardening and food experiences for children during summer camps.

The 40-acre property, owned by Franconia Mennonite Conference, was purchased in the 1950s. A rehabilitation ministry for alcoholics coming from New York City operated on the property, but was then converted into a ministry caring for adults with developmental disabilities. Fields have been rented to a neighboring dairy farmer.

In 2004 a local developer made an offer to purchase the farm to develop a residential subdivision. In response to the possible sale of the farm, members of Franconia Mennonite Conference began to consider a more active missional purpose for keeping the land. The decision was made to preserve the farm by selling the development rights, and to establish an agricultural-related ministry.

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