Living Hope Farm, near Harleysville, PA

by Heidi Martin, MCCN staff writer

During a time when unemployment is high and spending tight, the Franconia Mennonite Conference of Eastern Pennsylvania feels a call to begin a new ministry on a farm the conference owns near Harleysville, PA. The ministry, called Living Hope Farm (LHF), will begin as an organic market farm but the board has a vision that extends well beyond that.

“Everyone that I’ve talked to has a very positive sense that now is a good time for this,” says Greg Bowman, LHF board member and Mennonite Creation Care Council member. “There is a lot of enthusiasm and goodwill.”

The property was purchased by Franconia Mennonite Conference in the 1950’s for use as a rehab center for alcoholics. When that ministry ended, a new ministry began, caring for mentally disabled children. The Indian Creek Foundation group home is still active today.

The land was always special to Bowman who developed a horticultural therapy ministry as part of Indian Creek Foundation in the late 90’s. Spending time working in the various garden plots and traipsing the land left him mesmerized by the stream, wetlands, slopes and ridges. His vision for the property was extensive but, until recently, the ideas remained latent.

Since 1995, the conference discussed how best to use the property’s farmland, without satisfactory conclusions. A new energy among conference leaders and members sprang forth when the farm was in danger of being sold for development.

“We think there is something higher for this use of land [than development],” says Bowman. “We want to give other churches a sense of what’s possible in ministering to the community and in really witnessing. We want to help people rethink what it means to raise food, farm and manage livestock. We want to treat the land as special and sacred and to think of food as, not just calories, but a special gift.”

Bowman joined conference leaders in a two-step process of discernment. First, they assessed the vision and finances of the conference and created a five year vision and budget plan. Second, they analyzed their goals for three conference properties, the farm included. They decided to be intentional about using the farmland as a conference-wide ministry.

Not wanting to burden the conference, LHF is starting small. This past winter, the board hired Jill Landis to begin enriching the soil and improving the land. At the end of a two year period, board members hope the farm will be commercially viable and ready for healthy food production.

The farm will supply faith-based institutions, including retirement communities, schools and churches, with local food. Bowman believes this tends both physical and spiritual needs.

“The food will help to nourish folks who are in church-sponsored ministries which now can’t offer them opportunity to stay connected to the land,” says Bowman. “For me, producing high-quality food for known buyers who are part of a faith community is such a tangible way for discipleship to become exciting and visible and taste-able and touch-able.”

In the past, the push for profit and the increase in farming costs forced farmers to work the land in unsatisfactory ways and receive little benefit for their efficiency. With a new generation, a new interest in long-term sustainability is developing.

“It’s work that is exciting and is very much value-based,” says Bowman. “It has been really inspiring for me to see this generation come around.”

Bowman thinks the church is finally catching up to this agriculture interest. Perhaps churches are beginning to understand that, in the past, people have become isolated from the land and, therefore, isolated from creation. This disconnection is dangerous.

“Being disconnected, we risk not caring about the ones who steward the health of the soil, who rise in the dark and work in the cold to harvest our vegetables, who struggle against unjust structures to farm as well as they know they should, and who do not have the power to provide their families with food that nourishes them, delights them and honors sustaining stories,” says Bowman. “Being disconnected is to be unable to be truly grateful, truly mindful of God’s grace in promising seasons, rain in due time, enough seeds, and the sun to power the whole package.”

In recent times, the church is taking action to re-connect people and land. This is evident in the community gardens popping up on church property. Mennonite Weekly Review recently noted this development in an article called “Church Gardens a Growing Trend.” Also, Mennonite Creation Care Network shares many examples of community gardens on their website (www.mennocreationcare.org).

“Faith-directed sustainable agriculture and community gardens build connections, which flow from God and point to God and join us with God through one another in humble service to God’s earth,” says Bowman. “When we move from commodities to community, from fast food to real food, from mindless eating to respectful sharing of sacred food, we are doing transformative, counter-cultural, holy work.”

“A passionate, Christ-centered love for others that finds common work in creatively nurturing soil makes the story of God’s love of redemption, salvation and restoration so visible,” he adds. “It helps to explain those works which would otherwise be abstractions. When people see that in their own gardens and farms, there is a profound sense of wholeness.”

Bowman and the board believe that God will bring people who have energy and vision to the farm. He hopes for agro-ecology programs, vocational learning, youth camps and therapeutic horticulture programs that will enable LHF to live up to its new title and offer hope to other faith-based organizations, the surrounding community and the Mennonite church at large.

Since 1995, Mennonite Central Committee Ontario has donated tons of food to people in North Korea. Even so, the food shortage continues to increase. As a result, MCC has launched a new project expecting to run until 2011. MCC plans to teach “conservation agriculture” to three cooperative farms which are home to several thousand residents who live and work together. Conservation agriculture relies on organic matter and nutrient-rich soil to boost grain production rather than unaffordable materials such as fertilizer and fuel. read more

By MCCN Staff Writer

Darrin Snyder Belousek knows the value of loving one’s neighbor. This knowledge arises from his experience with a neighborhood movement for justice in Elkhart, Indiana in 2006.

“There was a sense of, ‘Why am I doing this?’” said Snyder Belousek. “It’s very simple – love your neighbors. It’s about banding together and wanting the same thing for our neighbors as for ourselves and working toward that.” 

At the same time, Snyder Belousek understands that this kind of “banding together” is not possible without the support of the church. In his one and a half year struggle for justice, Snyder Belousek felt the support of congregations such as Prairie Street Mennonite and Fellowship of Hope Mennonite Church which housed multiple prayer vigils and neighborhood meetings.

Sturgis Iron and Metal, a company based in southern Michigan, established a scrap yard in Elkhart’s industrial area in the 1980’s – a convenient spot located next to the railroad – in hopes that it might become the central site for shredding, processing and shipping out metal. To reach this goal, Sturgis Iron and Metal bought land that would house their “Mega Shredder.” This shredder, the largest in the world, could demolish an automobile as large as a bus.

Unfortunately this piece of property adjoined that of a small, residential neighborhood and this is where the story of justice begins.

“The whole south side of town is not treated with a lot of respect by the city government,” said Snyder Belousek. “It is the historic African American side of town. This [particular] neighborhood is looked on as low-income. The housing prices are near the lowest and there are lots of empty lots with old houses torn down. Many of [the residents] are older and have owned homes there for twenty to forty years and are retiring there.”

Members of Sturgis Iron and Metal and a few officials from Elkhart’s city government visited a similar shredding company in Chicago to view operational standards. As a result of this visit, they concluded that the Mega Shredder would not hinder overall daily life. Snyder Belousek’s research showed otherwise.

According to Snyder Belousek, the Chicago company was located 1000 feet from the nearest residential home with a large buffer zone in-between. This was not the case in Elkhart as the Mega Shredder sat a mere 200 feet from the residential neighborhood. Neither Sturgis Iron and Metal nor the city government accurately calculated the impact of the company’s location and, according to Snyder Belousek, this was the first of three mistakes the city made during the construction of the Mega Shredder in late 2006.

The second mistake was when officials failed to research the overall environmental impact of the Mega Shredder. A quick internet search reveals several negative factors of such a highly industrialized machine. Noise and rust dust come from handling scrap material and an odor of burning rubber and heavy diesel exhaust with a biting metallic taste are a result of residual fluids, oils and gasoline. The smell alone burns the eyes and nose and causes headaches. The first time he felt the vibrations, Snyder Belousek was taking a nap, but the very worst consequences of the Mega Shredder are explosions.

“In the first explosion, we thought the house was hit by a bus,” said Snyder Belousek. “There was a sudden thrust through the whole house. It is like the house bounces on its foundation.”

The third mistake by city officials is that they did not consult with the public. In his research of the Elkhart City Zoning Ordinance, Snyder Belousek discovered greater requirements for heavy industrial equipment such as the Mega Shredder. A series of public processes should have occurred including notification to neighboring property owners and a public hearing before the Board of Zoning Appeals. Also, specific development conditions prohibit toxic emissions and the generation of vibrations.

A neighborhood group organized in April 2006 after several angry encounters with city officials. They called themselves R.E.S.T. – Residents for Environmentalism Stand Together. Snyder Belousek volunteered to research, write and speak but later became the Vice President of the group.

This was the first time since the Civil Rights Movement that people in the south side of Elkhart received proper respect and recognition for organizing and standing for justice.

 “It was neighbors defending their homes and their health,” said Snyder Belousek. “It was about integrity and quality of their neighborhood and dignity of themselves and, secondarily, it was about environmental impact.”

Snyder Belousek went on to say, “We had no power or standing in the city. There was no one with us who had any connections. We had no money to work with. We were starting from scratch. All we had was our own voice to speak truth and that’s what we did persistently and repeatedly.”

Members of R.E.S.T. showed up to council meetings, repeatedly speaking up about the situation. After three months, the city government set up a Compliance Agreement with Sturgis Iron and Metal using Elkhart’s Zoning Ordinances as a foundation. Sturgis Iron and Metal was allotted six to twelve months to eliminate dust, vibrations and explosions and moderate noise production. In the meantime, the company could continue their operations without paying fines, unless more explosions occurred. The agreement took three months to create and, again, the public was not consulted.

“The company was allowed to operate outside the limits of the law,” said Snyder Belousek. “Because of the Compliance Agreement, residents couldn’t use noise and vibration ordinances to fight against the company even though every time they turned on the shredder, they were violating the zoning ordinance. That law was there to protect residents but we couldn’t rely on it, our rights were taken away.”

R.E.S.T. acknowledged that Sturgis Iron and Metal did make improvements, but it was not to the satisfaction of the neighboring residents. R.E.S.T. scheduled a meeting with the Mayor and petitioned that the Elkhart division of Sturgis Iron and Metal temporarily shut down until more improvements were made. They also asked the city to conduct environmental impact studies and for legal representation if necessary. Snyder Belousek regrets the latter request.

“I regretted that we threatened to sue the city for violation of our civil rights…because it created an adversarial atmosphere that made it more difficult to work constructively with the city,” said Snyder Belousek. “We wanted to find a resolution within the political process because that would be better for the city as a whole, and threatening a lawsuit did not serve that interest.

“We weren’t going to sue the city for money,” he added. “We just wanted the city to enforce the law. The problem was political – not legal. Who has power? And how do those in power respect or fail to respect those whom they represent?”

The mission of R.E.S.T. was broader than the Mega Shredder, it stretched to Elkhart’s city governance and justice for all people. Over time, the general public realized this mission and supported it. 

“Over the course of one and a half years, public opinion shifted to the point where they realized the problem,” said Snyder Belousek. “It was more than just about one industrial operation. It was about how this city is going to be governed and treat their own citizens.”

This story takes a turn in 2007, election year, when Dick Moore came out of retirement to be Mayor.

“The new Mayor said he would take the company on and they did,” said Snyder Belousek. “We could back off and let the city government do the work it was supposed to do.”

Shortly afterward, in the spring of 2008, the company went bankrupt and the assets were auctioned.

Reflecting on the situation stirs up many memories and emotions for Snyder Belousek who said the intention was never to personally offend the Mayor or city council or permanently shut down Sturgis Iron and Metal.

“We were really persisting for a shift in how politics worked in the city,” he said.  “We never compromised ourselves. We tried to do our thing with integrity. We were not a Christian organization but everyone involved was a Christian. That’s really what sustained us – that God was faithful and justice would be done.”

In summary, Snyder Belousek shares these wise words:

“The struggle for justice is about moving into a neighborhood and paying attention to what’s going on. [It] is really about loving your neighbors.”

As a follow-up to the creation care Workshops at Mennonite World Conference in Asunción, Paraguay, Mennonite Creation Care Network contacted members of the Creation Care International Planning Committee (IPC) to hear their perspective on just how things went and what hopes they hold for the future. 

C. Stuart Clark, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Senior Policy Advisor of Canadian Foodgrains Bank, chaired the committee’s eight members which represented Paraguay, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Canada and the U.S.  

Wilfried Giesbrecht, Loma Plata, Paraguay works for the Foundation for Sustainable Development of the South American Chaco. In this article, he provides insight from the host Country’s perspective.

1. What is your personal interest in the area of creation care?

Stu: My particular concern is doing what I can to reduce my own demands on creation (tracking carbon footprint, reducing heating/cooling energy in my house, reducing consumption, praying to know Jesus’ call to change).

Wilfried: My interest is to disseminate environmental education, biodiversity conservation, water management, sustainable production etc focused on the Biblical view of creation care in order to improve the life conditions of poor people. We are responsible for creation care (God´s mandate in Genesis 2, 15) and the broad view of peace includes peace between people, peace with nature, peace with God etc.

2. What is your involvement with creation care in your home area?

Stu: I am one of the servant leaders of an intentional Christian community where I lead on various environmental themes. I am also the founder of an environmental engineering company in Manitoba.

Wilfried: The Foundation for Sustainable Development of the South American Chaco works on the following activities:

a) Community outreach with rural and indigenous communities in sustainable production and natural resource management.
b) Presentations and environmental education with different groups: youth, students, indigenous, rural population etc.
c) Publishing articles about creation care, environment etc. in the local newspaper.
d) Providing materials (pamphlets, booklets) with methods for environmental education, biodiversity, conservation etc.

3 How did the creation care workshops go? What was the response of those in attendance?

Stu: The workshops were less well attended than I had hoped. Our total audience was just under 300 when we might have had as many as 800. Some of this was location, some was the nature of the Assembly itself and some was the workshop publicity and the failure to indicate that we had four workshops, not one. Those who attended the workshops or came to the booth were enthusiastic and highly engaged.

Wilfried: I think care of creation has gathered a lot of attention and the workshops did go very well. The site for the workshops was located a little bit far from the main place of the MWC, but the response to the workshop was good.

4. What were/will be some challenges for ICP? 

Stu: There were remarkably few major challenges given that we were working on four different continents. For the future, it is not clear whether the IPC will have any further role as a group although it is likely that some of its members will undertake some of the outlined proposals.

Wilfried: A challenge was that we started our international planning before we knew each other, but the common interest brought us together…I hope that in spite of the geographical distances, we can continue working together and find a way to become closer in our engagement with creation care.

5. Will the Mennonite Church continue to engage the theme of creation care in the future? What might this look like?

Stu: The General Council has taken the decision to make the Care of Creation a new and urgent theme for the Mennonite World Conference. This will provide a ’space’ for further action but it will be up to interested people to make things happen. At this point, a creation care book for the Global Anabaptist Bookshelf, some form of global international care of creation consultation and a collection of Mennonite songs/hymns dealing with the care of creation are being considered.

Wilfried: The main achievement was for creation care to be included in the agenda of the Faith and Life Commission. As the Care of Creation theme becomes part of the agenda, or even a principle, then it no longer depends on a small group of interested people. In the future creation care will be expressed as part of Christian responsibility and Mennonite Faith.
6. Share a highlight or two from MWC.

Stu: The most remarkable aspect of our experience during MWC was the way that God cleared obstacles out of the way – whether they were technical glitches, missing people or almost aborted important meetings. It was also remarkable that so many people showed up for the first workshop – 120.

Wilfried: MWC was a show or statement of how powerful the Mennonite Community is around the world…A peaceful sharing with many different cultures and without accidents is a testimony of God’s blessings for this event.

***

Other members of IPC include Melani Susanti (Indonesia), Norman Meade (Canada), Susan Wenger (United States), Mokhlesur Rahman (Bangladesh), Luke Gascho (United States) and Wilma Bailey (United States).

When Mennonite Central Committee Ontario discovered a community-based model of buying solar energy in bulk, they created and launched the Mennonite Initiative for Solar Energy (MISE). This opportunity to save money on solar equipment and receive technical assistance began in March 2009 and will continue through November 2009.

The program grew out of a rising interest from individuals who wanted to make their households energy efficient but found the idea of installing solar thermal and solar photovoltaic panels overwhelming on their own. Buying in bulk is cost efficient and, at the same time, eases the confusing process of installation for homeowners. Through this initiative, MCCO is developing “Communities that Care” about creation and people worldwide.  MISE also aligns with MCCO’s values of “peace, justice and dignity for all people.”

Over 120 people from various Mennonite and Brethren congregations gathered for the first information meeting at Erb Street Mennonite Church on May 27, 2009. MCCO hopes to launch MISE again in 2010 and invites churches to participate in converting their buildings to solar energy. Read More

When Mennonite World Conference Assembly 15 meets July 14-19 in Asunción, Paraguay, greening efforts will be prominent. Four 75-minute sessions will encourage the on-going process of caring for the earth and inspire further change for each individual, congregation and country. An international team has been working to plan the sessions for over 6 months. A tree-planting ceremony, symbolizing a new commitment toward the well-being of creation, will conclude the four workshops along with a prayer of repentance and commitment held during the final worship service. Read More

Due to increasing propane prices, people of Brazil are returning to older customs of using firewood and charcoal as fuel for cooking. The result? Deforestation and illness caused by excessive smoke in the home. Joel Krehbiel, Moundridge, Kansas, is using his knowledge of engineering to aid Mennonite Central Committee in creating a new alternative energy source to reduce the problem. He is learning about and installing biodigesters; a container which stores methane from decomposing organic material. This methane is then used as cooking gas in the kitchen.

Krehbiel is a participant in MCC’s SALT program, an acronym for Serving and Learning Together. SALT offers a one-year assignment to young adults who desire to serve internationally with MCC. Read More

Landis Homes, a retirement community in Lititz, PA, is seeking to better manage stormwater by restoring a floodplain. Settlement activities many years ago, such as timber harvesting and clearing land for farming, caused eroding soils to make their way into lowlands. Floodplain restoration puts stream channels and their adjacent floodplains at or very near their historical elevations and locations.

LEED-certified hybrid homes are also on the drawing board at Landis Homes. Read more on their web site at http://www.landishomes.org/index.php?fuseAction=articles.article&articleGroupID=42&articleID=397

from Darren Kropf, Creation Care Crossroads, Mennonite Central Committee Ontario

Mennonite Central Committee is committed to addressing issues related to climate change and stewardship of creation, and towards that end has created a Caring for Creation Task Force. The Task Force is responsible to identify and focus the issues we must address, to do an audit of what we are already doing globally and locally, and to suggest concrete ways in which MCC should address the challenges.

In order to assess our environmental impact as an organization, MCC has hired Mark Bigland-Pritchard of Low Energy Design Ltd. to do an audit of MCC’s environmental practices and greenhouse gas emissions. (more…)

by Darren Kropf, Creation Care Crossroads

Mennonite Central Committee Ontario has “greened” the electricity of its 50 Kent office in Kitchener by purchasing renewable energy from Bullfrog
Power. Bullfrog Power provides renewable energy for
homes and businesses in Ontario, through the regular
distribution grid.

Without any hardware installations or
changes to your regular utility, Bullfrog simply agrees to
feed an amount of renewable energy into the grid that is
equivalent to your buildings’ needs. While Bullfrog does
charge a premium price for its wind and low-impact hydro
electricity, MCC is committed to investing the extra cost
to protect God’s creation and our global neighbours
affected by climate change.
Through Bullfrog Power, MCC is lowering its carbon
emissions on a yearly basis by 19.2 tonnes, about the
equivalent of 19 flights from Toronto to Calgary. We also
prevent 56.8 Kg of sulphur dioxide and 24.5 Kg of nitric
oxide, which are major contributors to smog.
To bullfrogpower your house, apartment, workplace or
church building, see www.bullfrog.com