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Victory Acres Farm
5275 South 800 East
Upland, IN 46989
Phone: (765) 998-2590
Victory Acres provides good food and good work through Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) in north-central Indiana.
Housed on a farm dating back to the 1830s, Victory Acres is a branch of Victory Inner-city Ministries (VICM) that is actively involved in community and economic development in the east side of Indianapolis. Since 2000, VICM has served to make Christ visible, and we like to think of the farm serving as a place for making Christ visible through agriculture.
How do we do this? We provide our customers, or members, with farm products that are fresh, high-quality, certified naturally grown, chemical-free, and growm by a local farmer they know. Meanwhile, individuals in relationship with Victory Inner-City Ministries are provided with a place to grow, relax, and rebuild. While they are doing good work that is helping to produce good food, they learn new lessons, acquire valuable job skills, rebuild their lives, and help with vegetable production.
Here's our story in a nutshell: Victory Acres has been a working farm since the 1830’s, and has been connected to the Himelick family for six generations. For the past 25 years, the farm benefited from the USDA Conservation program, allowing the land to rest and add natural soil fertility.
In the fall of 2005, Eric Himelick, VICM's board of directors, and the Himelick family began talking about Victory Inner-City Ministries purchasing the farm on contract and starting Community-Supported Agriculture as a way to fund the ministry. After they got the go-ahead from the Himelick family and the VICM Board, the purchase was completed in June 2006.
In the first two years, we went from 22 members to 100. This exponential growth was also accompanied by an expansion of infrastructure – a 3,000 square foot green house, a walk-in cooler, three cabins, a flock of chickens, and a new well were added during this period.
Each year, we are able to add more to Victory Acres. In 2009, we added a pick-your-own blackberry and raspberry operation and began experimenting with grass-fed beef and pastured pigs. All the food - from basil to beets to beef - is 100% organic.
We’ve been helped by so many special people - interns, environmental experts, and people who just love farming. We celebrated our fifth growing season in 2010, and Terry Himelick took on the responsibility of CSA manager. We added more animals, including Marino sheep and Cashmere goats, and we planted 45 more trees in our growing orchard.
While Victory Acres continues to draws on its rich heritage of traditions, we are constantly welcoming new people from all walks of life to our 114-acre farm in north-central Indiana. |
About Victory Acres
