The Farm

Pigs
Emmanuel’s swine facility began in 2002 with a total of nine pigs. Today, it has grown to an operation that tends to between 50 and 100 pigs depending on sales. The pigs are fed twice a day—9am and 1pm by both boys and volunteers alike. The pigs are fed store bought feed as well as scraps from the kitchens at Emmanuel—nothing goes to waste here! Currently the swine facility produces pork that is used in the kitchens; the pork is mixed in with the children’s rice during dinner. Any excess pigs are sold to people in the town for extra income. Every two months, volunteers, boys, and staff members process an average of three pigs that are then used for consumption in Emmanuel’s kitchens.

Chickens (Poultry)
Chickens were introduced to Emmanuel’s farm in January of 2003. There are currently two facilities—the poultry facility and the egg facility. Over the years, the broiler chicken facility has produced thousands of chickens for the children of Emmanuel. Depending on the cost of feed and the cost of purchasing chicken meat externally, there may or may not be a current flock of broiler chickens at Emmanuel. Once processed, the chicken is served to the children mixed in with rice. We generally slaughter 500 chickens at a time with the assistance of local women as well as our own boys and volunteers.

Egg Chickens
Emmanuel also has an egg facility that is supervised by the same individuals that supervise the poultry facility. Through the years, thousands of eggs have been produced by our chickens. As of March 2011, we have roughly 250 chickens that produce an average of 215 eggs per day. All of the eggs are used for consumption by the children of Emmanuel. They are commonly mixed with beans and served for dinner.

Horses
Horses have always been at Emmanuel; however they have been used in a structured horse program beginning in 2006. Tammy Young from Tennessee was the first to begin the program and it flourished into an outlet for the children to learn how to properly have dominion over God’s creatures. When the program first began, there were a larger number of horses; however they were wild and unusable around the children. Today, the horses that reside here at Emmanuel are very well mannered and work well with the children. The children are being instructed as to the proper care and use of the horses. When Tammy is not here working with the horses, the program and horses are taken care of by volunteers or some of the older children.

Cows (Dairy Facility)
The dairy facility began production in October of 2007. Although some of the cows at Emmanuel were purchased, a portion of the cows were grown from embryos in a project here in Guaimaca. Currently, Emmanuel is getting milk from eight cows which collectively produce 14-20 gallons per day. That is enough to supply each of Emmanuel's seven kitchens with at least two gallons per day. The hard-working group of dairy boys are often the first to get to work and the last ones back home, since they milk at 5am and 5pm.
Greenhouse
This project was started in 2005 when a greenhouse was donated, shipped to and re-assembled at Emmanuel from Terrytown, Georgia. We’ve used the clear plastic greenhouse to start crops in the past and are currently growing a garden of squash among other plants. The black, cloth shade house adjacent to the clear plastic greenhouse is used to grow ornamental plants of which 90% are propagated by a group of boys that work here. The plants are used to landscape areas around Emmanuel which help to beautify our home.

Crops
Emmanuel has various plots of land designated for crops, which could produce a variety of vegetables depending on the season and availability of resources. Often it is simply not cost effective to grow our own produce, however the program resumes from time to time if for no other purpose than to educate the boys on gardening. The crops are often attended to by volunteers as well as our own boys.

Processing Facility
In this building, chickens, cows, and pigs are processed and stored in two giant walk-in freezers. This year alone, 1,500 pounds of meat have been processed and more than half a year still remains for more to be processed. The meat is stored in the freezers until it is ready for consumption in the kitchens.