Friday Market Prep

Rain-washed peppers

Baby bells

Polishing eggplant (pretty veggies sell better!)

Grading tomatoes

Fresh Farm Produce

Slicing Cucumbers

Pickling Cucumbers

Peppers

Heirloom Tomatoes

Baby Bells and Cherry Tomatoes

A perfect tomato. :)

First Fruit’s Farm...at Market!

by Melissa
The Urbana Farmer’s Market takes place every Saturday from June to November in a big parking lot next to a mall. Market has been taking place there for a long time - over 30 years. The vendors set up on the parking spaces, leaving the rest of the area for people to walk around. And that space gets filled up with people walking around and buying! This is one of the main ways that First Fruits Farm sells the produce and plants that are grown. I talked to a couple people that go to market regularly. Saturday, July 11, was the first time I have gone to market, other than as a customer. It was a very different perspective to stand behind the First Fruits’ table, sell produce, take money and give change and answer people’s questions. But before I went, I talked to Pavlina and Tim about their involvement with market and how it is for them.

Pavlina and Patty are regulars in going to market. I spoke with Pavlina and she gave me her perspective on market. She related that everything harvested on Friday gets loaded on the truck and the boys set it up in the parking lot. The City of Urbana sells each parking space for the season and we bought three spaces this year. She said, “The boys make the display look very nice and very neat. We found out many years ago that if the display is not nice, people don’t buy. We put plants for sale on one side and veggies on the other side. Check-out is in the middle.” She told me that as the season goes on, the plants sell out, and then vegetables or melons, maybe, go on the other side. However it is, I am sure that Wes and Tim will make it look attractive! Usually one person stands by the plants and another by the veggies to help answer questions and sell things. People actually start coming before 7AM, but it gets busiest around 9AM.

Pavlina said, “I love the fact that there are people you see every week and you build a relationship with them and get access to their lives. It really pays off. Sometimes I have these spiritual experiences - some Saturdays are so spiritual. Some are not! I tried to figure if it was me or not, but I believe God just brings people. I can talk about anything and the power of God comes through me to these people. Sometimes God speaks to me of things to pray for them. But then sometimes it is dry, like, ‘OK, you want two cucumbers? Here they are.’”

The weather is a big issue at market. If the day is rainy and cold, there will be less customers. The July 4th Saturday was cool and constant rain. There weren’t many people out and Pavlina confessed, “The only thing on my mind was, ‘Can we go home yet?’” To make it worse, there was the convention going on at the church! But, she said she really does enjoy market most of the time. She likes the end of the day when we count the money and see the produce that is gone and it is rewarding to know it will help to pay off our debts!

She told me that there are people right next to them who sell homemade salsa. They are Christians and it is enjoyable to talk to them. They have God in their regular life, they talk of Him in their everyday talk, so she knows that they are real, not just a go-to-church-on-Sunday type Christian. So, it is nice to have neighbors like that!

Tim and Wes are the ones who get up early, load the truck and set up our stand at market. I talked to Tim in the evening and he started by telling me, “I am on the edge of falling asleep right now, and that is how I feel at 4:30 in the morning when I get up to load the truck for market.” Yes, Tim and Wes get up very early to get to the farm and load up all the refrigerated produce on the truck. The evening before, everything that was not perishable had been loaded. Wes drives the 15 or so miles into town at 55 miles an hour, since that is only how fast the truck can go. Tim follows, trying to keep his eyes open. He says that sometimes he gets hungry and speeds past Wes to go buy doughnuts! Our spot at market is in the back, so it is necessary to get in there early, before the others come that are in front or someone may take our spot. Tim said, “By the time we get there, I am awake, but Wes is still waking up, so I am always talking loud and cracking jokes and stuff. But Wes does talk when I am not doing something I’m supposed to! I am happy to follow his lead in arranging the vegetables and setting up the tables.” Tim went on, “It really is a good male bonding experience. I have found that there is some type of spiritual bonding that happens. It is hard to explain, but when you’re both tired, you know, it works a brotherly love, when you both are doing things out of your comfort zone, it works a deeper relationship with the other person. You both would rather be in bed at home, but it builds an appreciation for the other person.”

They have everything set up by 7AM and soon after that the “cavalry,” as Tim calls it, comes in. This is basically the other people who come take over for Wes and Tim. He says that what is funny is that they come just waking up and yawning while Tim and Wes have been up for so long already that it does not feel early anymore! It all depends on your perspective. I was thinking when Tim was telling me this, how most of the time we are so fixed on our own feelings that it is almost impossible to grasp how it is for the other person. Then I thought about how God has such a different perspective on things and I sure want to get out of the realm of “me” so that I can experience His perspective.

When Tim is done at market, he hurries off to other work, mainly plumbing jobs!

I asked him, then, why he does market and how he feels about doing this every week, since it didn’t sound like it was a very easy thing to be doing. He gave me a list of reasons. One is to do it because you know God wants you to do it, even if you don’t like it. The next reason is so that you learn to enjoy it, despite how you feel; sometimes it is because that is what his role is and other times it is an issue of feeling obligated to do it. Tim said, “For me, it is a mixture of all those. I had not done it for two years, but this year I began doing it again because no one else was doing it! I know that I benefit in the spirit from it, but I don’t really have an ultra holy reason. I want to please the Lord and I also feel a commitment to Wes, to the farm, to the people of God and even to those who have yet to come and join us in the work, so I am happy to do it. I am 100 percent supportive of Wes.”

It was busy when I arrived at market around 7:30AM, even though some rain began to sprinkle out of the sky. The rain didn’t last long and it sure didn’t keep the people away. It was a busy day! Tim and Wes had arranged the vegetables and plants very attractively on the tables, complete with price signs. By the way, Patty makes all of our signs and they look so nice. I think having the prices displayed helps things to sell well. Patty also comes to market almost every Saturday and takes money and records everything we sell. So she was there, as well as Pavlina and Mederana. We stood behind the tables and said many “Good Morning’s” to people, smiled a lot, helped people bag their items, replenished the stock of vegetables, answered people’s questions and engaged in pleasant conversation with them. More than a couple people asked what you do with kohlrabi. Well, I like to peel it, cut it in matchstick pieces, steam it and eat it with butter and parmesan cheese. Pavlina piped up behind me, “Or fry it with bacon!” I also eat it raw. Then they ask what it tastes like. It tastes somewhat like a broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage flavor, since it is in the same family. A lady asked how long you would roast beets for. We didn’t know! But they do take about as long as a potato to get soft when I boil them! Someone asked which beets are the ones that have the red and white rings when you slice them. So we showed her. We had jalapeno peppers this day, also, and the men bought those! Most of them were going to make salsa. Three different ladies asked about mint plants and we decided to dig some mint and pot it for next week, since people have been asking about it lately. We had pickling cucumbers and dill, so some people bought both to make dill pickles. One lady came and bought our three remaining bags of kale, even though we told her it was pretty strong, seeing it has been hot out. We sold all the swiss chard, also, which never happens! Pavlina told me it was because I was there! I don’t think so; I think people were just wanting their vegetables because it had been a holiday the weekend before (July 4th). People bought a lot of beets and the bunched carrots were gone before 10 o’clock.

I really, really enjoyed going to market. I hope to go more often, if things work out for others to care for my children. It was very fulfilling to hear people comment on how nice something looked that I helped pick and package. It was wonderful to know they were happy with it. It was great, too, to work with the other ladies (and Wes). There really does come a bonding in the unity of the Spirit when you work together on something and accomplish it.

MUD!

by Melissa

It rained a lot…a real lot! Nikolai came out to work on the farm and was willing to plant out in the field. So, even though it was muddy, under the black plastic was not too muddy for the new transplants, so he did it. He must have been pretty determined. Do any of you know how slippery our Illinois clay dirt is when it is wet? Very! Thank you, Nickolai!The children made mud balls out of it on Friday. I think we need to have them work more! Boy, they sure were muddy, but, boy, they sure had fun while we picked vegetables! The muddiest ones got a good hosing afterwards!

July 11th

by Melissa

This week was unseasonably cool! But guess what? The lettuce loved it. We harvested sweet, crunchy, big lettuce leaves. Rarely is it like that in July! We really do need that hot weather to come back, though – it really brings on the melons, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and all those summer crops! Speaking of that, we had our first tomatoes this week. Not enough to sell, so the children got the benefit of the first fruits!I was on an errand out to the church last week and stopped to talk to Pavlina, who was weeding the lower raised beds. She had a bed about half weeded and the other half had weeds as tall as and mostly taller than the beets that were supposed to be growing there. I helped her a little and had to hold the good plant in the ground while pulling the weeds around it so that the good would not come out with the bad! What a job! But, boy, it sure looked nice in the part she had all done. When I talked to her this week, she said that all those beds had been weeded. I think some angels must have come in and wiped those weeds away so the good fruit could grow! No…really, Janell and Virginia did a lot of it. I captured a wheelbarrow full of weeds on my camera. It is sooo good to see them NOT growing anymore! I’d like to have a before and after photo of the beds, but you’ll have to use your imagination. If anyone wants to receive the satisfaction of pulling weeds, come on out!
Some of the little girls help take the weeds to the burn pile

July 4th weekend

by Melissa

It is always interesting on the farm over July 4th weekend because of the conference that takes place! You know, the farm is on the fields around the church and meetings were scheduled for Friday, the same day we harvest for market. We use the kitchen in the church, also, and it was being used for preparing food for lunch. It was busy in there, but it was fun, too, sharing space and being caught up in the excitement of busy-ness and visiting with people from out of town. We wanted to be in the meetings, so I helped harvest a little of what we could on Thursday. Wes came early Friday morning and was “Mr. Speedy,” harvesting root crops, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. By the time lunch was over Friday, I asked Pavlina what to do and all there was left was to cut some dill! Saturday, July 4th, was rainy all day – not too good for market. And cool, too – I cannot remember a cool July 4th. I mean, it was in the 60s and 70s! Not many customers and having to work in the wet…blah! Oh well! I thank the Lord for brothers and sisters in the Lord with good attitudes!

One of our former, helpers, Kristi, actually brought old clothes with her because she wanted to work! Pavlina jokingly asked her if she would plant brussel sprouts with her and Kristi was serious when she replied that she had old clothes and wanted to do it!

They planted the brussel sprouts from a contraption that gets pulled behind a tractor. I had never seen it in action before, so I walked out to the field to watch. Two people sit on seats fairly close to the ground, and take baby plants and stick them in the holes that the machine makes in the black plastic, which is on the dirt. The machine adds water and fertilizer to the holes, which is what the plants really need when they are first transplanted. Wish I had taken my camera out with me…

The best part was, Kristi enjoyed herself, reliving some of those days before marriage and children!

Late June

by Melissa

Just like we had a group of schoolchildren come for a tour of the farm, we had a group of seniors come! Pavlina showed them around and they were really interested in seeing what we are doing. She said they were so wonderful, even coming out in the 90 degree heat we had that week! The asked a lot of questions about how we grow things, how we get rid of Japanese beetles, etc. They thought that the farm looked like an extra big garden. It really does – an extra, extra big garden! They asked how we control weeds. The answer is that we we pull them by hand, cut them down, mostly with a weed-eater, or roto-till between rows. No herbicides on this farm!

Pavlina enjoyed being the tour guide and reported that the people were “really sweet” and she was impressed that they still came out, even in the heat!

June Update

by Melissa

Lilies bundled for market

The farm has a new name! Well, it is not so different than the old name, but since it is now separate from the First Fruits Produce Co. store/café, it was decided that it would be called the First Fruits Farm. Now, the labels for the bags of produce at market look a little different!Speaking of the market, one of the ways we sell the produce is at the Farmer’s Market in Urbana on Saturday mornings from May through November. My children and I have been out at the farm the last two Fridays helping pick and prepare the produce for market. We have picked and bagged lettuce, kale, broccoli raab, broccoli and some herbs. Wes said that zucchini should be ready next week. Caroline and Jonathan are very good kale pickers and the kale looks so nice. The leaves are either a grey/green color or red/purple color and they are curly looking, so when we bag them, they look really nice in the bag. And also, I took some home to eat and it is very tender and mild. It is a great green because it is full of vitamins! Broccoli Raab is a very strong tasting green - I don’t really like it, but I guess customers at market do!

Bagging broccoli and cauliflower

This week was the first broccoli, and even some small cauliflower! It all looks very nice. We are also harvesting some root crops, like radishes, kohlrabi and turnips. The turnips are white and when we wash them, they actually look pretty because they are pure white and almost perfect circles. Stacy and I were washing them one day and she told me this humorous story from one time that she had been working at market. She said that customers like to buy the turnips for the greens as well as for the turnip’s root part and that they ask for only the greens, but we sell the whole plant. So one day, these two ladies were buying turnips and one heard the other ask if we had only the greens. The one lady heard and since she only wanted the root, they split the cost and both got the part they wanted!

I spent quite a bit of time cutting down flowering chives so that they will grow nice stalks again. In the process, Pavlina needed half a pound of good ones for a restaurant order. Some of the children helped sort out the good ones from the woody and flowering stems. They worked really hard and then they came to me and asked, "Does this look like half a pound?" I really didn’t know, so I said, "Go weigh it." They came back from weighing it and said, "It’s only one-fourth of a pound." You could hear the groan in their voices! But they diligently went back to work and sorted until they had enough. It is amazing how much you need to make half a pound when it is greens!

This week, the radishes were big, but still very tender, spicy and crisp. They are red, purple and white, so looked really nice rubber-banded in bunches.

Bibi comes out to the farm every Friday and one of her specialties is picking the edible flowers - right now there are pansies and calendula. She picks the perfect looking ones and packages them in clear containers. The bright colors look beautiful. I could just see them decorating someone’s gourmet salad or topping a cake!

Stacy recently planted the fall mums in pots. Her girls and my girls helped put dirt in the pots and then put the plants in. These mums will grow in the greenhouse all summer and be those gorgeous flowers we see in the fall. They weren’t looking very good last week and Pavlina found out that mums don’t like their leaves to get wet when they are watered, so she has been careful to water only the dirt. We are learning things all the time about plants and their certain preferences!

Pavlina asked me to plant nasturtiums, another edible flower, and they went in two beds where the dirt looks very plain - not rich at all. She said that nasturtiums like poor soil. I learned something! I thought about how interesting that was. You know, God made so many plants so different, so unique and something will grow anywhere. No matter what we think of ourselves, even if I feel that I am quite poor, God has a perfect gift, a plant, if you will, that will flourish in my life if I nurture it. If we don’t purposely plant or allow God to plant in our hearts, weeds will grow - something WILL grow. Just as we have heard so many times, let us not let just anything grow in our hearts, but let us cultivate the character traits that we want there, because if we don’t, something else WILL grow.

There is now a part of the farm that we call the children’s garden! Mr. Craig Chattic is overseeing this project and children have done the planting. They have put in vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and eggplant. They are weeding it and will also do the harvesting of the produce.

We had another unique event take place on the farm. Some school children took a field trip there! They were from Next Generation Summer Camp in Champaign and Pavlina spent about an hour and a half in the morning with an older group, around 18 second or third graders, and an hour and a half in the afternoon with a younger group, about 27 kindergarten or first graders.

She really enjoyed giving them a tour of the farm. She started at the greenhouses, showing them how we plant the seeds in the flats, keep them watered and then the seeds come up. When they are big enough, they are transplanted to the outdoors. She took them to the hoophouse and showed them how spinach grows and the kids made comments like, "Yuck, spinach!" They also saw the lettuce growing in there. Pavlina said that the highlight for the kids was when she turned on the sprinkler system in the hoophouse and it began to water all the beds. Can’t you just hear all those little ones oohing and aahing? She then took them to see the chickens and how the egg layers look different than the meat chickens. The layers are a rusty brown color and the meat ones are white. They also toured the fields and saw the rows of broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, etc. They saw how broccoli grows. Pavlina said that the kids were so interested and it was fun to show them how these foods they eat actually grow. They were very impressed. They got to plant some green beans out there in the dirt. The beans are planted in black plastic, so the kids were shown how to poke a hole in the plastic and push the seed down into the dirt. It was interesting to end up with crooked rows and holes in all these different places in the plastic. But the kids had fun! Each one got a cup of dirt to pour a little over the bean seed they planted, then were given a seed to plant in their cup to take home. They also got a little chocolate for a reward for helping plant. The littler ones were so cute, Pavlina said. One little girl asked, "May I please have one for my sister?" Then all the kids began to ask for one for their sister or brother and one piped up and said, "May I have one for my aunt?" They saw how a rototiller works and how it is used for tearing up weeds in between the rows and the different pieces of equipment for farming. They saw the children’s garden, too. After that, they left on the bus. The following Saturday, Pavlina said one of the mothers came to market and said that her daughter told her everything about the farm - and the daughter had been one of the quietest kids.

The men from Jesus is the Way Prison Ministries have been very diligent about coming out and working. They have been doing a lot of the harder "man" jobs, like spreading straw for mulch, weeding and putting up posts for staking tomatoes. They have kept up with mowing and weed-wacking and the farm looks nice and neat because of that.

We are inviting brethren to join in the farm work. There is not a lack of work to do. If you feel God wants you to be a part, then come. We want to encourage the gifts and talents that you have if you want to be a part. Please consider before the Lord what your part might be - monetarily or otherwise. We would appreciate your prayers for everyone involved with the farm. I spent quite a bit of time with Pavlina on Friday and she was so glad for the work week to be over. She is not complaining, but I see the work load has been huge.

I look forward to sharing with you in the future what is happening here in Mahomet, out in that wonderful dirt on the farm!

June 8 Update

by Melissa

I wanted more information about what exactly is being grown and Dad said to talk to Pavlina and Wes. Pavlina Davis is one of the members of the board and is overseeing much of the actual labor at the farm. So, at the time of writing, we have had one market and are selling many kinds of potted herbs, such as oregano, marjoram, thyme, parsley, cilantro, fennel, sage and many varieties of basil, to name a few. We also have many potted flowers and hanging plants, as well as tomato and pepper plants. Pavlina and her helpers are also harvesting greens - several varieties of lettuces and spinach type greens. She told me that market has gone very well. For instance, 22 baskets of flowers were sold one Saturday and 26 the next. All this is also being sold at the First Fruits store. In regard to the field, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beets and carrots have been planted. By the time you read this, the direct seed planting in the field like swiss chard, zucchini, winter squash, melons, green beans and cucumbers will be done, as well as transplanting tomatoes and peppers. Most of these crops are also sowed in several plantings, in order to have ongoing fresh, ripe fruit.

Microgreens

Lettuces growing in the hoophouse

The number of lettuces and potted plants had not been reduced for this year, just the field crops, so Pavlina is feeling the pressure of much work that has to be done. But, she told me that the Lord spoke to her at the beginning of the season as she was seeking His face about this year on the farm. He told her how much should be planted and others came and suggested the same thing. God showed her the story of the boy who came with the five loaves and two fishes that Jesus multiplied to feed the 5,000. She said that God told her that the time will come when God will pour manna out of heaven for His people to eat, but until then, He needs something to multiply - thus her work on the farm must continue. As in the natural, so in the spiritual. She said that the gospel of the Kingdom must still be preached. God will save people without anyone ever preaching to them, but we must also continue to preach the gospel, so that He will begin to multiply it. She said, "I am pouring what I can into this season, so that God can multiply it." I thought of the Philippines as she was telling me this and how the labor that has been put into the gospel of the Kingdom in that country is expanding and people there are excited about it!

In regard to Pavlina’s work, she related a story of how a couple weeks ago, we desperately needed to get some things planted in the field, but it was too wet. Finally, it dried enough and then there was no one to do it. So she wanted to call Bibi and ask her to come but Bibi had already worked two days that week and Pavlina didn’t want to ask her again. So she went out to the farm and Bibi just showed up out there and said, "Do you need any help today?" Pavlina said, "It was incredible. I was so blessed that God thinks even about these little things that seem insignificant." Pavlina also asked God, "Could you please send someone to help me?" One day, someone called her and said that they had gotten a new ironing board and did she need any ironing done? Also, on the 12th, Johanna will be staying with the Davises while her parents are in Czech, so Pavlina is so blessed by the help she is going to be!

Weeding the lettuces in the hoophouse

Getting ready to plant carrots

I happened to talk to Pavlina on a day that five of the men from Jesus is the Way Prison Ministries had come to help at the farm. You may remember this is the organization that Brother Peter Schneider is involved with. Pavlina was so excited about it. She said, "The guys from Jesus is the Way were great! They got so much work done and in just a couple hours. Their attitude was awesome!" She said they did a lot of cleaning up in the fields and even laid some flat stone for a path between a couple of the greenhouses. This is so neat to me, personally, to see an example of ministries involving separate individuals begin to meld together and complement each other. Pavlina told me that the men were so happy to be doing the work. One even commented that he felt like he was really doing something meaningful.

I spoke to Wesley Schell about his involvement in the farm this year. He, too, expressed how much the Jesus is the Way guys have helped, especially in the more physical work. They have been doing much clean up around the farm. In addition, several people in the fellowship have been out helping with whatever needs to be done. Some of the children have helped plant in the field and others have done weeding and other jobs around the farm. I went out on a Saturday and my children helped clean up some rocks in the field. They had a great time because they got to ride in the trailer! I planted two beds of carrots and it was fun. I really enjoy being out in the sunshine and the breeze, getting my hands in the dirt. I was aware of the opportunity to be able to ask the Lord to bless every seed that went into the ground and that it would sprout and grow and bless somebody when it had matured and was ready to be eaten.

Working on the watering system

Wes is responsible for the field planting and maintenance. He has taken up the baton and put his hand to the plow! He told me that at the beginning of the Spring, they first had to go through the equipment on the farm, find out what worked and what needed repair. They found out that the disk, which is older, didn’t work. This is a big issue. Wes said that you can’t do anything without first disking the dirt. They weren’t sure whether to rent one, buy a new one or fix the one they had! But Barak found one place that sold the parts they needed and ordered them. When they came, Barak fixed the disk in about two days. Now, previous to this, it had rained off and on and been very wet for about two weeks. The disk was fixed on a Friday, after about three dry days, and Wes spent all that day disking the fields. The disk worked great! The next day, he rented the special equipment to plant oats and alfalfa and spent all day planting. The next day it rained again. And it rained for a few more days! He was so glad for the window of opportunity that the Lord made because after that it would have been too late to plant oats and alfalfa. The rest of the fields will be planted in buckwheat around the end of May or beginning of June.

Going back to when I listened to Dad talk about the farm and the work and everything involved in it, I asked him, "What is the purpose of continuing the farm at this point?"

He answered that we must have a vision for the farm that goes way beyond just growing and selling. Selling produce is necessary right now in order to pay for the supplies and equipment to run the farm. But we see it as an opportunity for believers here and coming from anywhere else to honor God, to learn how to work together as a body, to develop godly character, and a place to provide teaching about sustainable agriculture. He further said that we believe God has given us the land. It has been improved over the last 15 years or so, so that it is chemical free - the soil is good. We need to preserve the quality of the land and be good stewards of what God has given. We believe that hard times are coming and the whole concept of the ministry of this fellowship and the building is that it will be a place of refuge. Having food to eat is a major part of that. We desire to share produce with needy people, maybe in the church, as well as any out there who are less fortunate than we are. Of course, there are many ideas for the future, too, like raising goats or cattle. We want to have a sustainable farm and that includes saving our own seeds. Another vision for the farm is to teach the children about growing things and give them the opportunity to have an entrepreneur type experience. In fact, there will be a special section of dirt this year especially for the children to plant things and take care of them. There will be practical ways to exercise the gifts God has given us individually and be encouraged in those gifts. Dad said, "We are inviting brethren to join in the farm work. If you feel God wants you to be a part, then come. We want to encourage the gifts and talents that you have if you want to be a part." To sum this up, the farm needs to be done on principle, not on profit, and the Word of God gives us those principles. If we do what is right before God, He will supply the people and the funds.

Some of the children help clear rocks

Volunteer help watering the raised beds

We would appreciate your prayers for everyone involved with the farm. Please consider before the Lord what your part might be - monetarily or otherwise. I look forward to sharing with you in the future what is happening here in Mahomet, out in that wonderful dirt on the farm!

Early Spring

by Melissa

We want to share with you, our readers, an in depth report about the farm which is operating on the land surrounding the Living Word Omega Message Church, here in Mahomet, Illinois. I have had the privilege of living here for the last 12 1/2 years and witnessing the change from a piece of ground to a building and a working produce farm. I remember when the only thing out in all that dirt was a gravel road, some equipment and a concrete slab. The work continued and the structure appeared that we call, "the building." This project began because God provided the land - 30 acres of it - and He also gave direction in the form of the prophetic word. God’s word was very clear, that this place would have three main aspects: a place of fellowship, a place of learning and a place of refuge. It was obvious that since the Lord had provided land, that farming was to be an integral part of His plan for this place.

The vision from the beginning was that food could be grown and used in the future for people needing refuge. So, at the leading of the Lord, the Asbill family took up the responsibility, both in time and money, for starting up the farm and beginning the business that we know as First Fruits Produce Company. I have personally spent many, many hours over the years working alongside Brother Burt and Sister Nancy, as well as many others involved in and working on the farm. Their commitment to First Fruits has been incredible and an example of Colossians 3:23, And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

One Sunday at the end of March, my dad, Wayne Wickboldt, got up at the end of the meeting and began to share with the congregation that the management and financial responsibility of the farm was going to be changing. God had been speaking to Brother Burt and others in the Body of Christ that he needed to be freed up from the responsibility of things that tie him here so that God could use him on the mission field and fulfill the calling on his life. So, the Mahomet Fellowship, technically known as Living Word/Omega Message Church, was now assuming responsibility for running the farm.

Since that initial Sunday, I have interviewed Dad and found out more information that is very interesting. He shared with me that he and the other elders of our local fellowship here have been praying about and discussing this since January. There were many questions before them: Do we, as a church, have the ability to run a farm? Can we come up with money to essentially buy the farm from the Asbill family, thus releasing them? Can we also come up with money for the short term needs to keep the farm going this year, such as seeds, greenhouse equipment and repairs? Is God going to raise up people? How should we proceed? As they began to explore ways to free up Brother Burt, they realized that the Mahomet Fellowship had to take over management of the farm and trust God to raise up the various people who would run the operation.

Hanging baskets in the greenhouse

I am so glad and appreciative of the elders in our fellowship. It must have been quite some discussions that they had! But somehow they worked through and pressed on and they came up with a plan. As they began to move and trust God, He started to fill in the gaps and things began to come together! Dad told me that a board of five people has been selected to manage the ongoing day to day operation of the farm and to co-ordinate the work. This was a big first step and the Lord supplied the people. Decisions were then made regarding how much to plant and what to plant. Dad said that we are planting about one and a half acres of land, which is smaller than in the past. We are focusing on things that sell well and are less labor intensive. The rest of the fields would be sown in alfalfa, oats and buckwheat. The farming has begun in a timely manner. We are continuing to sell produce at the First Fruits Store and Café in Mahomet, which Brother Burt and Sister Nancy are continuing to operate. As in the past, we are selling at the Farmer’s Market in Urbana, which is every Saturday morning, starting May 2nd. We are also selling to restaurants in the area, which is a continuation of previous years, also. We are continuing to raise chickens for meat and egg laying.

The upper greenhouse