Hello and welcome to living in the Lehigh Valley, where our focus is your health and wellness.

I'm your host, Brittany Sweeney.

A farm outside Allentown is being rejuvenated to offer fresh, organic produce to the Lehigh Valley's older population.

Rodale Institute and Phoebe Ministries recently broke ground on Phoebe Organic Farm, in a place familiar to the organic farming movement.

With the scoop of a shovel, A partnership is planted, the Rodale Institute and Phoebe Ministries are coming together to breathe new life into a piece of land that was pivotal to the concept of organic farming.

JI Rodale purchased this farm in the late 1930s, and he started his research what?

Which ultimately birthed what is now a $100 billion industry worldwide.

Rodale Founder's Farm sits just off Mine Site Road in Lower Macungie Township.

It was a very rundown farm when they bought it, and they completely regenerate it through not using any chemicals or pesticides and just doing composting and organic gardening.

Now the property is getting to once again be part of a movement.

As Rodale Institute and the senior services organization Phoebe Ministries team up for a farm to table project.

We're going to utilize those initially at our assessment at Rodale site.

We have 126 individual apartments over there with seniors, and will be providing the food that we grow here to that campus, and then it will extend out beyond that as we get further into the project.

At a moment in human history where we're more and more disconnected from our food source, we're now going to be able to point to this farm as a focal point in our community that's going to be growing healthy food for for all of us to enjoy.

Through the funding in the partnership with TTB ministries, that funding is going to enable Rodale Institute to put up infrastructure and ultimately farm approximately ten acres over the long term.

Though, Rodale will maintain the farm, Phoebe residents will be invited to get their hands dirty as well.

We know that for people in retirement stage of life, they love gardening.

There's something they're very passionate about.

And so through this partnership, the residents and Phoebe will literally get to get their hands on the soil, which is really cool.

They love the idea.

They're happy.

I there's part of this is having them come out here and actually, partici pate, they weren't to grasp fully what that meant.

So for me, they were like saying, we don't want to go hoe the field.

It's like I said, that's not what you're going to be doing.

You're going to be having a good time over there.

You'll enjoy it.

The initial crops will go to one section of the ministries, but the long term goal is to expand and offer the organic produce to others in the community who may have a food insecurity.

Our socially disadvantaged communities deserve nutritious food as well, and so we want to make sure through this partnership that everyone in our community benefits.

In addition to four continuing care retirement communities, Phoebe also has eight affordable housing locations.

Three long term care pharmacy, EES, and several other community based services across seven Pennsylvania counties.

Now they are cultivating the land to continue cultivating relationships in the community.

I feel completely wonderful and appropriate.

And I you know, I know my grandparents and my parents would be really happy with the whole way.

It worked out.

This farm had a rebirth in the early 1940s, and now we get to birth this farm a new again.

And, we're all very excited to get started.

So without further ado, I think we're going to move some dirt.

There's already a cover crop in the ground at the rehabbed farm.

The produce will be planted in the spring.

Those behind the project say they hope to set up a farmers market in the future.

To offer the organic crops to the community.

That'll do it for this edition of living in the Lehigh Valley.

I'm Brittany Sweeney, hoping you stay happy and healthy.