“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
[Silent Spring, Rachel Carson}
Waller Family Farm
1940’s Waller farmhouse (before the Oak trees stretched arms wide)
Little Sparrow leases land from the Waller Family, who own and operate Waller Family Farm. The Farm has been in existence since 1943, when it was bought by Broughton and Lubie Waller. Their son Bill Waller helped with what was then a basic family farm. Tobacco was the main crop with grains, cows, pigs, and chickens.
Today Bill’s son, Mark and his wife Pam continue to farm the land. Over the years, tobacco has been replaced by strawberries but they still have cows and chickens. During the strawberry season, you will find local families picking plump juicy berries from the 3 acre Pick Your Own fields.
The Waller’s are a special family and have been incredibly generous over the years. Before Bill Waller left this earth, I used to have weekly pizza dates (always Papa John’s) in his living room, watching westerns, or MASH. I will forever remember those evenings and all the poignant conversations had. For more information, please check the Waller’s website here.
Reality Farm
Alongside Little Sparrow, I have been involved in the beautiful work of Reality Ministries, helping to found the Reality Farm, a program that fosters meaningful relationships and purposeful work through small-scale, sustainable farming. Reality farmers grow vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers that benefit the larger Reality community. The Farm is a program of Reality Ministries, a community-based non-profit 501(c)(3) that offers a variety of opportunities for participants to work, play, learn and grow together. The community center is about 7 miles from Little Sparrow, but the farm is situated adjacent to Little Sparrow.
The Reality community currently farms twice a week, with a full day of programming each Thursday throughout the February – November farm season. By growing food for Reality program meals, Reality farmers experience the dignity of good work, improving the health of all. It invites work that is relational, productive, and enriching. Work that affirms inherent dignity. Work that creates beauty and nourishment for others. For more information, contact Amy Curran, Farm Program Coordinator at amy@realityministries.org.
