Mission Statement

Guided by our faith and ethics, we are dedicated to sustainable, simple living, love of our neighbor, and creating a community in which everyone can participate in growing and eating delicious, healthy, locally produced food.

Located north of Ames, IA, we have a small CSA and also grow food for the shelters and soup kitchens in the area. In this fourth year we are growing food on about one rented acre. As we improve the shelter on the farm, we hope to become more set-up for hospitality.

Our Beliefs

We believe in…

Service to our community

• Growing food for those in need
• Solidarity with the poor – living in simplicity and in service
• Growing good food for sale/ CSA
• Community events

Land stewardship
In contrast to predominate modern farming practices we are trying to farm in a way that rebuilds and creates living soil. We attempt to balance multiple interconnected farming methods in order to create a farming system that closely mimics nature.

• Crop Rotation
• Green manure and cover crops
• Permaculture and perennial crops
• Beneficial insect and animal habitat
• Erosion control
• Protection of waterways
• No harmful petrol-derived pesticides, herbicide, or fertilizers

Hospitality

• Hospitality to the those in need
• Hospitality for learners
• Spiritually open and nurturing
• Education about farming, environmental, social justice issues through roundtable discussions and work

Nonviolence

• Cooperative decision making/ Consensus
• Leadership to each in arenas of passion or expertise
• Respect for the dignity of all beings
• Resisting the works of war
• Kindness, patience, and humor

Sustainability

• Decrease our dependence on fossil fuels: walk, bicycle, solar and wind power, manual labor, conservation
• Growing our own food vegetables, fruit, grains, protein
• Green building practices