The Vision

Background:

I have a vision for this farm that began about 15 years ago. At that time I wanted to start growing vegetables commercially. My family did not support this and I gave up on the idea. I believe this was God planting a seed of an idea in my mind. I believe this was from God, partly because I have never been able to put it out of my mind. 

Since I was about 12, motorcycles have been a part of my life. Often, when I was stressed out, I would jump on the bike and head out on the road to clear my head. Sometimes it would be an hour ride, occasionally it might be days! I love riding but I have always been a loner. I was a loner in grade school and I guess I just got used to it. I always wanted to join a MC but living in the country made this difficult. None of the people I knew locally rode and so I rode alone.

I didn't put this in my testimony but I have been hurt a lot by people I trusted. Church elders and pastors have caused some of the deepest hurts I have suffered. When I have needed help or just needed a friend, these people have largely turned their back on me. I believe that this is because there is a very limited understanding of what it is to be part of a body. If the body of Christ were really acting as 'one body' we would support each other and work together as one to accomplish more together that what we can do when we are all working separately. Also when one part of the body is hurting, we should all rally together to help that one in any way we can.

Motorcycle clubs operate much like a body. They are all aware of each others problems and they work together as 'one body'. They share common goals and they regularly hold meetings to discuss progress of their goals and make each other aware of new issues. For the most part they are anarchists which means that they adhere to a strict set of rules of mostly their own making. Although I don't agree with a lot of the activities of the outlaw clubs, I do admire the way they pull together as a group. They work in unity much more than most Christian groups.

Recently I got my heart straightened out with God and the earlier part of His plan came back into focus. New parts came together like a jigsaw puzzle and I believe that God is showing me a plan for our farm and for our future.

The Vision:

Imagine a farm with many small fields. In the fields are rows and rows of every kind of vegetable and fruit you can think of. There are a couple of small tractors working in the fields. One of them is cultivating the rows of onions. Another one is pulling a machine which is harvesting lettuce and putting the heads of lettuce into a small truck which is driving alongside. When the truck is full it drives down a narrow road which leads back to the yard. The yard has several houses, a large shop and several other large buildings. The little truck goes into one of the large sheds. Inside it tips its box, unloading the lettuce into a large vegetable washer and then heads back out to the field.

Inside the shed there is a portable stereo blasting out a lively Christian song.There are several people working in the shed where the washer is busy washing the lettuce. They are laughing and teasing each other as they work. They take the washed heads of lettuce and put them into boxes. Then they scatter ice over the lettuce and set the boxes with the many others already there. There are also many boxes of carrots, turnips, green beans, rhubarb, and potatoes already there. There is a larger truck with a reefer box on it at the side door of the shed. A forklift is busy loading the full boxes of vegetables into the truck. There are already two other trucks sitting outside the shed. They are already loaded and the reefer motors are humming away, keeping the produce cool.

Across the yard there is the largest building on the farm. It has a large parking lot in front of it. There is a veranda running all around the front and side of the building. Inside there is a huge open area with stacks of tables and stacks of chairs along the side. On the other side there is a dividing wall which separates the main hall from the bakery. As you walk in the door you smell the wonderful smell of fresh baking. There are two people slicing and bagging bread while another is putting labels on. Once they finish loading all the bread on racks, they shut off the lights and walk to the main house.

The main house also holds the clubhouse which is the gathering spot for the group. There is a long line of motorcycles parked under the big veranda roof in front of the clubhouse.The other workers from the produce shed are also finished and they are already at the clubhouse. They all live on the farm and every evening they gather at the clubhouse for a time of sharing and prayer. This evening it is still hot inside so they sit around on the lawn chairs on the deck for a while in the cool of the evening air. They are drinking ice cold lemonade and munching on fresh baked cookies from the bakery. As they calm down from the hectic pace and hard work of the day, they bow their heads and pray for the next day. They pray for the people who will take the trucks to the markets very early in the morning. They pray for good weather on Sunday because they are going on a charity ride for a nearby teen outreach centre. They pray for opportunity to share the love of Jesus at the upcoming 'Sons of Norway' convention which they are hosting in the big hall on the farm. Finally they pray for all bikers everywhere. They break up and walk toward their own houses with a feeling of a day well spent.

This is the vision I have of what could be on this farm. We have 320 acres which is not enough for a conventional farm but more than enough for a vegetable farm. We have quite a bit of equipment but we will need more. We are already going to several markets with our baking but the real money is in fresh farm produce. There is also the potential of doing a C.S.A.. That stands for Community Supported Agriculture and it's a very exciting method of marketing. C.S.A.'s are very popular all over the world but only in their infancy here. If we can get enough people interested in this, we can all make a good living at this. I am not suggesting this as a business venture only though. I want this to be an outreach and a self-supporting ministry. I am looking for like-minded people who are looking for a lifestyle change who want to be involved in a self-supporting outreach ministry. I want to be able to provide a place of refuge for believers who want to escape city life. I envision living a (somewhat) communal life with all the members living on the farm, working and sharing together. Carrying each others burdens and sharing in each others joys. There is plenty of room for animals so I hope to find people who would want to be involved with cattle/sheep/pigs and dairy as well.

The last point is that I am a biker and I have a burden for bikers and other people who don't fit in the usual molds. I like to ride as much as possible for the sheer joy of riding and for the opportunity to meet and associate with other bikers. I consider this to be an integral part of my calling and ministry. I have been a misfit all my life. Most bikers will tell you the same thing. Most MC's were started because a group of fellow misfits wanted something they could rally around. I believe that God has given me this vision because I am a radical thinker and this is quite a radical idea. I'm sure though, that I am not alone, that there must be other people who are searching for the same thing. If you don't feel like you fit in anywhere and you love Jesus, send us a message. This might be the place you've been looking for!

Is this really from God? If it is, then God must bring it together. We are trusting Him to bring other people who are like minded, together with us to accomplish it! We have already tried it ourselves and we know we can't do it on our own. Please pray about this and pass the link to this page on to others.