Feeding the Hungry…
Caring for the Earth…
Growing Healthy Community…
Bonn Place Brewing Co. to Host
Fundraiser for MFP on Nov. 12
Our friends at Bonn Place Brewing Co. in Bethlehem, Pa., are hosting a MFP Community Day fundraiser from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12. Stop by the pub and taproom on this special TipOut Tuesday when all tips and gratuities will be donated back to Monocacy Farm Project. Stop in for a pint, or fill a container to go. See you there!
Thanks to you, our 11th growing season of service and community involvement enjoyed the following successes:
Produce contributions to our emergency food system partners were solid — MFP grew and distributed over $25,000 worth of produce grown with care & concern for Mother Earth!
Community Garden Plots were filled to capacity again providing land access and food for local communities!
MFP’s Pick-Your-Own members were busy as ever harvesting gorgeous, healthy produce every week!
Annual appeal donations, corporate and local business contributions, and foundation and grant awards exceeded $130,00 !
Emphasis on “growing relationships” lead to increased engagement with local Colleges & University students and faculty as well as development of new programming at every level of learning!
All our events throughout the season were marked by a truly healthy community spirit in support of the MFP Mission!
Get Growing ‘24 kicks off our
NEXT DECADE of SERVICE!
Sow Good Seeds with MFP!
Will you help us raise $45,000 this year? Click here to donate.
Monocacy Farm Project runs on mission and the efforts of (from left) Sister Bonnie Marie Kleinschuster, project director; Eli Stogsdill, project manager; Amy Baringer, marketing and events coordinator; and Bob Drake, “manager emeritus.” Photo courtesy of Fig.
Partnering
with the Earth
Nestled on 53 acres of rolling lawns bordered by the Monocacy Creek in Bethlehem, Pa., Monocacy Farms is owned and managed by the School Sisters of St. Francis, a community of Catholic women religious. In 2013, the Sisters converted their conventionally cultivated planting fields to an agro-ecological demonstration and production farm.
Monocacy Farm Project includes an apple orchard, community gardens, production fields and demonstration gardens. The project’s Grow Healthy Community initiative provides free weekly supplies of organically-grown fruits and vegetables to area food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters throughout the growing season. Throughout the year, education programs and workshops are offered for children and adults on such topics as organic gardening, ecology and healthy eating.
Hey Look! We’re Kinda Famous!
In Spring 2024, our own Eli Stogsdill was consulted for a feature by edible Lehigh Valley about native edible landscaping. Get in the know here.
In June 2023, Monocacy Farm Project was featured in the Lehigh Valley News. The article highlights our relationship with creation and the environment. Read the full feature here.
In November 2021, MFP was featured in a front-page article in The Morning Call. The story spotlights our efforts work to care for both the environment and for underprivileged families in the Lehigh Valley. Check it out here.
The Birdhouse Project
Interested in learning about birdhouses and birdhouse maintenance? One of our volunteers is extending an invite to participate in the Birdhouse Project. This includes taking inventory of existing nesting boxes at the farm, determining what repairs or replacements are needed, cleaning out old nests from the boxes, and installing new boxes if needed. The project may also include preparing an educational handout about the birds observed at the farm and along Monocacy Creek. If interested, reach out to Eli Stogsdill, our project manager, at mfp-info@monocacyfarmproject.org and he will connect you.
“Having a farm plot has taught my kids
invaluable lessons about food and ecology.”
— Jennifer W.
