Welcome
Welcome to the Matthew 25 Farm. Our mission is to ensure that no Central New Yorker who is unable to completely provide for themself will go without fresh food. We expedite this mission in two ways: by growing food and giving it to those in need through local food pantries and by teaching our community how to grow and store their own food1.
On January 1st of 2009 the Matthew 25 Farm project was formed. At the time there were pleas from food pantries and good-will organizations for donations of more food. This was due in part to a substantial increase in the number of people who were in need and utilizing these support systems. Also, it was due to a decline in the number of donations given to these organizations. It became evident that a new source of food was needed by the current system so that no Central New Yorker was left without their basic needs. We realized that we could not provide for every short-coming of the system, so we followed the passion that had been planted in our hearts and decided to grow food for those in need and give it all away to them.
During our first year as a volunteer organization we began with no real farm experience (although we had grown many gardens), no land, no funding and big dreams. Against all odds the community embraced the idea and we were gifted funds to get the project off the ground. Land was donated by those who believed in the vision and local farmers offered their help in the midst of their burdensome spring planting schedule.
Our dreams were realized that spring when we planted ten acres of plants and seeds. Later in the summer our minimal knowledge of farming became more evident as the weeds tried to take over the farm, along with other diseases such as blight. But the weeds did not dampen our spirits,although they did affect our yields. By the end of the summer we harvested and distributed enough food to feed 40,000 people.
During the 2010 growing season we hope to firmly establish ourselves as a staple of the CNY community. We plan to do this by honing our growing techniques, by better utilizing our volunteer core and by bringing greater public awareness to this viable project so that the community can be more involved as we evolve in the future. Although we will be planting just 12 acres this year, with the above changes and the community's support, we expect to double our yields in 2010 to at least 80,000 people fed in CNY!
The farm is a not-for-profit organization under the auspices of Christ's Chapel in Vesper, NY. The Farm is run by a Board of Trustees consisting of members from the church and the community-at-large.
