SpiritualFamily.Net

Food Forest Certification Program

Food forests mimic nature, are outstanding examples of earth stewardship, and arguably the most natural and sustainable food production method available. They are low-maintenance, produce a huge diversity of food and habitat, and help to regenerate and then maintain the land they are grown on.

I bring tidings of blessings resulting from the co-ordination of Snake River Music Gardens of Baker County, Oregon and Youth in Act - Uganda.  Our two organizations have established agreements and certifications to grow food forests.  We are enrolling in our food forest certification program Ugandan Urantia Book readers with missions (1) to orphans and (2) to bring the Urantia Book to the wider community.  

Donations to www.snakerivermusicgardens.org go 100% to orphan care, food forest establishment, and land purchases.  We provide administrative services free of charge.

Waiswa John Billy, director of Youth in Act - Uganda and His Grace Children’s Home, provides site visits to orphanages, and documentation (accounts, reports, photographs, videos) of every gift we send.  Joseph Mulopi, agriculturist of Youth in Act - Uganda, visits food forest sites and qualifies gardeners as food foresters in support of the work of Mulopi’s Extinct Tree Hub, reviving Uganda’s pre-colonial staple food trees.  

Avert Famine!  Grow Food Forests!  Because of the war in Ukraine we have about half a year until un-replenished food stores run out and famine strikes.  In those six months, we have work to do, land parcels to purchase, tools and trees to propagate, seeds to grow.  

Fortunately we benefit from the experience of Snake River Music Gardens president Arthur Sappington, master naturalist, watershed manager, co-ordinating officer of the Jefferson Mining District, who for decades has  protected and propagated food forests both temperate and tropical.

I, Arthur’s wife, Lindianne, am grateful to God for leading me to serve in these endeavors.  In Urantia’s real economy, I serve as an administrator to receive and pass gifts to qualified recipients.  In our joint endeavors with Youth in Act - Uganda, I listen, communicate needs, count, record, give thanks for, place, and administer gifts.

The Urantia Book teaches:  After Jesus’ father Joseph was killed in a construction accident, Jesus as eldest son became the father of his family.  Jesus would not begin his public ministry on earth until he had provided for his mother, sisters and brothers; to provide for his family,  Jesus purchased and planted family gardens.  

Our life mission is to walk in Jesus’ footsteps, purchasing and establishing  food forests, strengthening the vulnerable so—eventually—no human hungers.  

Snake River Music Gardens pays reasonable prices for food forest parcels urban and rural, and through Youth in Act - Uganda places qualified minister-gardeners and matrons onto those lands as landowners.  Certification begins with Youth in Act - Uganda site visits and continues with outreach workshops to train more families to grow food forests.  Although we are non-denominational and non-political, we serve mainly Urantia Book readers through Paul Kemp’s spiritualfamily.net.

Currently we correspond with and/or send gifts to His Grace Children’s Home, Youth in Act - Uganda, Muga Child Outreach, Happy Hours Ministry, and the family and Urantia Book ministry of Gumisiriza Julius.   

Who are we?  My husband Arthur Sappington and I have collaborated for 31 years in natural resources, watershed management and reversing desertification.  We garden, keep bees, make music, build soil, research, write, live and speak as one.   

As a 35-year Urantia Book reader, I had asked at Urantia Book gatherings, seeing so many silver hairs, “Where are the young families with children who are the future of the Urantia Book teachings on this planet?”  One answer is: in Uganda!

People of Urantia United, I pray you to ask the God who indwells you, how best to participate in this historic flow of energy to a beautiful culture long held down by colonial policies and emerging now into its flowering, thanks to the vision and leadership of the African Urantia Book community and the tireless work of Paul Kemp at spiritualfamily.net 

Gifts range from automatic monthly gifts (starting at $10) to strategic one-time gifts through our tax-exempt public charity Snake River Music Gardens.  All donors will receive reports on the progress of the food forests.

To donate, whether monthly or one-time, you are cordially invited to visit www.snakerivermusicgardens.org.  

To meet the most immediate urgent needs, we invite you to make a monthly pledge to the Food Forest Land Fund.  The four parcels we aim to purchase are:  
    1 acre in Kabale for the family and ministry of Urantia Book study group leader Julius Gumisiriza, $1700.  We call this to your attention first because Julius and Cossy’s 1 year old baby Shine is right now battling malaria and needs nourishing foods and medicines.
    10 forested acres with 60 beehives in Mayuge District for Youth in Act - Uganda to expand His Grace Children’s Home from 35 to 100 children, $17,000;     

    Two parcels in Jinja City for Muga Child Outreach to garden, $10,000;    

    A parcel in Jinja City for Happy Hours Ministry to garden, $10,000.  

Total $38,700 divided by 6 months = $6450/month = 645 x $10.  645 Urantia United members x $10 commitment for six months will purchase these lands!  That is why we are reaching out to all Urantia Book readers.

To get personally involved in food forest projects, or if you have questions about this program:
    email Waiswa John Billy at youthinactug1@gmail.com,
    email Arthur at bees@snakerivermusicgardens.org,
    email Lindianne at culture@snakerivermusicgardens.org.
    
Just as Christian denominational churches support overseas missions, it is important for Urantia Book readers to support the growing Urantia Book movement in Uganda.  You can't read the Urantia Book on an empty stomach.  We at Snake River Music Gardens believe the best way to support the Urantia Book movement in Uganda is make sure Ugandan Urantia Book readers who want to grow food forests have land.  FAO and USAID will supply tools, seeds and advice (but will not purchase land). 

Thank you for reading this long introduction.  See our Slides Below..

Blessings,
Lindianne Sarno

Executive Director, Snake River Music Gardens