November, 2004 - Thank You!
The people of Peace
Lutheran Church would like to thank their partner, Lutheran Church of the
Atonement in Florrisant, Missouri, and the following people and businesses for
their donations and support of the Foods Resource Bank community growing
project.
Gebhardt Seeds
Salisbury MFA
Ricketts Farm Service
Ron McNeall
Bobby Scheiderer
Salisbury Ag Center
Wrights Oil Center
John Thomson
Thanks to you, $10,127.09
was given to the Lutheran World Relief Fund.
May, 2004 - "Tidings
from Peace" newsletter article.
Recently, our members
decided to participate in a community growing project with the Foods Resource
Bank, a Christian, non-government humanitarian organization committed to
providing food security in the developing world through sustainable, small-scale
agricultural production. A crop is grown on a small plot of land and at harvest
time, the crop is sold locally and the proceeds are contributed to the Foods
Resource Bank. The funds can be designated toward a specific account within the
member denominations and their agencies. They, in turn, use the money to
purchase grain, food supplies, seed, tools, etc. for hunger and food security
programs in developing countries.
Our plot of 21 acres is
located west of Salisbury on Highway 24. The farmer, John Thomson, is donating
the use of five acres to us and we are cash renting the rest of the land. We
have teamed up with another ELCA church, The Lutheran Church of the Atonement,
in Florrisant, Missouri, for this project. They are helping to raise the funds
necessary to pay the cash rent and some other costs associated with the plot.
Leland Linneman worked the ground and Bobby Scheiderer planted the corn on April
13. Various seed company representatives donated the seed and the plot was
sprayed by the Salisbury Ag Center. In the near future, a sign listing
participants and donations received for the plot will be displayed at the site.
Proceeds from the plot will be given to Lutheran World Relief, a member agency
of the Foods Resource Bank.
February, 2004
PEACE PLANS COMMUNITY
GROWING PROJECT
Assisting in the fight
against world hunger is the latest project for Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church
here in Salisbury. Recently, the members decided to participate in a community
growing project with the Foods Resource Bank, a Christian, non-government
humanitarian organization committed to providing food security in the developing
world through sustainable, small-scale agricultural production.
Implementing members are
Christian denominations and their agencies. Supporting members provide inputs
for food security and/or advocacy. Revenues to support food security programs
are generated through community growing projects involving landowners, farmers,
agribusinesses and churches
This is how the community
growing project works: the use of the land is donated or rented and local
farmers plant and harvest a crop. The choice of what crop is grown is entirely
up to the group organizing the project. Local farmers plant and harvest the
crop, which is sold, and the money contributed to the Foods Resource Bank. Local
agribusinesses donate or sell at reduced prices the seed, fertilizer and
pesticides needed to produce the crop while individuals, churches and
communities provide the resources necessary to cover the costs in excess of the
donations. Then after the harvested grain is sold, the money is given to the
Foods Resource Bank and designated toward a specific account within the member
denominations and their agencies. The member agencies, in turn, use the money to
purchase grain, food supplies, seed, tools, etc., as close to the need as
possible to implement hunger and food security programs
The denominations and
agencies of the Foods Resource Bank include: Adventist Disaster Relief Agency,
Bread for the World, Catholic Relief Services, Christian Reformed World Relief
Committee, Church World Service, Evangelical Covenant, Lutheran World Relief,
Mennonite Central Committee of the U.S., Nazarene Compassionate Ministries,
Inc., Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Disaster Assistance and Hunger Programs,
Reformed Church in America, Seed Programs Inc., Sloan Farms, STOP Hunger Now,
United Church of Christ/Wider Church Ministries, United Methodist Committee on
Relief, Week of Compassion (Disciples of Christ), and World Hope International,
Inc
“Participating in a
community growing project is one way we can help in the fight against world
hunger,” says Bobby Scheiderer, chairperson of the committee at Peace Lutheran.
“In this world, there are more than 800 million people who don’t have enough to
eat and over one-fifth of them are children under that age of 5. Our members are
excited about making a difference for those in need and doing it with a project
that gets so many people involved.
According to Pastor Chris
Beckman, Peace Lutheran plans on partnering with an urban church or churches,
possibly in the St. Louis area, to help cover the costs associated with the
project. “Our congregation would be able to provide the land, labor, inputs and
equipment while the urban church would help with the funding. We envision
getting our ‘partner’ church involved in the blessing of the seeds and other
inputs and celebrating the harvest with them at the project site,” he adds
Peace Lutheran plans on
implementing the project this spring, but needs a plot of ground containing 10
to 30 acres for the site. If you know of someone who would be willing to donate
the land for this use or would consider cash renting the ground, contact Bobby
Scheiderer.
If you are interested in contributing to
this project, please contact Pastor Chris Beckman at
pastor@peacewlecomesyou.org
Back to the Community Growing Project home page.
|
