We are an Urban Farm dedicated to raising quality produce for hungry people. This year we have been supporting Operation Love's food pantry and the church.
"PLANT SEEDS, GROW FOOD, WATCH GOD WORK"
Bethlehem Farms is an outreach ministry of Maple Grove Church of God. Our goal is to produce quality vegetables to feed hungry people. In 2017 we began to use the fallow land next to our church as a garden. A small group worked to raise vegetables for the church and some local daycare facilities. From that small plot it has grown into a small urban farm. Be
thlehem Farms is one way we steward God's creation and His gift of life and land. Today we have 32 rows of vegetables on drip lines. these 40 foot rows are planted in green beans, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, turnips and squash. We have a cold box with radishes and then carrots. Around the garden we have Sunflowers, birdhouse gourds, buck wheat and other flowers. In 2020 we added a Lavender Prayer Path. This will provide a place of solitude, reflection, beauty and prayer. The Prayer Path is based on the Traditional Christian Labyrinth pattern.
2021 saw us open Praise Bees Apiary. We have 3 hives of bees working to pollinate and produce honey. These hives are a wonder of coordinated work that are amazing to watch. We partner with local organizations like Operation Love to provide fresh produce for their food pantry.. We are open to working with those who would like to volunteer and be a part of this exciting adventure. Come join us as we Plant seeds, Grow food and Watch God Work.
By Brian RamseyFew churches when giving directions for visitors can say, “Turn at the vegetables,” but the congregation at the Maple Grove Church of God in Anderson, Indiana can. Several years ago, Maple Grove was led by God to steward their land, as well as stay on mission as a local church
07/08/2021
The Lavender is looking and smelling wonderful. The bees are busy making honey. Added a honey super to the Saskatraz ladies.
07/07/2021
The garden is really coming alive now.
06/29/2021
The girls have found the Lavender and Buckwheat.
06/25/2021
Justin working the Bees. He says he needs gloves that fit better.
06/16/2021
The Saskatraz ladies were busy this week and 1 week in and we had to add the second deep already. The Russians in the "Birch Tree" hive are really doing well with lots of brood and working in the top deep now. The Carniolan hive is putting in lots of honey but only a little brood. Not sure how good the queen is. Didn't see her today and will check later this week for her or her replacement.
In honor of World Bee Day on May 20, here's five surprising things you might not know about nature's hardest working pollinators.
05/13/2021
Checked to make sure the queen was out of her cage and accepted. All looked good in the hive. I leaned out the dead bees (some always die in a package and some from their cold night before getting into the hive) but the rest were busy and active.
05/12/2021
The girls are out and about today.
05/10/2021
The girls from the Black Sea region have arrived! Our package of Carolinian Bees 🐝 are I their hive. Thanks for Randy Tracy's help in getting them in.
05/10/2021
Radishes are popping up!
04/27/2021
Matt Tracy, plowing the rows in. Sooooo much faster.
04/27/2021
The garden is ready to lay the drip tape, plastic and start planting.
11/03/2020
The farm is closed for the season. Thanks to everyone who helped this year. We gave 625 lbs of produce to Operation Love and probably another 500 to the congregation. A very productive year!
Looking forward to the 2021 season.
07/16/2020
A quick picking today. Things are starting to really come on fast now.
07/10/2020
Harvest has begun. Zucchini, Yellow Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Green Peppers and Banana Peppers. Lots of w**ding and mulching done today. Thanks to Randy Tracy, Kaleb, Kim and Barb for pitching in.
07/07/2020
Join us today at 4PM to do some Garden work and harvest some vegetables for Operation Love.
See you there
07/03/2020
Big thanks for helping today to Randy, Kaleb, Kim, Barb, and John. Bean poles up and lots of row work done
Things are really taking off. We have a few rows left to put plastic and mulch down on and a few to w**d. But doing good.
Picked Sweet Banana Peppers today!
06/30/2020
First harvest. Radishes and Turnip greens!
05/31/2020
Today we started laying out the Lavender Labyrinth which is starting to take shape. We put some more rows in the garden and will plant again on Tuesday at 2 pm.
Thank you to Matt Tracy, Randy Tracy, Steve Napier, Janeice, Tina and Barb for their help. It was a very productive day.
Photos by Matt Tracy and his drone.
05/23/2020
Another productive day of Garden work. 1 row each of Green Beans, Yellow Summer Squash, Turnips, Butternut Squash, Collard Greens and Radishes. Prepped a few rows for next week and laid plastic, drip line and mulch.
The Lavender arrived and we have the Labyrinth layout ready. We will till and be ready to put in the raised beds, drip tape and plastic this week...Then it will be time to plant the Lavender!
Thanks to all who came and helped, Randy, John, Kim, Steve and Tina. Thank you to Rachel for bringing us water.
Let the Sun shine and the plants Grow!!!!
05/19/2020
Things popping up in rows. Of course the peppers and tomatoes are up...but so are the rows of green beans and cucumbers and the first zucchini.
Exciting times even with the rain.
Next work day will be late this week when things dry a bit. See you then
05/13/2020
Planting/Re-Planting Day
Today Wednesday 5/13 - 2:00 PM
Join us as we continue to get the garden planted - mulched and fenced.
05/02/2020
Well it has begun! Planted a row of Green Beans, a row of Cucumber, 2 rows Green Peppers and 2 rows of Tomatoes. Plastic and Mulch down around the perimeter and the first drip lines put in and working. A good and productive start. We will work on it again on Tuesday afternoon.
05/01/2020
IT IS THAT TIME!!!! 1 PM Saturday
We are going to start setting out the rows in our garden this Saturday! You can join us on Saturday at 1:00 PM to get the new Drip Irrigation lines in, plastic w**d barrier and mulch laid. Bring a mask to wear and we will be requiring social distancing. Also bring rakes, hoes, shovels and a wheel barrow to help spread the mulch.
Hope to see you there!
02/17/2020
Spring time is coming....We HOPE. Plans are in the works for the opening of Bethlehem Farms for another year. This year we are expanding the produce plot size. We are adding some cold boxes to get lettuce production. This is a new direction for us. We will also be laying out and beginning to plant our new Lavender garden. The Lavender garden will form the borders of the new prayer labyrinth. This is all exciting stuff and we look forward to getting started.
01/17/2019
Connecting with others at the Madison County Local Food Network Summit.
Thinking and planning for this summer's growing season.
12/06/2018
The power to transform lives, communities and futures is often waiting for a seed to be planted.
In Atlanta, an ambitious activist hopes teaching young people farming skills will break the cycle of incarceration.
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Checked to make sure the queen was out of her cage and accepted. All looked good in the hive. I leaned out the dead bees (some always die in a package and some from their cold night before getting into the hive) but the rest were busy and active.
We have reopened Bethlehem Farms and are looking forward to a new season and a new opportunity to provide fresh food for our family and our neighbors. We have adjusted our plans based off of our previous experiences and learning. We are having a 3-prong approach to the farm that will provide a wholesome and holistic nourishment. The first section is our Vegetable Plot. We have reploughed the original 4 garden beds into 1 large bed. We will be planting it in 4 sections with Pumpkins, Peppers, Green beans and Zucchini. These vegetables will be available to the church family and to our neighbors.
The second prong is to develop a Berry Plot. In this area we want to plant Blackberries, Raspberries and Blueberries. These bushes once established will provide regular seasonal fruit. They may take a few years to get firmly in place but then will provide fruit for years to come.
The last plot is our new Lavender Prayer Path. This circular path will provide a place for prayer and meditation as well as a regular crop of Lavender. This is a significant venture that will take time to get going. We will start this year and watch as it takes shape and root in the years to come. The lavender will provide a beautiful setting for prayer and contemplation. As we harvest it we can then sell it as either dried or essential oil.
We need help in the form of volunteers and specific items that you can purchase and donate. We need rolls of landscape fabric and mulch to go between the rows of plants. This will help with the weeding and aesthetics of the garden. If you can purchase a few rolls of landscape fabric or want to donate to the Farm please see Pastor Steve, Tina or Randy Tracy. Together we can make a difference.
