Renew @ Farm58 is a breath taking 180-acres of rolling hills, pristine pasture and mixed woodland, nestled atop the Cumberland Plateau in Dunlap Tennessee. Where we preach the gospel, disciple the hurting and raising food worth eating all through sustainable agriculture.
This farm is about kingdom business first and for most, purple being the symbol of royalty we want to always point men to the truth, found only in the Bible. We farm to allow us the opportunity to invest in the lives for men and their families. We believe the farm is a conducive environment for change to happen in the heart. Our Lord could have given any job to the first man, Adam, and he put him in the garden knowing this would minister to his heart in a way no other job on earth could. The bible is saturated with agrarian analogies that become alive in a new way when you are viscerally engaged in them. Sowing, reaping, grafting, pruning, shepherding, tending, cultivating, and the list goes on. So with this environment free of distraction 20 men live here and work this piece of ground that was donated to us for this purple purpose, to help build a foundation on the word of God and His principles in order to see real and lasting change thru the renewing of heart and mind. Once the foundation has been laid each man transitions into town where we help them establish themselves. Helping them find jobs, transportation, living arrangements, becoming a functioning member of the body of Christ.
Freely we received so freely we give, there is no financial cost to the men or their families to come to Renew@ Farm 58, so we raise organic produce and protein which is delivered to families in Chattanooga, to help offset the cost of doing ministry. The remainder of funds needed to offer this life changing experience to over 100 men a year comes thru generous donations and the support of Calvary Chapel Chattanooga.
Our Farm:
The farm products raised here are boxed weekly and delivered to a community of families, which make up our CSA. CSA stands for community support agriculture, which is a model of farming where people buy a “share” of the bounty coming from the farm. Below are details on each of the farming enterprises that make up our CSA options.
Pasture raised eggs: Our hens are moved every three days to a fresh paddock of grass behind the cattle to clean, sanitize and scratch through the grass eating as much bugs, worms and grass as they desire. Laying hens are unable to acquire their total diet from the pasture so we supplement the remainder with local non-gmo feed. Producing high quality, amazing flavor, farm fresh eggs, while letting the chicken fully express its chickeness.
Pastured Broilers: Our meat chickens are moved in 8ft by 10ft mobile shelters to provide protection from predators while enabling them to forage from a fresh piece of pasture each day. By giving them a new solar sanitized clean environment daily there is no need to use any antibiotics or pharmaceuticals to keep them healthy. They spend their day enjoying bugs, worms and grass in the fresh air. They are supplemented with local non-gmo feed.
Forest Raised Pork: Our pigs are raised on pig savannas where they can forage on an all-natural diet that consists of grubs, grasses and acorns. Pigs are unable to acquire their total diet from the forest so we supplement with local non-gmo feed. Thru controlled rotational grazing of the savannah we are providing a healthy, happy habitat for the pigs. All the while managing the level of disturbance to the forest floor encouraging new growth, depositing fertility, investing in the soil ecology and environment. As with our other models of shepherding the flock we manage density and duration allowing us to produce perfect pork with out the use of any antibiotics, hormones or harmful pharmaceuticals, while letting the pig fully express its pigness.
Organic Vegetables: Our vegetables are grown using the national organic principles. NO chemical fertilizers pesticides, fungicides or herbicides are ever used. While not certified organic by the USDA our practices and principles go beyond organic. Fertility is produced on farm completing the nutrient cycle with livestock; our compost is amended with trace minerals to ensure the highest quality compost. Our goal is to improve soil, while producing the most nutrient dense and tastiest produce available.
Salad Bar Beef: Our cattle are moved to a fresh salad bar twice daily where they emulate the bison of the Great Plains by moving, mobbing and mowing the grass. By controlling density and duration we eliminate the build up of pathogens and bacteria that in turn allows us to raise happy healthy cattle without the use of any antibiotics, hormones or harmful pharmaceuticals.