Food & Faith Links: Faith-Based Farms

As I prepare for next month’s meeting through which I hope to be part of launching a Faith/Farm/Food Network, I’ve been inspired to comb through my memory and the internet for people and organizations already working at the nexus of this conversation, and resources to help us move forward.

It has struck me that the best way to compile these links would be in an online database which could be curated by multiple people and searched by multiple keywords, but that’s beyond my present capacity. Consider this a brain dump from me to you. And at the end, there’s a request: could you let me know what I’m missing?

I’m sure there is wonderful work happening in many different faiths, but since the focus of this blog is the work of the church, this link roundup focuses on Christian organizations and a few interfaith organizations. If you know of similar work happening in Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, or other faith traditions, please leave a link in the comments!

I’ll be posting links in a different category each day this week. Here’s the plan:

Monday: Faith-based farms and gardens integrating Christian spirituality or faith formation

Tuesday: Regional faith-based food initiatives

Wednesday: Denominationally- and seminary-based work on food & faith, as well as curricula for church programs on the intersection of faith and food

Thursday: Blogs, books & authors on food & faith

Friday: National non-profits working at the intersection of food & faith

If there is a project or person you want to be sure I include, feel free to contact me – or just leave it in the comments.

You’ll notice that church-based garden and feeding programs aren’t on the list. There are two reasons for this. First, there are so many that if I had included them, I would have been overwhelmed. Second, they are difficult to find through search engines – most are just a page of a larger church website. Maybe that’s a future list!

With no further ado… Monday’s list.

Farms and Farm-Based Organizations

integrating Christian spirituality and/or faith formation

Anathoth Community Garden & Farm in North Carolina is cultivating peace by using good food and regenerative agriculture to connect people with their neighbors, the land, and God.

Abundant Table is an Episcopal CSA farm, farm-church and farm-based education center in Santa Paula, CA.

Bluestone Farm is a ministry of the Community of the Holy Spirit in New York.

Crown Point Ecology Center is a 115-acre Ohio ministry which integrates farming, spirituality and ecology.

Crystal Spring Earth Learning Center is a ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Peace on 42 acres, integrating science and faith.

Eighth Day Farm in Michigan “uses our urban acres as a classroom to cultivate healthy and sustainable communities locally and globally.”

First Fruits Farm is a Christian ministry in Maryland dedicated to feeding the hungry with nutritious, fresh-picked fruits and vegetables – and a mission that welcomes all brothers and sisters to experience fellowship, the beauty of God’s creation, and the power of the gospel to change lives.

Five Loaves Farm in northwest Washington is affiliated with A Rocha USA. This farm is a food-growing project dedicated to building our local food system and providing access to it for everyone.

Freedom Farm Community is a farm and retreat center in Mount Hope, New York.

Genesis Farm in New Jersey, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Dominic, fosters earth literacy.

Goodness Grows is a faith-based seeking community transformation through agriculture that gives life in Ohio.

Grailville is a 300-acre education and retreat center in Loveland, Ohio.

Koinonia Farm in Georgia was founded in 1942 as a demonstration plot for the kingdom of God.

Matthew 25 Ministry Hub‘s Cultivate Hope program includes a CSA and a youth farm camp in Iowa.

Shepherd’s Cross is a working farm and Christian mission in Oklahoma.

Tuscon Christian Youth Farm is just getting started but plans to offer farm-based educational programs.

Ok… this can’t be the entire list! What faith-based farm ministry can you add?