The Abundant Table Farm Project

Hi friends and family. Thought I'd let you know what I'm going to be doing this next year, after swim lesson season is over at the local pool (yay, I have a job skill!) Along with a good friend and roommate, Sarah, I'll be joining the Abundant Table Farm Project in August. I took the following blurb from some info they sent us...


The Abundant Farm Table Project

Internship Information

Our Vision:

The Abundant Table Farm Project is a young adult Christian community seeking a contemporary rhythm of life with a land based ministry in Ventura County. The goal of this internship is to connect with young adults who are attuned to the destructive disconnect between land and table in our culture.
The Abundant Table Farm Project seeks to provide an alternative model of living for young adults interested in vocational discernment around spirituality, community, and stewardship of Creation. ATFP hopes to create a space where young adults can negotiate what it means to live out the gospel message within the local community and the broader church, in our current context of human beings alienated from each other and the earth.
This project will equip young adults with practical and spiritual skills for creating sustainable community and agriculture. ATFP participants will leave our program with first-hand knowledge of issues related to the above mentioned disconnect–including environmental sustainability; organic, small scale agriculture vs. industrial agribusiness; community health and access to unprocessed foods, especially as it relates to disadvantaged communities; immigration and labor issues–and a passion to work for justice around these issues.

Our Structure:
Live:
The Abundant Table Farm Project will be an 11 month long intensive internship (August to June). Six young adult interns will live together in intentional community in a three bedroom farm house on a 40 acre working farm owned by DeBusschere Farms. The farm house will house the interns and be the center of a worship-based ministry.
Work:
In the first year, interns will work with farmer Paul DeBusschere to convert five of the 40 acres, to organic, sustainable farming, with a five year goal of converting all 40 acres. With help from local farmers and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) organizers, interns will be responsible for the marketing and distribution of the harvest using a CSA model . We will also place two of the interns in part-time internships with local organizations that work for social justice in the community.
Reflect:
Interns will engage in important activities that provide critical reflection on the work they are doing and build intentional community. Some of these activities include, but are not limited to: weekly community dinners, Sunday evening house worship with local college students, meeting with program coordinator on a consistent basis, four retreats a year, service learning opportunities, and community reflection times.


Internship begins August/September 2009 and runs through June/July 2010


Check it out: www.theabundanttable.org

Does this sound AWESOME or what? I am very excited. If we feel itchy for bloggin on the farm, then maybe it's time for a blog name change. Friend Michael recommended the "Organic Intellectuals." haha. suggestions?