As we anticipate the coming warm spring days, Bob Conboy, the farm manager at San Damiano Farm, along with all the Brothers Christopher working with him, are already planning for this year’s crops. Planning and preparing is especially exciting this year, thanks to a very generous and long-time friend of the Friars of the Atonement, who has gifted the farm with a brand new John Deere tractor!
San Damiano House and Farm is an initiative launched by the Friars of the Atonement late in 2017 that is “yielding fruit” both literally and figuratively. Using two hoop houses and dozens of large box gardens, the farm provides fresh organic vegetables and herbs to the kitchens at Graymoor and St. Christopher’s Inn, as well as local farm to table restaurants. At the same time, the men who live at San Damiano House work on the farm while they continue their addiction recovery treatment at
St. Christopher’s Inn, the Friars ministry to men with Substance Use Disorder. Through planting, tending and harvesting, the men learn there is always an opportunity for rebirth, and that all living things, be they plants, animals or people, thrive with loving care and proper nourishment.
In preparation for the 2019 growing season, Farmer Bob is using the brand new tractor to “turn over” the compost piles at the farm, which will be used to enrich the soil in the planters. The tractor will also be used to move topsoil as they work to expand the growing area, as well as the variety of vegetables grown on the farm. While we anticipate the coming harvest, the seedlings are growing in the hoop houses, and the Brothers Christopher are growing in their recovery. Thank you for your continued support of San Damiano House and Farm, the Friars of the Atonement, and all of their ministries to provide healing in a broken world.