Several years ago, Lori Birckhead made a decision that would change her life forever. Driven by her faith, Lori and her husband, Jim, put their house on the market and purchased a 90-acre farm they planned to use to help feed their hungry neighbors.

At first, there were a number of challenges that had to be overcome. For example, neither Lori nor her husband had a background in farming or agriculture. But with time, and the dedication of the local farmers they partner with, By Faith Farm was up and running.

Today, the farm fights hunger in two ways — through the farmers themselves who use the land to grow their crops, and by hosting a donation garden.

Stacy Geny and his wife, Sonia, are two food entrepreneurs and tenant farmers who can now give back to the community thanks to By Faith Farm. Most of the surplus produce they don’t sell at market goes to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. This usually amounts to about 80 to 100 pounds of fruits and vegetables every week!

But Stacy and his wife don’t stop there. Right now, the couple and several Second Harvest volunteers are working hard to cultivate more than 20 rows of crops to be donated. It’s truly a community effort — one that Stacy says wouldn’t be successful if volunteers weren’t available to weed and harvest.

We’re so thankful to Lori, Jim and the farmers at By Faith Farms for your commitment to fighting hunger. With your help — and the countless hours put in by Second Harvest volunteers — more families can access the healthy, nutritious food they need to thrive!

ABOUT FARM TO FAMILIES

This Second Harvest program engages farmers, community volunteers and Partner Agencies to provide local, fresh and nutritious food to those in need while ensuring less goes to waste. The program also offers a unique volunteer experience for people in the community to help grow and harvest crops. We have immediate openings for volunteers! To learn how you can get involved, please visit secondharvestmidtn.org/volunteer.