Food and Faith community garden Archives

May 27, 2024

PHP Post – Summer 2024

Posted 6:26am

Finding Hope, Inspiration and Healing By Rebecca Barnes, coordinator for PHP I don’t know about you, but this year so far, I’m having to constantly lean on faith that God is with us and that God’s beloved community is being created even in the midst of horrors. All around, violence, war, infuriating political maneuvering, climate… Read more »

March 31, 2022

Building Community and Food Security in the Far North—Yarducopia

Posted 9:30am

This update comes from Alaska Community Action on Toxics, a Presbyterian Hunger Program grant partner. The goal of the Yarducopia organic gardening program is to build a grassroots movement of gardeners in Alaska who will work toward a toxic-free, climate stable, and food secure world. This program continues to grow significantly, with the inclusion of… Read more »

February 9, 2022

WHEAT and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Garden Seed Program

Posted 11:09am

This update comes from the World Hunger Ecumenical Arizona Task-Force (WHEAT), a Presbyterian Hunger Program grant partner. WHEAT joined with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) to help begin personal gardens for senior adults. The Community had long had a garden, but few planted or harvested on it and the seeds distributed didn’t seem… Read more »

March 11, 2021

When Farming and the Church Come Together

Posted 7:53am

This reflection comes to us from AJ Bisesi, Community Engagement Coordinator for Garfield Community Farm, a ministry of The Open Door Presbyterian Church. Getting produce to our neighbors is an integral tenet of our organization’s mission. We distribute produce in multiple ways, including donating. Valley View Presbyterian Church, one of our church partners from the… Read more »

March 3, 2021

Community Sharing Garden Restoration Project

Posted 4:53pm

This reflection comes from Bruce Kelsh, Chair of Earth and Social Justice Committee for First Presbyterian Church, in Cottage Grove, OR. Fifty percent of the people in our rural community are classified as being in poverty or ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained), that is, the working poor. There is a shortage of fresh produce for… Read more »

February 3, 2021

Community Resilience Amid Uncertainty

Posted 3:10pm

This reflection comes from Brenda Becerra, Senior Development Associate for Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO), a Presbyterian Hunger Program grant partner. Our world turned upside down in what seems like one day to another when the pandemic hit and we had to accept this new reality and try to adapt fast. We had no… Read more »

June 1, 2019

Semillas de Justicia / Seeds of Justice Garden

Posted 10:12am

Vivi Moreno (in the four videos below) and Jorge Ortiz (right) are organizers with the Little Village Environmental Organization (LVEJO). They proudly showed PHP staff and advisory committee members the Semillas de Justicia (Seeds of Justice) community garden. These videos of Vivi give you the low-down on the garden, which has been going strong since… Read more »

July 30, 2014

Abundance in the City

Posted 10:00am

Interview with Rev. Karen Hagen, pastor of Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin about their new Rooftop Garden

You’ve had a community garden going for a few years now, but tell us about this new initiative.

Our Rooftop Garden has been completed and is growing with harvest coming. Education around the gardens has included the Webinar, local newspaper, garden blessing, and upcoming canning and food use in Divine Intervention’s food programing. We are participating in our synod’s just.good.food program as well.

How did you do it?

Approximately 14 volunteers worked on the Rooftop Garden installation, approximately 20 are working in our other gardens and maintain Rooftop Garden. Primary responsibility for garden care falls upon our Garden Keepers who are homeless and formerly homeless Guests of our Divine Intervention Ministry. Already we have approximately 100 lbs. of organic produce given away. We have developed relationships with 4 funders, 2 restaurants interested in produce grown locally, and 1 local greenhouse that will help us look forward to next enhancements.

Anything surprising happen?

More volunteers than anticipated and a deepening relationship with our neighborhood! One of the unexpected challenges came in relying on one of our partners to coordinate different aspects of the installation of Rooftop Garden. As we move to next aspects of our gardens, we will be proactive in taking on this role ourselves.

Do you have any recommendations for others that may want to try something similar?
Partnerships are key not only in accomplishing but maintaining the gardens. Continually inviting new people to become involved is important to maintain support as key volunteers may need to limit or change their volunteerism with project. Think forward!

Has this project changed your church or community in any way?

Yes! It has allowed us to see what is possible as we stay faithful to our vision and think and partner creatively. And, quite unexpectedly, new attention from the greater community is coming toward Tippecanoe in support and visitors to worship.

Here is the newspaper article about the initiative:

Two Milwaukee churches growing food & jobs

Church of the Pilgrims’ Food & Faith Season starts with compost, soil and communion

Posted 2:46pm

Written by Ashley Goff and Rebecca Barnes
During this liturgical season that the Church of the Pilgrims calls “Homecoming,” the Sundays between September and the end of November, we are focusing on the theme of Food and Faith. Within the theme of Food and Faith, we are taking on this arc for a focus: humus, exile, and harvest. To fully experience this theme we are having communion each week in worship.

The inspirations for this theme of Food and Faith is Sacred Greens, Pilgrims’ urban garden which produces food to supplement meals for Open Table (our Sunday lunch for hungry neighbors). The book “Food and Faith” by Norman Wirzba has also been influential.

The first few weeks we are naming the element that formed our existence: soil. From a theological perspective, we are lifting up the Biblical interpretation that we are formed out of the humus, or topsoil, and it is from that place where the earth creature took it’s shape.

Putting the “Community” in Community Gardens

Posted 10:42am

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of helping to facilitate a family garden workshop. The workshop took place in a community garden located in West Louisville. Due to spontaneous rain showers there was a low turn-out but five enthusiastic souls blessed us with their presence. My co-worker and I were responsible for leading… Read more »

Posts Tagged: community garden