De Mazenod Door Outreach Program adds Farming Initiative
De Mazenod Outreach ministry will operate a local farm to grow food for Hamilton’s poor
Hamilton— April 8, 2021 — Today, the De Mazenod Door Outreach program announced the launch of the De Mazenod Farm, yet another initiative to help the poor and marginalized in inner-city Hamilton. The farm will grow produce and raise egg-laying chickens to provide food for Hamilton’s hungry who visit the De Mazenod Door, 365 days a year.
Local news:
Farm fresh food for people in need
“Our goal is to create a sustainable source of healthy, locally-grown food for our guests,” said Fr Tony O’Dell, “With the help of many dedicated volunteers, we will produce a whole bounty of goodness and cultivate a community of love and compassion.”
The De Mazenod Farm, a 19-acre property is located in rural Ancaster, Ontario. The land had been sitting idle when Fr Tony suggested that we use the farm and put it back into use to support our programs and contribute back to the community.
“Bishop Douglas Crosby, Bishop of Hamilton, expressed his delight with this most recent development at the DeMazenod Door Outreach which will provide fresh food for the poor and marginalized in downtown Hamilton.” +Douglas Crosby, OMI
The De Mazenod Farm will grow over 40 types of vegetables and herbs including beans, peppers, potatoes, beets, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower. Once harvested, the produce will be sent to the De Mazenod Door kitchen, where it will be used to create homemade meals for the Door guests including hearty soups, stews and casseroles.
The Farm will also be home to 36 laying chickens who will provide eggs for every Tuesday’s breakfast: an egg baked in a golden toast nest. Guests already eagerly look forward to their “eggs in a basket” and will soon find it even tastier when it is made with farm-fresh eggs.
A special garden will grow flowers that will decorate our church for special feast days and Sunday during the summer and fall. We will also plan to create prayer spaces on the farm, where people can “get away” and relax in nature.
Work on the Farm began in summer 2020, tilling the soil to prepare for the land’s first harvest. The first seeds were planted on March 4th, 2021. The first egg laying chickens arrived on March 31st. 2021.
“We look forward to sharing the bounty and blessings from this Farm,” said Fr Tony, “We plan to share produce with the Good Shepherd Centre, Hamilton Food Share and other community partners. Together, we can make a difference.”
More than just the fresh food it will produce, the Farm will also be a place of community building, seeking to engage, educate and empower all who visit and wish to lend a helping hand. The Farm will welcome volunteers from every walk of life including many frontline workers suffering with PTSD and guests of the DMDO who are eager to contribute in any way that they can. The Farm will offer meaningful, hands-on work for those in the alternative justice program, as well as engaging and educational field trips for students.
With homelessness and hunger on the rise in Hamilton, the DMDO program is committed to continually evolving and growing to the meet this need in new and innovative ways. On October 2020, the program announced its Housing initiative, which has since grown to include 3 homes, offering affordable housing and support to move people safely off the streets.
Background
The De Mazenod Door offers sustenance to the poor and marginalized in inner-city Hamilton, providing food for the hungry and drink for the thirsty. The Door serves approximately 400 guests daily, 365 days a year.
The Outreach Program was started by Father Tony O’Dell and Father Jarek Pachocki, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), soon after arriving in Hamilton in 2012 and setting up home at St. Patrick Church. Named De Mazenod Door after St. Eugene de Mazenod, the founder of the Oblates and the patron saint and intercessor for the poor.
“The door is the symbol of openness, welcome and hospitality,” said Fr. Tony. “and now with our Farm, it is also a place of new growth, sustenance and abundance.”
For more information
Contact: Fr Tony O’Dell, OMI
Phone: 905.522.9828
Email: todell@hamiltondiocese.com
Address: 440 King Street East, Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 1C5
