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A 2017 article written by Robert Badgeley and published by the Lancaster Eagle Gazette shares the success of the Baltimore Community Gardens sponsored by Faith Lutheran Church in Baltimore, Ohio. Extra produce is donated to the local Baltimore Food Pantry.
For more information on the Baltimore Community Gardens click here.
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Toledo GROWs supports more than 125 community gardens by providing education, materials, volunteers, and tools to local community gardens, including faith-based community gardens. They also operate a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) available to local Toledo residents. In addition to the support they give to community gardens, they also offer workshops and programming to the larger Northwest Ohio community.
To learn more about Toledo GROWs click here.
An article written in 2015 by Tracy Turner for the College of Food Agricultural and Environmental studies covers a 2015 workshop led by OSU Extension, a part of the Ohio State University community, for faith leaders on creating community gardens. For those looking to grown the involvement of the community beyond their faith community, this article is an example of a local university connecting with faith communities around community gardens.
To read the article click here.
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The PIN Garden Ministry at Asbury United Methodist Church was started in 2007 to provide fresh produce to People In Need, a service organization in Delaware County. It is tended to by parishioners and intentionally includes children in the maintenance of the garden as a way to extend youth ministry into the outdoor classroom.
To learn more about the PIN Garden Ministry click here.
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St Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Powell, Ohio created Anthony’s Garden to memorialize the son of family in their congregation. The garden is tended by parishioners, and each week produce from their garden is donated to their local food pantry Help My Neighbor.
For more information on Anthony’s Garden click here.
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The Seminary Hill Farm is a ministry on the campus of the Methodist Theological School in Ohio (MTSO). Made of fields, hoop houses, and a greenhouse, the farm works to provide fresh food throughout the year to the Seminary Hill Kitchen, a three-season community supported agriculture (CSA), and local farmers markets. The work of the seminary hill farm supports sustainable practices and MTSO’s commitment to faithful earth stewardship. You can also follow their blog that features articles on eating fresh local produce and life at the farm.
To learn more about the Seminary Hill Farm click here.
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The Diocese of Southern Ohio utilizes an online platform, Connections, to maintain open channels of communication throughout their community. Their articles on Creation Care are complied in a single page which includes updates from individual congregations that have made steps toward creation care in energy efficiency and more. They also provide resources to connect one’s faith with civic action. They shared an article outlining 2019 attempts to end Ohio’s renewable energy standards and included ways that individuals could contact their legislators.
To access Connections Creation Care Page click here.
To access the article on attempts to end Ohio’s energy standards click here.
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In October 2018, 132 faith communities, including seven Ohio-based faith communities, signed a letter to President Trump, EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, and Secretary Ryan Zinke to implore them to maintain the environmental protection measures, including the clean water rule.
You can access the letter here.
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In an opinion article for the Columbus Dispatch, Suzette Martinez Sandring offered a faith-inspired reflection on Earth Day 2019 that considers the necessity of change in our attitude and action toward the rest of creation.
To read Martinez Sandring’s article click here.
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The Cleveland based organization The InterReligious Task Force on Central America holds Environmental Human Rights as one of their primary issues. Throughout Central America, large companies are forcing native communities out of their land to exploit it for natural resources. This group works to fight against this attack which often results in negative consequences for the land and the people.
To access IRTF’s resources on Environmental Human Rights click here.