Greetings from the Farm... June
2004 e-newsletter
Welcome to Koinonia Partners'
first e-newsletter! This e-newsletter replaces
the "email specials" we
have been sending to subscribers, but each issue
will still include a special deal from our bakery
or bookstore (see sidebar at left). We'll also let
you know what's going on around the farm... it's
our
attempt
to
share the
Koinonia spirit with friends, no matter how far away
you may be. So read on, and please let us know what
you think.
A busy spring at Koinonia Partners
Spring traditionally brings
growth and renewal. This spring was no different,
with its rows of ripening
organic blueberries, shoulder-high corn, and rustling,
ready-to-harvest winter wheat. But the gifts of spring
came not only from the gardens and fields, but from
the work of our visitors, volunteers, donors, and
staff. We’ve been busy! Here are the highlights…
350 sixth-graders
from South Carolina visited in
March, and blessed us with their energy, appetites,
and endless questions. They enjoyed Queen E and Sally
Ann’s cooking, historical tours from Femke,
Ann and J, learning to plant collard greens with
John, and walked along the peace trail with Rich.
In February, Koinonia Community
Outreach Center (KCOC) created its own Black
History Museum, thanks
to the temporary donations of local senior citizens.
Artifacts included a hand-made chenille quilt, butter
churn, hot combs, farm implements, and even cosmetics.
Visitors step back in time when they step into the
museum—and the younger ones learn how folks
passed the time before the days of computers and
television.
On April 29, we said goodbye-for-now
to our former Operations Manager, John Hall, who
devoted two years
of his life here. His dedicated work and humble,
kindly spirit were a blessing, and we sent him off
with a big party—songs, dancing, music, testimonies,
and lots of delicious food.
Shortly after John headed
back to Vermont, we were joined by our
new Executive Director, Bren Dubay.
She has been talking, brainstorming, attending meetings,
leading devotions, and praying with us. She’s
encouraging input and initiative from every community
member, and we look forward to the results of our
labors.
There’s a new, bright green tractor
around the farm, thanks to the many donors to our
special Tractor Appeal. If you drive past early in
the mornings, you can see Norris or Jake in the driver’s
seat, raising red dust across the fields as they
plant and tend the crops.
And finally… our most recent challenge is
finding homes for our abundance
of organic lettuce—over
160 heads! Benefactors to date include the KCOC senior
citizens, Habitat for Humanity volunteers, and any
friends or family who get within two feet of our
gardener, Michael.
P.S. We're just two days into our
annual Summer Youth Program at KCOC. Miss Kathleen
has worked
hard to
prepare field trips, outdoor activities, and educational
opportunities for local kids from kindergarten
to seventh grade. We'll let you know how it's
going
in our July e-newsletter.
We hope you enjoy the Koinonia e-newsletter and share
it with your friends, but if for any reason you
would
like
to be removed from the list, please reply to this
email with the word "remove" in the subject
line.
Koinonia Partners * 1324 Georgia
Hwy 49 S * Americus, GA 31719
