BUILDING THE SOIL…

2020 will be remembered as a year when an invisible microbe known as the Coronavirus powerfully re-shaped human life.  At Hungry World Farm (HWF),

we’re celebrating that viruses aren’t the only invisible powerhouses on this planet.

Did you know that there are billions of microbes in a single teaspoon of healthy soil? And these tiny organisms are doing enormous good, for the health of our soils, our food, our bodies, and our world!

Hungry World Farm is dedicated to partnering with that vast array of soil microbes to nurture health and hope for our local and global community of living things. 

Will you join our 2021 soil-building team?  Partner with Hungry World Farm, as we partner with that amazing array of soil microbes. Together we will nurture healthy soils, healthy food, healthy communities, and a healthy planet!

Here's what our partners helped accomplish in 2020:

SOIL: In 2020, we nourished the life of the soil in our produce gardens and pasture lands by:

• keeping the soil covered to keep topsoil intact
• practicing intensive, rotational grazing with our sheep and goats
• feeding soil life with compost and manure
• planting a diversity of crops side by side
• keeping weeds and insects in balance without the use of chemicals
• supporting the life of a variety of wild plants, insects, birds, and more!

FOOD: We celebrated:

• abundant yields of flavor-full, nutrient-packed veggies, berries, eggs and meat * a bumper crop of high-quality hay 
• over 900 pounds of produce shared with food-insecure households through two local food pantries
• 2,000 pounds of produce was shared through a grant-funded program of Midwest Food Bank.

COMMUNITY: In 2020, our farm community expanded significantly! We added:

• 5 seasonal young adult interns--4 from the U.S. and 1 International Visitor Exchange Program volunteer from Tanzania
• Executive Director (on a half-time, volunteer basis)
• Special Projects volunteer (half-time, volunteer)
• 2 new board members.

While Covid-19 limited our community learning events, we were able to connect with our community through:

• 2 public Farm Tours 
• a farm walk-about with Savanna Institute staff and interns
• presentations and sermons shared with with 4 congregations and community groups
• partnerships with Faith in Place, the Tiskilwa Historical Society, Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, The Savanna Institute, Mennonite Central Committee and more.

Community prayer, fellowship, and reflection were a regular part of the rhythm of life on the farm in 2020, as well. The work of restoring the soil and restoring our souls go hand in hand.

Reflecting on his time at Hungry World Farm, intern Maiga Muga (who came to us from Tanzania through Mennonite Central Committee’s International Visitor Exchange Program) commented, “Hungry World Farm is more than a farm. People learn about hungers for food, for relationships, and for God.” 

PLANET: We trust that, like yeast in bread dough our work at HWF impacts not only our local community. We are a small but significant part of God’s work of restoring our PLANET.

We are grateful for your partnership in this holy work! THANK YOU for your support—as customers, volunteers, prayer partners, meal providers, and financial contributors.  Your varied gifts, like the diversity of microbes in healthy soil, support both the day to day operations and the unfolding dreams of Hungry World Farm.