Thank you to everyone who attended Berry Fest and to everyone who purchased a virtual basket and to all of our vendors and food trucks and kid’s zone participants! And, most of all, to our amazing team of volunteers! This is a volunteer-led event with all proceeds donated to our nonprofit work and we couldn’t do it without the help of so many from our community!
Berry Fest 2024 was more than we could have hoped for and, because of the generosity of so many, we will continue to support the work of changing the lives of orphaned children globally. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 🫐
Big thank you to @houstongevans for this video footage!
Huge thank you to our sponsors @grandsavingsbank @officialrebath @bentonvillecreative, Reduce, Carrot, Tate Family Foundation, and Denovo! 👏
After this past weekends’s tornado and terrible storms, we still (somewhat miraculously) have blueberries! We are holding our community in prayer and feeling extremely grateful. #nwastrong
Update from Zimbabwe! Our friend Pastor John shared a video of the land the trainees have been wroking on in the agriculture program. The training center started in February and the land has come a long way. Something unique about this group is that they are all from the same village. Over the past few months, Pastor John reports they have worked in harmony and loved spending time with each other as they learn many skills together.
Happy December! As many of you know, our farm helps fund a trade and agricultural training program in Zimbabwe that empowers teenagers and young adults to transition into adulthood with the skills that they need to succeed.
We receive updates from our dear friend Pastor John about how the students are and how the program has been going. The five students currently in the farm training program all have lived at Musha WeVana (their home) since they were two years old and younger. They were orphaned as babies. Today, they are receiving training in life skills and farming. We cannot wait to see where they go in life with these skills and talents. We are so proud of the 2023 trainees!
Hi friends! We are a week and a half away from Berry Fest and have not so great news to share this morning… a really big storm blew threw the farm with strong straight line winds and damaged our berry crop. We estimate a loss of about 50% of our berries. 😭😭😭
That’s the bad news. The good news? Berry Fest is still happening! We have live music, food trucks, an expanded “vendor village” and we will still have berry picking (we have 1,500 berry plants so we are hopeful there will be berries to pick on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you’ve already purchased your berry basket online, we will email you directly with a plan to ensure you get to pick)!
Remember, this is not about the berries. It’s about the good work happening because of this patch of land and all of you who support it! 100% of our farm’s proceeds go directly to support the work being done around the globe by Help One Now. Specifically, we are funding an agricultural and trades training program for orphaned and at-risk teens in a rural village in Zimbabwe.
This village and these kids are near and dear to our family. We love being a part of the life and community changing work happening on the ground in a place we love so much.
We hope you’ll join us in the fields for an amazing day! See you at the farm! 🫐
“Thank you Berry Farm for partnering with us” 💙
This morning, I received this video from Pastor John in Zimbabwe. The five students currently in the farm training program all have lived at Musha WeVana (the children’s home) since they were two years old and younger. They were orphaned as babies. Yet, they were not without HOPE.
When I visited a few years ago, I met these kiddos. I will never forget the time I spent with them. I wrote these words in my journal:
“The children living at Musha WeVana Children’s Home, served by Pastor John and his church, Family Life Fellowship, are absolutely, positively precious. The needs there are great, yet the community of people caring for these 80 orphaned children make up for lack of resources in selfless and generous love. I was so impressed by the way the kids are so beautifully integrated into the community. What stood out to me most were the bright eyes of the children. Eyes holding life and hope and laughter.”
Now, five of these formerly orphaned kiddos are receiving training in life skills and farming. They are growing food for the current children at Musha WeVana. They will go on to lead full lives and they will be change makers in their community.
This is the good work happening because of each person who partners with us at the Berry Farm. Lives are being changed. Thank you for being a part of this work. 🤍
Virtual berry baskets:
https://www.purecharity.com/fundraisers/berryfest2023-virtualberrybasket?fbclid=PAAablXF9O5-FM4vOkFkehel8mKWJrmo1fQW9W0td22haiEIPhJhjkHy1I-II
Berry Fest tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/berry-fest-bentonville-2023-tickets-622729650147?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&fbclid=PAAaYVdogVyjcTKOKA7kjoHH3y04l1Mk0hCH4HjXi5tejHlKInDodwe0FmPQk
The countdown has begun! We are exactly ONE MONTH away from Berry Fest 2023! 🫐🙌
Our farm was created in order to help pave a pathway to a better future for teenagers in a rural village in Zimbabwe. Older, orphaned and at-risk teens are big on our hearts and we have always had a desire to give these kids a chance – to learn a skill, to build confidence, and to lead. Since it’s inception, our farm has funded a farm skills training program for the teens in a community across the globe that is near and dear to our family.
We are so grateful for every single person that is a part of the work that is happening across the globe because of this little farm of ours!
Even if you can’t attend Berry Fest in person, you can still be a part of the work by purchasing a ‘virtual berry basket’ this berry season!! All proceeds will go directly to the work in Zimbabwe, led by our dear friends and trusted Zimbabwean leaders: John and Orpah. And, as a bonus, you’ll earn an entry into our raffle to win some Berry Farm swag with every donation!
Donate (and enter) today and throughout this month leading up to Berry Fest. You can find the link below to purchase your own “virtual berry basket”!
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 💙
https://www.purecharity.com/fundraisers/berryfest2023-virtualberrybasket
Now that the Berry Fest has come and gone, we are so excited to see what you are doing with your blueberries. From making delicious baked goods to simply eating them as they are, there are so many ways to enjoy blueberries. Tag us so we can see!
BERRY FEST IS HERE!!! 🫐✨
We can’t wait to see you all the farm! All of the details for the day are below…see you soon!
✨ Event Start and End Time:
Today and tomorrow, June 17th and 18th, from 4 to 7 pm CT.
* Please note that we will not sell any tickets at the door for safety and capacity reasons.
✨ Parking:
Parking for all Berry Fest attendees is at Grimsley Junior High School (850 N Vaughn Rd. Bentonville, AR 72712). There will be shuttles running throughout the event at this location to take you to The Berry Farm starting at 4:00 pm CT, and back to your car following the event.
✨ Arrival:
Upon arrival at the Berry Farm, you will check in at the designated "Check-in Tent," so have your tickets ready!
What to do:
After you have checked in, it's time to have fun! With shopping, food trucks, blueberry picking, live music, kids' activities, and a playground, we have a range of activities planned for you. 🙌
✨ Blueberry Picking:
If you wish to pick berries, berry baskets cost $20/gallon These will be available for purchase at the check-in tent. As a reminder, if you bring your basket back from last year to use, you will save $2 on your purchase. 🫐
✨Know Before You Go:
- All guests will take a shuttle, so please be prepared to fit whatever you bring with you on the shuttle.
- The forecast shows that Friday and Saturday will be hot days, so please come prepared!
- Bring sunscreen or a hat to protect yourself from the sun.
- Bring a lawn chair or a picnic blanket to sit on to enjoy the live music!
- The vendors at the event accept cash, debit, and credit cards
How can you say no to this face?! Purchase tickets at the link in our profile! 🫐
Berry season is almost here, which means berry picking and the BERRY FEST!
We love this farm, what it provides and how it brings us all together. We cannot wait to see you on June 17th or 18th!
Tickets on sale May 1st!!!
Proceeds from The Berry Farm go to @helponenow Thank you for supporting something so important to us!
#berryfarm #berryfest #bentonville #bentonvillearkansas #becausebentonville
What a night! Berry Fest was a truly magical evening. God planted a vision on our hearts years ago to fill this land with joy and laughter and to create a gathering place for families and friends, old and new. And last night felt like walking in a dream because it was exactly what we prayed it would be.
We are so grateful to be a part of the story God is telling here and across the globe in this place - He is faithful and He is good. He is good even after a year of uncertainty and fear. He is good even when we can’t see the full scope of His plan and lean into a crazy idea to start a blueberry farm. He is good even when we plant little saplings in the ground and pray that someday they’ll grow big enough to produce an abundant harvest.
The miracle stories of this place are vast and many. There isn’t enough room in this caption to share them all. But, last night, as our community gathered, felt like another one of the miracle stories God is writing here. Thank you all for being a part of it. We are truly humbled and grateful.
💙- Jenny & Dave
