{Feeding Body and Soul}
By Kristina Lefever
Photo by Anthony-Masterson Photography
Farmers operate within the context of a certain faith — she or he plants the seed, secure in the knowledge that they it will germinate, grow, and produce a bountiful harvest.
For Tim Showalter Ehst, faith holds a greater significance than for most farmers. With the job title, “Minister of Land Stewardship,” Ehst is the farm manager at Oakleaf Mennonite Farm. This half-acre farm operates literally within the faith community – right on the grounds of Berea Mennonite Church in East Atlanta.
Ehst and his wife Krista moved to Atlanta in September 2009, which coincidentally was around the same time church leaders were beginning to wonder what to do with six acres of church property that had to be continually maintained.
“So many churches have beautiful lawns—is that how God wants us to take care of His creation? Mow it each week?” says Pastor John Weirwille, who grew up on a farm himself. “But what if we view the church as God’s garden—how does that change things?”
The congregation was willing when Ehst, who had farmed previously in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, formally proposed to turn the church property into a working farm.
Berea Mennonite Church owns the farm business, with Ehst as the only paid employee. Tim does the majority of the work, but has both his wife and the congregation to call on when needed. “I can send out an email on Friday, and by Sunday I have what I need– whether it’s a wheelbarrow that someone is willing to donate, or a few folks to help with an overgrown patch of weeds.”
Oakleaf is growing the usual array of farm vegetables, using non-certified organic practices. Income for the farm comes from a 25-member member CSA and a farm stand at the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market. And, each week, about 10 percent of the farm’s harvest is given to those in need in the local community.
These outlets are important for Ehst. “A large problem with food in the U.S. is that we don’t know where it comes from, or how it was grown,” he says. But by working on a small scale, Tim is able to cultivate relationships within his community and also enjoy the time talking to other farmers at the market.
Both Ehst and Krista grew up on farms using conventional farming methods. Their path to far ming without pesticides and chemicals was via the book – many of them, to be exact. Books by Wendell Berry, Gene Lodgson, and others that connect healthy living and sustainable farming.
Ehst sees the potential for more farmers to work within the faith community, whether it’s a church, mosque, temple, or synagogue. For the goals of church and farmer are parallel—one feeds the soul, the other the body—and the faith community can call on resources for both.