AGRICULTURE

DIGNIFYING FARMERS, CULTIVATING CREATION

Hope On A Thousand Hills’ Agriculture Program was created to build the long-term sustainability of the Nutrition Program, by investing in farmers within Gasabo Diocese. HTH believes the health of the Land mirrors the physical (and even spiritual) health of it’s people. Built on the Biblical Ethic of Creation Care, HTH is teaching the Church to be faithful to her first calling, and building the capacity of the Land to show the provision of God.

ABABIBYI B'IBYIRINGIRO (SOWERS OF HOPE) AgriFaith Association

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Genesis 2:15)

Sowers of Hope is an AgriFaith Association equipping churches with theological and technical resources so that christian farmers will be catalysts for nutritional, economic, environmental, and spiritual growth in their communities.

In the same communities where Hope On A Thousand Hills has school feeding programs to meet the nutritional needs of preschool students, they also invest in the communities’ agriculture capacity by forming and equipping groups of Christian farmers with access to information, materials, and opportunities. For two years, farmers participate in AgriFaith Schools that teach that farming is a ministry to God, Neighbor, and Creation. They are also given access to subsidize materials, savings and credit groups, and improved market access. After two years, each local church is prepared to continue growing independently, learning from the Bible, the Land, and each other.

KACYATWA: Research & Demonstration Farm

In support of the AgriFaith Association, Hope On A Thousand Hills developed a Research & Demonstration site called “Kacyatwa (land worth praising for) Farm.” There, HTH tests alternative techniques, seeds and technologies. Successes on the farm become demonstrations and are incorporated into the AgriFaith Schools.

Kacyatwa Farm focuses on:

Improving the yields of staple crops
Nutrition-sensitive Agriculture
Emphasizing perennial systems for Climate Change resilience and mitigation
Permaculture Principles (biomimicry) for wholistic systems design
Appropriate technologies
Living seed bank

Nutrition Program:

As mentioned, the work of the Agriculture Program works parallel with the nutrition program. These programs are managed together by Matthew VonHerbulis. To read about the Nutrition Program, click HERE.

For posts related to the Agriculture & Nutrition Programs, visit Matthew VonHerbulis’ (the director) blog at:

https://thevonherbs.wordpress.com/category/hope-on-a-thousand-hills/agriculture-nutrition-program/

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:12)