Growing Common Ground Farm (GCGF) @ St. Peter’s is part of our “Care of Creation” mission for community outreach ministries to support need for fresh organic food in the Lebanon area. We started having community garden 15 years ago and in the past six years have expanded out community outreach as a fresh vegetable farm. St. Peters’ property totals approximately 8 acres, including 3 acres allocated by the church as tillable farmland. Our community food distribution growing area is 28,344 sq ft (includes raised beds and conventionally tilled plots for vegetables and no-till areas for sustainable farming methods). The remaining farmland in close proximity to the food production area is a combination of pollinator prairie, native grasses and green space. In addition to the produce growing areas, several local gardeners have donated their time to help create a large bioswale rain garden in a separate section of the property which incorporates native plants for our Indiana pollinators.
See St. Peter’s video link to YouTube page:
The GCGF distribution harvest areas are tended by volunteers (most over the age of 55). These volunteers maintained, harvest and distribute fresh produce to local food pantries and a soup kitchen. The volunteers are always willing to help as they feel working with the soil helps them de-stress and relax. We provided over 2600# of fresh produce in 2020 to Shalom House for meals which were distributed to those in need and a large amount of the produce was harvested and donated to the semi-monthly food distribution run by St. Joseph’s St Vincent de Paul Society. The rest of the produce was provided to groups like Central Indiana Teen Challenge and the Nurses at Witham Hospital. Small shoeboxes distributions were made to shut ins around the community with the rest given to our partner Indy Urban Growers to take to the food deserts. This food is given away free to all in need. With COVID last summer we also provided a fresh produce stand for all to take any abundance of vegetables harvested between distributions times.
In 2018 we received a grant to establish Harvest House Community Center where Community Classes are provided to anyone in the Lebanon area. Our outreach programs in the local community include our continued support of the Central Indiana Teen Challenge garden program with 33 girls participating with the guidance of two Junior Master Gardener (JMG) educator volunteers. This JMG gardens and our teaching apiary as classrooms for camps taught by our JMG Trainers and our Certified Master Beekeeper. These camps were specifically designed to teach youth how to grow fresh, healthy food and the learn about the importance of pollinators. We host several educational camps in the summer: (1-week) Junior Master Gardener summer day camps (up to 64 students); “Pollinator Challenge” camps (24 students); and “Hands in the Hive” (1/2 day) camps. We also host two separate Boone County Boys & Girls Club “Caring Hands” camps where 120 campers and 8 volunteers learned about the importance of pollinators and the plants they pollinate.
Farm Managers: Sandy & Chuck Dailey