We were honored to host our 6th annual Farm-to-Table event this weekend at The Silos at Promise Manor – below is a snippet of my heart that I was able to share with all in attendance. I was recently asked in an interview why we saw such importance in farm-to-table dinners and agriculture. It didn’t take me long to begin answering because of my deep roots planted in our family’s 300-acre century farm in Lynchburg, but I realized in that moment that living in these sweet small southern farming towns is such a blessing and gift. The young girl on the other end of the phone was not from here yet she wanted to feel the essence of our why. She wanted me to take her on a journey of beauty and grit that she may had possibly never experienced herself. I had to slow down answering her question because I wanted her to not only hear the words but feel what it means to be rooted in farming. Our children are 6th generation on our family farm and in 2019 when I registered our farm with the state, I realized then that it was no mistake that God had placed our family on that land for such a time as this.

All throughout God’s word, He shares the importance of farming – the sowing, the harvest, the pruning, the growing, the watering and in parables Jesus uses farming to share with us the greatest lessons of life and in our little piece of the world, those holy red letters don’t go unnoticed. “ Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field” Matthew 13:24. As our guests looked around at all the people gathered at the table they were sure to meet a farmer, a farmer’s wife, a century farm owner, a young couple just starting their journey into agriculture, a committee striving to serve the community in which they reside, a small business working tirelessly to put food on their tables through the dirt under their feet, maybe even a banker whose expertise is the agricultural industry because it has become their way of helping save our precious land, a doctor who gives of themselves to heal the aging in their community so they can continue to sow, a pastor who prays for harvest and rain….in all sectors and all aspects of life you are surely to see agriculture. It is important that we use nights like Saturday to not only honor our farmers but create a patchwork quilt that we each belong to.

If you’ve ever snuggled up with a beautiful handsewn quilt you already know what a calming feeling that is. Being able to connect farmers, small business owners, lawyers, doctors, dentists, teachers, bankers and everyone in between will create a warmth in your community that is truly unbreakable. Farming is a thankless job most days – I have watched my 80-year-old grandfather day in and day out. He doesn’t have many tangible items to show for his lifelong dedication to digging in the dirt, but the beautiful landscape he has upheld is a lifelong legacy that will affect generations to come. If you are a farmer, I encourage you to make sure you are rooting the next generation into your farm. Let them drive the tractor, let them help with the garden, let them ask the questions and look like a city slicker because they don’t know the answers. Encourage them to run barefoot, play in the creek, climb the hills and get their feet and hearts buried into the richness only God could create.

Whether you have 300 acres or .3 – you can begin sowing today. We are blessed to live in a special place that is painted with the landscape of family farms everywhere you look. May your land be blessed because of your willingness to prepare for the promises for generations to come. A heartfelt thank you to those who made this year’s Promise Manor Farm-To-Table event such a beautiful evening.

“The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land.” Deuteronomy 28:8

Blessings, Kayla