Our pastoral ministry at Assumption Church (Syracuse, NY) has just completed another JPIC initiative with the installation of  “rain gardens” on the front lawn of the St. Francis Friary. This project, funded by the “Save the Rain” grant of Onondaga County, captures the rain from the church roof into basins that slow the flow into our lakes and rivers.  The basins are filled with soil and have an entire garden of plants that are planted under the mulch which will grow in the Spring to enhance the property.

A Food Oasis Grows from the Alliance of Two Franciscan Organizations, by Candace Blase, a volunteer at the Little Portion Farm. What follows is the story of two Franciscan organizations who, together, are growing food and community by “bringing faith-infused farm-to-table dining to those in need” in Baltimore.

The farm has been firing on all cylinders lately! In the past month we have planted fall or winter crops in 25 beds, with still more to come over the next few weeks. These new beds include carrots, arugula, Brussels sprouts, onions, leeks, and lettuce, among others.

Little Portion Farm (JPIC Ministry) is featured in Religious Sightings section of the Vision Vocation Guide (Vision 2021).

On July 14, 2020, the first potato harvest of the “Little Portion Farm” was celebrated.

Established in May 2019 & sponsored by our friars serving in ministry in Shamokin, Coal Township and Trevorton, Pennsylvania, The Franciscan Center works to help create a sustainable and promising future for the coal region, by networking and collaborating with faith based groups, community organizations, business owners, government agencies, and institutions of higher learning.

One year ago this month that we planted the first plants on Little Portion Farm. At that point the farm consisted merely of two beds of tomatoes in an otherwise empty field. Now, we have 67 beds planted, two wildflower sections, and a woodchip path which outlines the shape of the farm and welcomes visitors to take a reflective walk.