Aerial photography by Bud Branch

Our Story

Lynchburg Grows is a seven-acre urban farm dedicated to providing access to fresh, local, produce for Lynchburg residents, restaurants, and organizations, while also providing purposeful jobs for individuals with disabilities. The story of Lynchburg Grows is deeply rooted in a sense of community and help and its mission reflects those roots.

In 2003, a man name Paul Lam, himself disabled, witnessed the destruction of the garden he had lovingly cared for, all due to a communication error. Volunteers rallied to his aid when his story was published in the paper. Inspired by the experience, some of the people who helped Paul decided to form an organization to help more people with disabilities to grow food. Eventually, they came upon The old Schenkel Farm, with its nine abandoned greenhouses where the Schenkel family had raised roses for decades, producing over 1.3 million roses per year. The farm was overgrown and in need of repairs, having been out of use for over a decade.

After appealing to local colleges and schools, volunteers poured in - over 700 in 18 months - and the early seed of Lynchburg Grows was planted. You download an in-depth article about Paul Lam and Lynchburg Grows’ origins, here.

Since that time, Lynchburg Grows' employees, volunteers, donors, and board members have worked to continue the vision of Mr. Lam while providing workplace opportunities and quality produce for the Lynchburg Community.

When Lynchburg Grows first purchased the Schenkel farm, the greenhouses full of roses had been left unattended for several years. Many were damaged and overgrown beyond repair. One of the first projects undertaken was to identify and salvage the rose bushes that were most likely to survive. These bushes were then consolidated into a single greenhouse, where they stand to this day as a reminder of our history.

We farm in the other greenhouses, raising produce grown with all organic methods. Our produce supplies our Community Supported Agriculture program, The Veggie Box CSA, the Farm Store, our on-site market, our veggie prescription program, FreshRx, local restaurants. We also donate food to local organizations that are working to feed the hungry and homeless. One greenhouse, tended by volunteers from St. John's Episcopal Church, is totally dedicated to growing food for donation.

See more photos and enjoy the latest chapters of the Lynchburg Grows' story by visiting our instagram and facebook pages!
 

 Small farms like ours need your help! Become a sustaining member of The Veggie Society and help us keep growing!