“our team was truly appreciating the work God had in store for us that day”

Wow, in the Hoosier state, this past week we’ve seen old man winter storming in.  As I got in my car Wednesday morning, the outside temperature read 3 deg F.  It’s been well below normal temperatures all week.  Then, last night, we had an ice storm which shut down interstates with hundreds of people stranded.  One of those people was my daughter and a friend for which they are now home safely.  I must admit, I’m not a big fan of the cold.

Going back to Wednesday morning, every Wednesday at 7:30a at Farm 360, we have morning devotion and prayer.  This has come to be the highlight of my week on multiple occasions.  There is just something special about coming together with the folks you work with on a daily basis, setting our eyes upon the true leader of our business, and seeking His agenda for our business and lives.  I often share with folks that “if you want to grow your faith, start your own business”.  With Farm 360 being a start-up, our team is experiencing this firsthand as we watch daily His plans unfold.

During this week’s prayer meeting, as well as subsequent conversations throughout the week, I was struck by the thankfulness of our team for the ability to farm indoors.  Yes, stop and think about it.  As represented in the picture of today’s post, with conditions being pretty cold and gloomy outside, our team was working in somewhat of a tropical paradise (“paradise” might be a bit of a stretch).   With temperatures in the 70’s, lights closely mimicking natural sunlight, and plush green plants all around, our team was truly appreciating the work God had in store for us that day.  No, this wasn’t a superficial comment in passing, it was a genuine appreciation for our work.

Another thing that was neat to see this week was this thanksgiving didn’t just stop with our team.  Due to the nature of our business, we have a fair share of visitors and reporters touring our farm.  Google Farm 360 and you’ll see multiple articles written on our indoor, urban farm.  One in particular I like, due to the photos, is Farm 360 in Indianapolis grows veggies with 100% renewable energy and 90% less water.  (Note: While a focus, 100% renewable energy is a misquote.)  On Thursday, we toured another writer for an upcoming article for which she was also captured by the beauty of our environment with the cold outside.

Now, I must admit, farming in a “tropical paradise” likely does make it a bit easier to appreciate one’s work.  That being said, I can honestly tell you that the team I’m working daily would likely find this same appreciation in other environments as well.  As mentioned before, we have our challenges as a business as well as relational within the team.  With stories to be told by others on another day, I would share many of us come from troubled backgrounds (eg. drugs/alcohol, jail time, lose of close loved ones, prior job lose, etc).  I think for many on our team, it’s likely due to these times of brokenness that we’ve come to appreciate the work God has in store for us each day.

So, as I write this, I’m not only thankful for the work environment God allows me to spend most days, I truly appreciate the team He’s assemble to share in this work.  With 20 presently (including our board members), we’ll likely be 35+ within the next year.  May He bring more like the one’s we have moving forward.

Farm 360 Team…I appreciate you all!