Farming Hope
Funding Missions
Fuelling Faith
We make it simple for Canadian farmers and their communities to be actively and tangibly engaged in overseas missions through agricultural-based fundraising and direct relationships that increase missionary impact and sustainability.
Growing a community of support for missionaries
Missionaries are underfunded and struggling to find community and whole-person support. Without access to proper financing and communities to support them spiritually and emotionally, we will continue to see missionaries burn out and leave the field at an alarming rate.
And while more missionaries are getting burnt out and returning home early, fewer missionaries are going into the field, but the work still remains and the need still exists.
We believe Canadian farmers can be a key piece of the solution.
Farm to Field (FTF) connects Canadian farmers with overseas missionaries to bring greater purpose to their farming while giving missionaries the financial, relational, and spiritual support they need to sustain their impact. Using the hands-on, agricultural-based fundraising model, farmers can pledge a portion of their land, livestock, or crops to provide ongoing funding. Meanwhile, the farming communities provide additional holistic support to overseas missionaries through ongoing relationships.
All you have to do is what you already do. Farm.
Half of all missionaries leave the missions field within the first 10 years. Over 70% of these missionaries report leaving for easily preventable reasons like lack of funding, disconnection and loneliness, and lack of relational support.
How it works
Phase One
The Project
An international mission organization signs up with farm to field and creates a “field project” for a capital initiative with a concrete budget and timeline
The Pledge
Canadian farmers choose a “field project” they want to support and pledge a portion of their farming proceeds to that initiative with a clear fundraising goal
The Community
A. The farmer invites suppliers and small businesses to provide in-kind donations that maximize the total value of the donation to the field project
B. Farmer shares “farming pledge initiative” with friends, family, neighbours, and church community, asking them to match their pledged amount with donations on their farm to field project page
Phase Two
The Work
Farmer farms
Community donates
Suppliers support
Missionaries serve
Phase Three
The Sale
Farmer sells pledged farming goods on Canadian market and donates proceeds through farm to field
The Impact
Farm to field sends farming proceeds plus community donations to international missions partner to complete their capital initiative
The Stories
Missions partner provides regular updates on the progress of the capital initiative to farmers, community members, and suppliers who participated in the community farming project
The Relationship
Community farming project participants stay connected to the mission’s project long term and have the opportunity to visit, volunteer, and provide continued support
Repeat
Pledge Farming Proceeds
From planting the actual seed in the ground to joining the spiritual harvest on the mission field, you have an opportunity to be an active participant in the mission of God. Pledge a portion of your land, livestock, or crops as a field project today and see the direct impact you can have on the lives of missionaries overseas.
Where is the money going?
All donations to FTF will fund specific capital projects in partnership with global missionaries that have been approved and vetted by FTF.
Our long-term goal is to see hundreds of global missions projects funded by Canadian farmers and churches in Western Canada through ongoing relationships and sustainable support models.
Before we open up the FTF platform to missionaries across the globe, we want to thoroughly test the model with our founding partners in Romania.
Why Romania?
Farm to Field was born at Camp Falcon Rock, Romania, after farmer and FTF co-founder Chad visited the ministry. He was inspired to find a way to provide deeper ongoing support for missionaries. He saw his entrepreneurship and vocation as the best way to do it and FTF was born.
Camp Falcon Rock empowers the next generation in Romania by developing and discipling young leaders to transform Romania. It is a connecting place for churches, villages, and individuals to encounter Jesus through a spirit-led community that fosters an enjoyment of creation and community while developing disciples.
Learn more about the work Camp Falcon Rock is doing at https://www.rootsinromania.com/camp.
All FTF pledges and funds raised will be directed towards capital initiatives at Camp Falcon Rock until 2024 when we will begin adding other missionaries to the platform.
FAQ
Chad Merrifield is one of the founders of FTF. He owns a 1600 ac cash crop farm in Whitecourt, AB. He has been involved in many aspects of farming from dairy to beef, elk, and crops.
Paul and Tanya Gericke are the other founders of FTF. They are currently working as NAB Field Directors and Development Support at Camp Falcon Rock in Romania.
FTF is similar to the Canadian Food Grains Bank but is more grassroots and relational. FTF differs from traditional agricultural-based fundraising in several key ways:
- Relationship: you have a direct relationship and communication with the missionaries you are supporting
- Transparency: You can see exactly where your money goes. You will receive updates and stories about the capital projects as they progress
- Missions trips: You will have opportunities to go on short-term missions trips to see the impact of your support and help as needed
Any type of project that best suits your farm is perfect.
- Pledge a portion of your livestock and donate the profit
- Rent out your unused pasture and donate the collected rent
- Give a greater purpose to a small field of crops such as wheat, canola, hay, or sunflowers and donate the profits
We are open to any project that fits your farm.
All pledges are based on the farmer’s own personal pledge. The ask is not for the entire gross proceeds of the crop but net profits as well as donated labour and equipment.
Farmers are encouraged to offset their costs by inviting suppliers to join them in donating the inputs related to the farmer’s pledge.
Pledges are welcome any time of the year. Some projects, animals, for example, are often fall or winter projects. Others are in the spring.
It is ideal to have projects like crops or pasture rent committed to in early spring in order to allow for farmers to gather additional partners in the projects through suppliers and other like-minded individuals.
No. All donations are made through our online platform and flow directly to FTF to ensure accountability of funds and make the process as simple as possible. The last thing anyone wants is a hassle of bookkeeping and money transfers.
We understand that farming has risks to it. We encourage insurance through your own farm to lower the risk on the project. If your crop fails or loses money, you have the decision on how you would like to proceed and what your final donation will be.
No. The farmer owns the projects 100%, same as normal business practice. Insurance is the farmer’s variable cost and as such is owned by the farmer.
Yes! The full amount will be receipted for charitable donations.
Ideally prior to December 31 in order to send a lump sum to the partnering missions in January.
In our initial pilot year, there were 8 projects completed by individual farmers. In 2022, we have even more that are interested, including a partnering farm in Romania! We are aiming for at least 20 projects.
Yes! In spring 2022, a group of 14 were able to travel to Romania to assist with construction and with serving Ukrainian refugees displaced due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Please fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page! We will get back to you as soon as possible.
We raised just over $50,000 USD. This money helped build the main lodge at Camp Falcon Rock in Romania.
Until 2023, a third-party donor has agreed to cover $5,000 US of any administrative fee. This will reduce the participants administrative fees to between 0-5%. It is then 10% for additional dollars between $50,000-$99,999. At $100,000, all fees are covered again and any additional funds are at a 5% admin fee.
Credit card charges are added, however, cheques are perfectly acceptable without additional costs.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or reservations about signing up, please fill out the contact form below. We are happy to answer any questions regarding the practical aspects of pledging your farm, logistical concerns, or any questions about the process.
