We kicked off our urban farm adventure today with our first work day, and more importantly, consecration of our space and vision. Over 20 people came through, including 4 children, neighbors, church community, and just dear friends to help us get a whole lot of work done. To dedicate the garden, we used the prayer of blessing over a garden from Common Prayer.
Our high hope was to finish building our 6 30+ foot long beds for the hoop house, which we were able to get done. In addition, we cleared away some more tree branches to allow more sun onto the garden and were able to up-plant our seedling tomatoes.
Our 20 cubic yard pile of dirt has been reduced nearly in half, which means we have about 10 cubic yards of dirt that we will both use for some other beds and projects, BUT we’re happy to sell some of it off to people planning their gardens. Bring a truck or some bins, and we’ll sell it to you real cheap.
God of the Universe,
You made the heavens and the earth,
So we do not call our home merely “planet earth.”
We call it your Creation, a Divine Mystery,
a Gift from Your Most Blessed Hand.
The world itself is your miracle.
Bread and vegetables from earth are thus also from heaven.
Help us to see in our daily bread your presence.
Upon this garden
May your stars rain down their blessed dust.
May you send rain and sunshine upon our garden and us.
Grant us the humility to touch the humus,
That we might become more human.
That we might mend our rift from your Creation,
That we might then know the sacredness of the gift of life—
That we might truly experience life from the hand of God.
For you planted humanity in a garden,
and began our resurrection in a garden.
Our blessed memory and hope lie in a garden.
Thanks be to God,
Who made the world teeming with variety,
Of things on the earth, above, the earth, and under the earth.
Thanks be to God,
For the many kinds of plants, trees, and fruits,
We celebrate.
For the centipedes, ants, and worms,
For the mice, marmots, and bats,
For the cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers
We rejoice,
That we find ourselves eclipsed by the magnitude
Of generosity and mystery.
Thanks be to God.
The Hiding Place 