Fields of Faith
Produce with a purpose
I grew up in a West African country where food scarcity was a constant threat. Most people relied on subsistence farming, a challenging way of life often exacerbated by famine, due to drought or floods. My father and I frequently prayed for farmer missionaries to arrive and help provide sustenance for the community.
Upon returning to the United States, I was surprised to find that food insecurity wasn’t limited to developing nations. After church on Sunday, I visited a good friend’s home, anticipating a meal, only to discover they had no food. My question about what we would eat embarrassed them, as they hadn’t expected to eat after the service. This wasn’t an isolated incident; other friends in the area also experienced food insecurity. It was overwhelming to realize the extent of poverty in America.
Additionally, a friend of mine, Abby Anderson, who is the lead pastor at Resurrection Assembly of God in Iowa City, Iowa understands the struggle of hunger firsthand. As a child, she anticipated church services, knowing a meal awaited her afterward. Now, as a pastor, she ensures Resurrection Assembly prioritizes feeding people. The church actively serves as a food pick-up location for the community.
It was through Resurrection Assembly that I became aware of a food ministry they had partnered with. Fields of Faith, a non-profit organization based in Oxford, Iowa, was founded by Jeff Disterhoff, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing this week. He had no prior farming experience, but he felt moved by God to attempt something new. Despite having retired and not seeking a second career, Disterhoff was unexpectedly introduced to the idea of cultivating produce for the hungry through a series of serendipitous connections. Gradually, divine intervention softened his heart and opened seemingly impossible doors, including securing an ideal yet disused location for a market garden. At every turn, God orchestrated circumstances to enable Jeff to initiate this improbable ministry, encouraging him to continue in the vision for its creation.
Fields of Faith is
“a community where faith, service, and sustainability converge to eradicate food insecurity, empower individuals through acts of love, and inspire a culture of giving that nourishes both body and soul.”
In their inaugural year, they generously donated over 7,000 lbs of fresh produce to churches. With God’s grace, this year’s donations are expected to be significantly higher.
My interview with Disterhoff was a joy to my heart. I had expected someone flashy, but instead, I found him to be humble. He didn’t talk fast or try to impress me, but rather emphasized that his ministry, Fields of Faith, would not exist without God. Disterhoft and his wife are the primary financial supporters of Fields of Faith, a ministry through which they donate life-giving foods to churches and pantries, desiring to help people connect with the God of Life. They do not profit from this endeavor.
Pastor Anderson wrote a testimonial on their website. She wrote:
Baskets of Overflow
Just as we began to ask the question of where we would find enough food to fulfill the needs of our community through our “All Things Common” pantry ministry, God connected us to Fields of Faith. Just like the 5 loaves and 2 fish, each week as we thanked God for his provision the baskets seemed to overflow!We were able to feed hungry mothers and children, take groceries to neighbors who had no idea where their next meal would come from, offer God’s good provision to widows, to those recovering from major illness, for families, and to our whole neighborhood through a community produce stand. Each week our neighbors would come to the church looking forward to fresh produce to stretch their grocery budgets and were invited to taste and see that the Lord is good.
Not only that, but teens were also taught life skills as they learned to preserve the summer harvest in our teen internship program, and our community meals thrived with healthy farm fresh veggies. We thank God for his abundant provision through the work and generosity of Fields of Faith.
This ministry touched my heart. Hunger and malnourishment is a part of the developing world, but is also a glaring problem in our “developed” country. Healthy food is a blessing from God, and because of Fields of Faith, those who usually have limited access to healthy food can eat from what is generously given.
