Good Vibes Farm - A Passion Project
Good Vibes Farm - A Passion Project
A No-Till Regenerative Vegetable Garden in Ellicottville
Photos / Good Vibes Farm
Josh Bower, Pastor of the Arcade United Church of Christ in Arcade and his wife Nicole, residents of 5106 Bryant Hill Road in Ellicottville, are following their passion and invite you to come along. Josh, being just affable, amiable, big-hearted Josh says that “farming is in our family’s DNA,” with his dad, Brian, having grown up working on his grandfather’s farm and Josh grew up playing in Mother Nature’s beautiful, lush dirt.
Farmers Josh and Nicole tried their farming acumen when they put in a small garden at their home, providing more than enough to feed his family and then some. Following the heart of his “real job” as Pastor of a Cristian church, he tells us that he “constantly bears in mind Christ’s teaching to feed the hungry.” Indeed, it was Josh who spearheaded the Great Valley Food Pantry when he was interning at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church with Pastor Dan Buringrud (whom all of Ellicottville will miss as he and Cheryl head west at the end of the month to lead a church in his beloved California).
Josh and Nicole are a young, busy couple, yet they find time in their full loves to think of others and, not only think, but DO for others. Although dad Bower said he would never farm again, he has been part of the Good Vibes Farm and he and his wife, Colleen, are all in. What’s neat about this farm is how it is done - a bit different from the traditional ways of farming. Says Josh, “Another way we have committed to our community is through good stewardships of the soil we grow in. We farm using no-till practices, meaning that we do not disturb the native soil through tillage or plowing. Instead, we build up and restore the soil by using compost, planting cover crops, encouraging living soil biodiversity, and only applying all-natural amendments. In doing so, we preserve and improve the soil for future generations.”
How do they do this? They use an “Equitable Pricing Model” for the farmstand located about two miles up Bryant Hill Road on the left. Watch for the signs. It you hit a green street sign saying “Carolann’s Way, you’ve gone too far. Here is how it works (instructions are right on the door when you visit the stand; they even take Venmo @josh-bower-3): Each item of produce has a fair retail price (let’s say $3 for a bunch of carrots or $1 for a bell pepper). If a buyer can pay that amount, it is most appreciated. Their generosity and abundance helps support their neighbors. However, if the fair price is not in the budget for a buyer, it’s all good. Pay what you can. The abundance of the neighbors has already helped pay for the produce, and to sustain the farm for future growth. Their hopes are to quadruple their size with more variety in the future. (The farm is gorgeous just to look at and “be” in.) A great source of peace and inspiration for Josh, his family and visitors like myself who got to just bathe in the goodness of that little plot of land and the essence of charity and love that surrounds it.
At the end of the day, Good Vibes donates fresh produce to the Great Valley and Ellicottville Food Pantries. They give you a tally on their door wall. It is their goal to extend this reach further into the local communities as the Farm grows. Says Josh, “We are still a small operation, farming produce from a 2,500 square foot plot. Next year, we plan to expand our gardens to 10,000 square feet so that we can provide more produce to our community and improve more soil. As a Pastor, I am inspired by the ministry and teachings of Jesus Christ to help feed my neighbors, especially my neighbors who would not otherwise have access to fresh and affordable produce.”
So, “come on down,” as Bob Barker used to say. Josh, Nicole, Brian, and Colleen invite you to visit, support the cause, feed yourself, help feed your neighbors, and share in the Good vibes surrounding this amazing heart and tummy filling project. It’s a good thing. Keep up with the farm by following their Facebook page.