OUR STORY
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
by Lori Birckhead
I had a dream one night … one of those really vivid dreams that wake you up in the middle of the night. So vivid and real that I woke my husband. "I think we are supposed to buy land, grow food and give it away," I told him. He responded, "Go back to sleep."
OK, he's right. Crazy thought. I told myself.
That was 2007.
The dream kept coming back and getting more vivid. I saw the land and the trees. I saw water, and I knew it was God sending me the dream. We relented and began looking for property, all the while thinking this would eventually go away. I told God, "You have the wrong person. We know nothing about farming. We will botch this job terribly." I could hear God say, "Yes, if it was just up to you, you would." So I prayed fervently that He would guide us and send us the people who would help us in this mission. And He has done that.
" I never saw myself as a farmer or even a farm owner, so throughout this adventure I have continued to test God by saying, "Are You sure? If this is really what You want us to do, then please show us we are on the right path."
Founders: Dr. Jim and Lori Birckhead
Since the Farm’s conception, YOU have helped support us in providing the following for the community:
182,000
Pounds of Food Donated
125,000
Volunteer Hours
728,000
Servings of Food Provided
Check out our new nonprofit Fed By Faith to see how the farm’s work is growing!
BELIEFS
- We believe that if you ask for guidance, it will be provided. God has guided us to this farm at this time. All people involved are meant to be a part of this mission.
- All of us have individual gifts. If we synergistically combine those gifts we can create abundantly more.
- "We are what we eat.” We can impact many lives by providing quality, organic food.
- We believe in health responsibility, food justice and hunger relief.
“Our first donation garden. I was such a proud mama.”
I would need to write a book to tell you all the strange things that have happened that assured me we were on the right path. What I have learned from this adventure is that God speaks to all of us. If we ask what His will is before we do anything, and we ask realizing He may respond with something absolutely crazy, difficult, out of character, or something you think is nothing you’d ever want to do, but you say, “Yes, Lord,” and go down that path, He will bless you with the resources to accomplish what He is asking of you.
As I reflect on what we have been able to do, I have realized that one of the biggest surprise blessings has been the community of volunteers being the hands and feet. During those moments of physical labor there are so many moments of sharing faith stories with volunteers who have encouraged and challenged me.
I have faith that God will continue to make something wonderful out of this farm and many will be blessed by it. I have a hunch that it will evolve into something much more than pretty gardens with some nutritious, organic food.
Since 2011, we have donated thousands of pounds of produce to many organizations in order to help people feed their families nourishing food. And I have to say, I think in the process our own souls have been fed too.
