Our Mission

The Lord’s Acre is a community hub that brings volunteers together to grow organic food for those in need and offers garden and food-skills training to all ages.

Asheville Columnist Features The Lord’s Acre

The Garden’s plans for the future as well as significant achievements are being recognized on a wide scale! Read Asheville Citizen Times columnist Susan Reinheardt’s delightfully thorough article here.

Annual Square Dance & Silent Auction Fund Raiser: June 3, 2012

Yep, it’s that time again! Join us at the historic Sherrill’s Inn for fun for the entire family!

Bid on-line! It’s “Not Your Typical SILENT AUCTION!” Explore these magnificent auction items and bid now!

If you would like a copy of the Square Dance brochure for your family & friends, church, social group or neighborhood bulletin board, click here.

FRESH FOOD ALTERNATIVES: Our Choice, Our Voice

Fairview’s own Community Food Assessment 

From now until July 2012, Fairview is participating in a Community Food Assessment. We’re trying to learn how all Fairview residents and their families view their ability to buy, grow, store, prepare, and enjoy healthful food. This research will be used to help improve our community food resources. Read more about Fairview’s Community Food Assessment here.

Above all the purpose of this Food Assessment is to listen—to hear from you. You are the experts. Your experiences and concerns are key to helping us all find out where we are strong and where we are weak food-wise in Fairview, as families, as neighborhoods, and as a community.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO FILLED OUT A SURVEY!

We received 325 responses representing about 8% of the households in Fairview. And we couldn’t have done it without your help! Stay tuned for the release of the summary of your survey responses, plus interviews and focus groups to come in July.

Occupy A Garden – Two Views

Growing food is one of the most politically & socially neutral things a person or a community can do. Not tied to any political party, religion, race, nationality, gender or socio- economic status, with a little help, it is truly an opportunity for the masses. In fact, back in the early 1940s, 20 million households had set up victory gardens, supplying more than 40 percent of the nation’s produce! Yes, the sun photosynthesizes, the rain falls and the microorganisms do their job regardless of who sows the seed. And yet… Read more

Our Challenge: 1 in 4 WNC Kids Hungry

“…a staggering 29.9 percent of children under the age of 18 are food insecure in Western North Carolina…”

We’re growing! Together we can make a dent in those numbers!

As a result of a recent land purchase and a generous land donation which we will receive when we have completed full payment, we are now operating on the 5 1/2 acres of beautiful Fairview pastureland that surround our present 1/2 acre garden! In the last 3 years we’ve delivered almost 17 tons of organic vegetables to local food banks and this was grown on only 1/2 acre. Can you imagine what we’ll be able to accomplish now! Please explore our vision by clicking on the photo below or go here.

Please join us in acquiring the land and expanding our service not only to Fairview but all of Western North Carolina. Please go here to donate to our Capital Campaign. You can read The Lord’s Acre Capital Campaign Summary here.

The Lord's Acre | Expansion Plans (click to enlarge)

 

2011 Review

  • You helped us deliver almost 8 tons of fresh, organic vegetable to those in need in 2011! Explore this year’s tally of delivered veggies here.
  • TLA is excited to announce that we have received an Opportunity Grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. Read about this exciting project here.

Our 2011 new year’s resolution was to grow more food, more minds and more hearts in 2011. You joined us and together we did! 6 tons in 2010; 8 tons in 2011!

2011 – Another Great Year!

Take a look at what can be accomplished on 1/2 acre by a small staff and very dedicated group of volunteers with the tremendous support of Fairview and surrounding communities!

  • Grew and gave away 8 tons of fresh food to Food for Fairview, The Fairview Welcome Table, The Veteran’s Restoration Center and to individuals
  • Erected a donated barn, added gables and a front, painted and added roofing
  • Added a SPROUTS program for children 3 – 8 years old
  • Trained three interns
  • Expanded our partnership with Warren Wilson College
  • Developed a skills training outline for interns and held 12 classes
  • Sought and were accepted for an AmeriCorps position
  • Won a grant from CFWNC for part of that AmeriCorps position
  • Received a grant from St. Eugene’s to finish a donated greenhouse frame
  • Brought electricity to the property
  • Began creating and conducting a Community Food Survey
  • Added a garden manager position for 2011
  • Added email updates every Monday to those on our list
  • Added Aldo Leopold benches built by David Cobb – Eagle Scout
  • Updated website

Some folks only think of gardens as being work; but here at The Lord’s Acre we know that community is fun. And we’re building community as well as growing organic produce for those in need. Watch the short video below to see our garden community and friends have fun in The great Potato Race fund raiser.

During tough times back in the 1930′s, our local farmers banded together, donating produce from one acre of their crops to help feed others in need. They called their project The Lord’s Acre. In these trying times, concerned volunteers have again united in support of our community to keep The Lord’s Acre vision alive!

The Lord’s Acre Inc is an exciting, unique Garden Project organized as a not for profit corporation. We are sponsored by local churches, businesses, our generous community and talented volunteers who have come together to help provide food for families in dire need. The Lord’s Acre Inc grows fresh produce to provide nutritious food from a local, sustainable resource garden in support of our nonprofit food banks. With faith in our vision and in our community we serve by assisting families in need. Every week, Food For Fairview and other non profit organizations in Western North Carolina supply food to many needy families. Not surprisingly, in these times, the need is growing. But, while the demand is up, food donations are down. More than ever, our food banks need help to feed the hungry in our community. You can help.

In our first year, The Lord’s Acre delivered over 3 tons of fresh, organic produce to our local food bank. This bountiful harvest was from only 1/4 of an acre in a short growing season. We were deeply moved by the generous support of the Fairview community in donations of the money necessary to operate but also in donations of equipment, access to water, organic starts and seeds and, of course, the land for the garden provided by The Chapel Door. Even with all that, we could not have succeeded without over 100 volunteers who came out at least once to be a part of this effort and who have created a community around and in the garden.

Those many donors, interns and volunteers have and are truly making The Lord’s Acre a community garden. Please join us in The Lord’s Acre community and in our effort to provide food to those in need!

Our main volunteer times are Wednesday evenings from 6:00 – 8:00. If you can organize a group of five to ten people who want to work another day and time, please contact us and we’ll try to accommodate you.

To get on our volunteer / garden update email list, email us at: thelordsacre@gmail.com

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