Organic Farm, Asia

Conservation Farming

OM is operating an organic farm near an OM training centre in Asia. The vision is to see church planters and pastors equipped to farm sustainably in the remote places where they serve, feeding their families and blessing their local communities.

The training farm teaches conservation farming methodology, which is about long-term conservation and benign farming which causes as little harm to the environment as possible (e.g., no ploughing or burning) and which makes the most of what God has provided to us (e.g., planting and hoeing carefully). Conservation farming as taught by our farm is an expression of our reliance on our creator-God and our stewardship of his bounty. It also gives good yields! Telling friends and neighbours about the principles of conservation farming is a way to share about our Heavenly Father who gives us every good thing.

At the same time, the training farm grows and sells organic vegetables which contribute to the financial sustainability of the training ministry.

Sustainability is taught as a core value to all OM trainees

Update on Progress (July 2016)

Several 'Foundations for Farming' courses (see http://foundationsforfarming.o...) have been offered in 2016 to trainees and staff who are now working in least-reached areas, evangelising and church planting. A course was also run in a remote community.

In February 2016 a one-year internship program was launched with six young national participants. They are being trained and discipled in the spiritual, technology and management keys of 'Foundations for Farming'. They are attending classes at the farm, working in the fields and teaching the shorter 'Foundations for Farming' courses to others.

In June 2016 an irrigation project was completed in partnership with the local community, not only to increase production at the farm site, but also to bless the whole village.

At A Glance

Hundreds of kilos of vegetables are consistently produced every month for consumption on the training base and sale to the local community
An irrigation system is being implemented that will ensure heavy crop production throughout the dry season
The staff and students eat the majority of their meals from produce coming directly from the farm. This has dramatically cut down their food bill!

Project Overview

The farm was set up in 2013 and proved to be a viable business operation, generating income to support the ministries and outreaches at the OM training centre. The local community and OM's own team members also benefitted from being able to purchase organic produce and see a viable model of conservation farming.

GSI helped fund the purchase of additional land to enable the farm to expand and make even more of an impact in the lives of employees, trainees, church planters, pastors and the local community.

The team is bringing in more profits with the addition of new cash crops, including tomato, lettuce, Swiss chard, kale and herbs. This will subsidise the work of OM as they make disciples and support church planters in least-reached areas.

Pastors, church planters, OM ministry workers and students are all taught sustainability as a core value, as part of the training curriculum.

QUOTE

"I was so scared to teach, but when I started to share Foundations for Farming and answer their questions, I realized that I have learned so much, and I can even teach".

– A young woman currently interning at the farm

Key Outcomes

Organic farming practice and principles is now part of the core syllabus of the training programme
Students, pastors, church planters and OM ministry workers are all being trained with sustainability as a core value
The understanding of local markets and planting seasons is growing, leading to the planting of crops that maximise profit margin and production