In 1984 we began raising tomatoes and green peppers with the idea of a co-op to help families earn additional income. We knew little to nothing about what we were doing and we were as successful as our wealth of knowledge. Thirty years later, people still need to eat, and eat healthier. We have begun extensive talks with an organization at Berea College called Grow Appalachia http://www.berea.edu/grow-appalachia/. Three decade ago we started large and jumped in head first. With a little understanding and a great deal of help from the people in Berea, we are looking to find a way so that in another thirty years people will be able to look back and say how successful this attempt was. We will begin by clearing the pine trees from some of the bottom land and preparing small plots for use by families who do not have enough land of their own. Our hope is to get a grant that will provide for soil testing, plowing and cultivating, seeds and fertilizer. We will also provide classes on how to prepare soil, grow, harvest and can and freeze. This first year, we hope to have five or six family plots, some on their own property. While the primary aim is to feed individual families, experience has shown that most families grow more than they can consume and they pass the extra along to family or friends. As time passes and they gain more experience, many families grow enough to sell their extra produce. To be able to sell canned produce, jams and jellies, at farmers markets, they must be prepared in an approved kitchen. While our kitchen at St. Timothy’s is a bit small, we are licensed as a food establishment so this should not be a problem. This endeavor will also give a great opportunity for the production of heirloom seeds. These are plants which have traditionally grown in the local area and have a history of a much fuller taste and adaptability to weather conditions in the region. Look for more and take a look at Grow Appalachia https://www.berea.edu/grow-appalachia/.
We are currently looking for funding, either individual donations or grants, that will permit us to add high-speed internet at St. Timothy’s. This would permit local children to come by an evening or two after school and have access for homework projects as well as adults to visit during the day and have access to the internet. Start-up costs will run around $200.00 with a monthly charge around $70.00. We already have several very usable donated computers with windows 98 or XP software and a printer. It could also provide the opportunity for tutoring. With the opening of the Stacy F. Sauls Ministry Outreach Center (the log dormitory) we will be returning one of the classrooms to its original use.
Several years ago, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Roxborough, PA donated two looms to St. Timothy’s. I was able to make contact with the Program Coordinator of the Student Crafts Program at Berea College. One of their gifts is an education and outreach program where they will come to a community and put on a program to, as their website says: “The BC Craft Education and Outreach Program provides the maximum experience to schools and communities interested in learning about and participating in the traditional craft mediums of Broom Making, Ceramics, Weaving, and Wood. Students from our studio crafts program will serve as the primary demonstrators and teachers of their craft. The student craftsmen will travel to under served and rural communities to promote and preserve the traditions of the Appalachian region and may participate in arts festivals, fairs, and cultural activities.” http://www.berea.edu/student-crafts/
While our friends from the Diocese of Western Michigan were helpful in getting our large loom moderately back together, we plan to complete the repairs this fall and have it and the small loom, which has been at St. Agnes House in Lexington, both working for use by local individuals by this summer. We will be scheduling a day for the students to visit St. Timothy’s to hold demonstrations, not just for the local community, but for all of Estill County. This will likely also be the inaugural event of the Sauls Outreach Center building.
