GIVING BACK
a bountiful harvest ARTICLE EMILY GLASER PHOTOGRAPHY AMELIA FLETCHER
THE LORD'S ACRE GIVES BACK IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE THERE IS PROVERB THAT’S BEEN UTTERED FROM THE MOUTHS OF CANNY PEDAGOGUES FOR CENTURIES: GIVE A MAN A FISH, AND YOU FEED HIM FOR A DAY. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. The statement rings true no matter how you twist the metaphor. For example: Teach someone to grow things in the dirt, to love the dry cracks of soil on their hands as they pull vegetables from the ground like so many multicolored gems, to savor the crisp bite of their labors, and you feed them for a lifetime. Such thoughts are the stimulants for local nonprofit The Lord’s Acre. “The intent of the original group was to grow food for our local food pantry,” says Susan Sides, Garden Manager and Program’s Director of the Fairview-based garden. The old adage (or at least the thought behind it) prompted the organization to do more. “Pretty quickly the board wasn’t happy with just giving food away. We had a lot of potential in our group, and we wanted to address the underlying issues that cause folks to need pantries in the first place.” So they decided to do something more. The core concept of The Lord’s Acre, she notes, is economic in nature. Many of Western North Carolina’s underprivileged residents are hungry, and while pantries are a great temporary solution, they only sustain rather than alleviate the greater problem. So The Lord’s Acre adjusted their endeavors to reflect broader intentions for change. By expanding their scope, The Lord’s Acre not only bolstered their economic impact, they also began to foster community. “We decided we wanted the group to create a place where anyone would feel welcome to come, so people can break down the barriers they have,” Sides adds.
14
Asheville Lifestyle | April 2018
CONTINUED >