December Newsletter

Greetings,

The wintry winds have arrived and the snowflakes are falling here in Minnora.  The fields are at rest but our greenhouses still supply some fine winter greens.

As the end of this year approaches we find ourselves giving sincere thanks to God and to all of the people that have made our vision of developing an agriculture training center a reality.  It has been a year of very hard work and very earnest prayer.  As we look forward to the new year we are both humbled and inspired with the knowledge that everything we need is now in place to offer training to others interested in learning about agriculture.  We are blessed with fertile land, ample water, exquisite beauty, and all of the infrastructure, tools and equipment necessary for growing wonderful crops and thoroughly trained students.

This month Berea Gardens gained approval to be listed among farms that are "Certified Naturally Grown," an independent organization that standardizes and enforces production practices that are healthful for people and the environment.  This is similar to the USDA Organic Certification, but without the bureaucratic influence and exhorbitant costs.  Administered by farmers for farmers, we are proud to be counted in this group. This certification assures our customers that the products we sell are pesticide, GMO and hazard free.

With an eye ahead to the new year it is also time that I start asking some questions of you.  It is our desire to begin meeting your needs for education in agriculture as soon as possible, and that means I need to better understand what your needs are.  I have compiled a short survey to help us better organise and plan our programs and it would be very helpful to me if you would take a few minutes to answer some simple questions.  Your response will be anonymous and no personal information is either collected or stored.  The link to the survey is here.
 
Over the course of the next few weeks we will be updating and reconstructing our website with a whole new range of information and services that should be helpful to anyone interested in agriculture and healthy food.  We also are striving to get an online seed store up and running for the coming growing season and plans are in the works to have our local bulk and fresh produce store open in the Spring.

Our contacts and networks in the local community are growing rapidly.  Last month I was invited to speak at an "End of the Season Potluck" sponsored by the West Virginia Agriculture Extension Service Office for participants in the Farmer's Markets from throughout our region.  I was very pleased to be able to share with the 90 or so that attended about agriculture's relationship to the teachings of the Bible.  I was not hindered in any way in sharing my beliefs and perspectives about agriculture from a Biblical perspective.  It was a remarkable opportunity and was very well received. As a result of contacts made at that meeting we have been requested to schedule two seminars in January here at Berea Gardens for some of the growers that are interested in learning more.

We wish to thank all of you for your interest, prayers and support for the work we have begun here.  We know that the challenges that lay ahead of us are large, but we also know that if we continue to work in accord with God and His principles we will be rewarded with a fruitful  harvest.

Blessings,
Bob Gregory