Heartland Farm is an 80-acre farm located in the central plains crossroads of the United States. We are a 30-year-old ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Peace and is home to a Christian community committed to the healing and care of the Earth and its inhabitants.
We farm with a passion for addressing the “hungers of our world” through practices of regenerative agriculture and hospitality for the healing of the land and its inhabitants. The land and its gardens, pastures and high tunnel have been managed organically since its beginning.
We continue to develop strategies for reducing our footprint through careful management of our soils, waters, energy, and biota. We have begun implementing Holistic Management practices following principles of the Savory Institute. We have a herd of alpacas, pastures organized for rotational grazing, laying flock of chickens, vegetable gardens, a 30’x40′ high tunnel, straw bale art center, outdoor pavilion, and a wooded creek and pastures managed for prairie hay production.
When you visit Heartland Farm you will be able to expand your knowledge and skills through hands-on experience. You will be introduced to the idea of eco-justice or deepen what you already know through opportunities for education, retreat work, and volunteering.
Other activities you may enjoy include:
Heartland Farm is a registered agri-tourism operator located near the Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway.
As an important outreach to our local community and beyond, we host guests–young and old– for retreats and tours, offer programs in sustainable living as well as having an emphasis on the arts. We hold a 5-day “Peace Camp” for kids with an emphasis on connecting to Earth and food.
In addition to guests, we rely on WWOOF, WorkAway and other short and long-term volunteers to learn and keep up with the daily tasks of animal care, gardening, and general farm maintenance. We hope to inspire and train the next generation of people looking to live sustainably and skillfully on the planet.
There are numerous residences and volunteer spaces including a residential option for the Farm Manager. We have two straw bale structures–one a guest hermitage completely off the grid and a large octagonal arts building with a meeting space, garden propagation room, a pottery studio, and fiber arts facilities.
As a non-profit, we engage in fundraising and do so in line with our mission–for example hosting a “Farm-to-Table” fundraiser evening. We sell our produce at the local (Great Bend) Farmers’ market and have been active in collaborating with the local “Feeding Kansas” initiative that is in its beginning stages. We look to a long-range future of keeping Heartland Farm a vital asset to our central Kansas community that struggles to keep its population, develop long-term viability amid a challenging economy and political climate. We are particularly attuned to the underserved people of our area, the immigrant and struggling rural population as we seek and implement grants and other opportunities to empower and connect with these folks.
Heartland Farm is owned by the Dominican Sisters of Peace and is incorporated under that larger entity with its headquarters in Columbus, OH. The DSOP is a “new” congregation of sisters formed in 2009 of eight formerly autonomous Dominican Sisters’ congregations all of which have a long history in their various locales. Heartland Farm was founded by the former Great Bend Dominican community. Within the congregation, there are three other ecology centers in OH and MA and a working farm raising grass-fed beef in KY. All of these endeavors have been operating for 25 years or more as a living demonstration of the congregation’s commitment to sustainable living and the passing on of a heritage.
Heartland Farm has a local Advisory Council that brings together people from the farming, business, and sustainable agriculture venues as important allies and advisors. The DSOP congregation is the fiscal and governing agent.
Watch our Heartland Farm slideshow and truly feel the essence of the farm.