Farm and Faith Partnership
Hayes Barton United Methodist Church participates in an initiative of RAFI USA (Rural Advancement Foundation International) called the Farm & Faith Partnerships Project. The project connects faith communities with farmers of color to create food-based partnerships.
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This is accomplished through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a production and marketing model whereby consumers buy shares of a farm’s harvest in advance. Consumers become CSA members by paying an agreed amount at the beginning of each 8-week growing season. There are three, 8-week seasons: spring, summer, and fall/winter.
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This upfront payment helps buy the seed and other inputs needed for the season and provides the farmer an immediate income to begin the season. This allows the farmer to concentrate on good land stewardship and growing high quality food. In return for their membership fee, consumers receive a variety of freshly picked, organically grown vegetables every week. It’s a WIN for the farmer, a WIN for the consumer, and a WIN for the earth!
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How does this benefit the earth?
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RAFI, through a partnership with the Soil Health Institute and A Greener World, certifies that the farmers who participate in the program use regenerative farming techniques. “Certified Regenerative farms maximize soil health while mitigating the negative impacts on humans and livestock. Unlike most food labels, AGW’s certifications ensure independent trained auditors visit every farm in the program to verify they’re meeting the standards.”
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In short, regenerative farming uses natural means to improve the health of soil and restore our land. Vegetables grown in soil that is rich in nature’s own nutrients are healthier for people and planet!
The UMC Revised Social Principles (p.11), passed at the 2024 General Conference, state:
Food systems that are ecologically sustainable, locally oriented, and equitably distributed are urgent priorities. We endorse policies and practices designed to ensure access to healthy nourishment and clean drinking water, especially for communities that have been subjected to environmental degradation or deprived of adequate resources to produce or purchase their own food. We also affirm food sovereignty, which promotes the rights of all people to healthy, culturally appropriate food, produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods.