A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR OUR FAITHFUL PATRONS      ·    ISSUE NO.11

Where does your food come from?

As you prepare to eat your next meal, try to identify the types of vegetables you are going to eat.  Then, try to name the farmer who may have grown this food.  Further, try to name the specific variety of the specie you are eating (i.e. Silver Queen Corn, Great Lakes Lettuce…). Very few of us would be able to pass this test.

 Perhaps if you are growing your own food you would know the names of the vegetables. And maybe if you bought your food from a local produce farm or market that shares this information you would know.  But for most Americans we simply do not know the answer to this question – Where does your food come from?

 The answer to the question...


 

Thank the cook, thank the farmer, thank the store manager, but first, give thanks to God for his gift of good seed.

Do not take your food for granted.  I say this as encouragement to recognize the great blessings and bounty God bestows on this nation of ours.  Our grocery stores are filled, aisle after aisle, with all the food and assorted produce we can possibly need.  We are secure to know that each day we have many choices of fast-food restaurants or fine dining establishments, all ready and capable of preparing what we need to eat.  But it is unlikely we will know who grew the food for us, or what the variety names are.   

SEED.  The answer to the question – where does your food come from?.  SEED.  Every farmer needs seed to grow his crop. And that is true for rich and poor alike.  This simple truth is explained by God to us in Genesis 1: 29.  Also, this simple truth is the ministry tool of Hope Seeds and our partners in the mission field.   

In this issue of The Sowers’ Hands we share stories of people who fully understand the impact good seed makes in the lives of people.  We hope that you too will come to better appreciate the power and need for good seed, and that you might be moved to further support our work, both now and in the future.  There are many hungry people to share seed with in this troubled world, and we need your help. 

Mike Mueller, Executive Director

“Let no man go hungry for the lack of seed.” - Mike Mueller

 

Seedsmen Internship – Our first students! 
 

Hope Seeds is honored to host its’ first Seedsmen Interns.

This program has been one of our goals from the beginning, and now, since we are at our new location, we are able to offer some extensive work and training.  The work and trade of being a seedsman involves many aspects of caring for and the growing of good seed. 

 Naelle Sylvestre and David Beausejour of SEED Ministries of Les Cayes Haiti are here with us for a two week work/learn program.  This program will involve many aspects:  1) seed storage; 2) seed germinations; 3) seed/varietal selections; 4) seed planting methods; 5) plant propagation; 6) seedling production; 7) gardening and farming techniques; and, 8) the agricultural principles taught to us in Scripture which are built upon a relationship with our Lord. 

 We have received two more applications for this program for 2005, and more are sure to come as we progress.  Your financial support to Hope Seeds will ensure that we can do this work and train good workers to plant good seed.  More workers allows more seed to be planted, meaning more food harvested.

“Remember this:  The farmer who plants a few seeds will have a very small harvest.  But the farmer who plants because he has received God’s blessings will receive a harvest of God’s blessings in return…  God gives seed to the farmer and food to those who need to eat.  God will also give you seed and multiply it.”  (2Corinthians 9: 6, 10)

 

Letter from Guyana – Day 3 Seed packets

  The following letter is from three young men from Guyana who received Day 3 Seed packets earlier in 2004, with the assistance of Mr. John Woolford.  This letter is affirmation to all of us that the seeds we send are important and vital to the recipient, even if we do not hear words of thanks.  These three took the time to turn and say Thanks, to Hope Seeds, and to you.

Dear Hope Seeds: 

 We are a group of farmers.  The name of the group is Far Farm Organic Coop.  We are farming on the east coast of Demarora at a place called Hope.  This group was formed out of an organic workshop held in Georgetown Guyana.  At the workshop we had a discussion with Mr. John Woolford in which he promised to assist our group with some seeds.  We were grateful in receiving the seeds.  We also realize that the company that is providing the seeds to us is a Hope company.  So we are getting seeds from Hope Seeds and our group is planting at Hope. 

 The seeds are very good.  We are getting around 80 – 90% germination  and the yield from the seeds is very good.  We have already tried some Tahitian Butternut, Clemson Okra, Gumby Okra, and some beans.  Tomatoes and cabbage are all looking very promising.  

 Our group is very thankful for the supply of Hope Seeds.  And we are looking forward for some more of the Hope Seeds soon so we can continue to plant and even expand in our organic cultivation.  So, to this end, on behalf of our group we would like to say a very special thanks to the Hope Seeds Company and Mr. John Woolford for providing us seeds.

  Thanks,
Colin Morris, Andy Gullivar, Gavin Morris

Oh, if Plants could talk, the stories they could tell.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed… the least of all seeds… becomes a tree… the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches.”  Luke 13: 18-19 
 

The Mustard seed referred to here is commonly called “black mustard”, and its seeds are ground to make the mustard for our tables.  It will bloom in the spring with clear yellow flowers.  Most regions of the world have their own adapted varieties of wild mustard.

The black mustard seed is quite small, though not the smallest seed known to man.  The symbolic message of this very small seed which will become a plant large enough to hide a horse and rider is very well made in Christ’s parable regarding our faith.  It even has branches for finches to land on.  Other herbs have larger seeds, but do not grow as large.  How is it that such a small seed can produce a large significant plant?

 Hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), the Holy Spirit gives a “mustard seed faith” the power to be enlightened with God’s gifts (Rom. 15:13), with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (1Cor. 12:3).  A mustard seed faith does preserve us to eternal salvation (1 Peter 1:5).  The Kingdom of Heaven includes you and me as believers (Eph.3: 14-17) in Jesus Christ, sharing the belief in His virgin birth, fully appreciating His sacrificial death, glorifying in His resurrection from the grave, and singing praises for His ascension back to the Father who sent Him.   Now, We are saved from our sin. 

Mustard Seed (Sinapis (Brassica) nigra) u

This is the whole story of a believers’
  “Mustard Seed – Merry Christmas”. 

Photo report from Enoch 

Enoch Firmen, Hope Seeds Agrinom(agriculturalist) in Haiti, has sent us some very encouraging reports and photos of gardens planted and in production.   We share these photos with you now, in color, for they are worth more than many words. Also in the photos is Agrinom Josias Romeus of Gonaives, working with Hope Seeds through our strategic partner in Gonaives, Faith Lutheran Church and Pastor Revenel Benoit.  *We also want you to know that the color printing has been underwritten through a donation of one of our board members, who upon seeing the photos, wanted you to see them as well, but at no extra expense to our printing budget.  Hope Seeds is always a careful steward of the financial gifts from our donor base, and we Thank You!

Enoch in the Hope Outreach Garden near Cap Haitien, Haiti

Josias on the 5 hour hike to the village of Ennery, Haiti

A mountain top view of Ennery and the surrounding mountains

Josias distributing Tote bags and seed to farmer/gardeners in Gonaives, Haiti.

School children showing off the gifts of tennis balls which were delivered with seed to a Lutheran school near Gonaives.

Josias inspecting a cabbage garden in the town of Odije, Haitl.  The variety we sent to them is KK Cross, a tropical cabbage variety.

 

Josias meets with the farmer/gardener family in Odije who were glad to grow such nice cabbage, a main source of nutritious vitamins.

 A view of the village of Odije

Water the Garden…

How much water does it take?

 Much more than you think.  One of the worlds’ hardest working resources is water, and nearly 70% of all water use is for agriculture.  

 To maintain good health a human must consume 2 ½ quarts per day.  The average U.S. citizen uses about 120 gallons per day (showers, toilet, washing, etc…).  This equals over 100,000 gallons per average household per year.  And, when we add the water used to produce the consumables each person uses the number climbs to 1,700 gallons per day per person.  (These estimates come from U. of California, Kansas State University, Cornell University, and the U.S. Environmental Statistics.)   

 99% of the water used in agriculture for plant production returns to the atmosphere through transpiration, which provides 2/3 of the water destined to fall as rain.  So, the water is not wasted, but is essentially used to grow food. It is a part of our nutrition program just as important as seed.  

 The ministry of Hope Seeds needs your financial “water”.  Your support is used wisely, with every dollar dedicated toward building a ministry which provides quality garden seed to a hungry world.  Our staff works hard every day to ensure that the resources you share with us are doing the most toward quality production.  We boldly ask you to make a bold investment this year-end, and in the months ahead.   

How much does it take to produce…?

- A 5oz glass of Orange Juice=14 gal.

- grow wheat for 1 loaf of bread=100gal.

- grow one ear of corn=15 gal.

- produce 1 pound of boneless beef =441gal.

 - brew a barrel of beer =1,500gal.

  - manufacture a car=  39,000gal.