From the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon web site
• EMO honors “That’s My Farmer” and its founder Rev. John Pitney with service award
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May 4, 2007, 04:28
“That’s My Farmer,” the innovative community supported agriculture program, and its founder the Rev. John Pitney, will be honored with an “Ecumenical Service Award” on May 10, 2007, at the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) Annual Community Awards & Celebration Dinner. The award is presented in recognition of special achievements in supporting ecumenical community ministries in Oregon.
“That's My Farmer” is an effort of 17 Eugene faith communities supporting 12 local farms that practice Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). CSA is a model of food production, sales and distribution aimed at increasing the quality of food grown while enhancing the care given the land, plants and animals. It allows consumers to buy directly from local farms who don’t use synthetic pesticides or fertilizer. Consumers “invest” in the farm and help shoulder the risk of bad weather or poor crops.
Pitney is an associate pastor at First United Methodist Church of Eugene where his wife, Debbie, is lead pastor. On the state level, Pitney works with EMO’s Interfaith Network for Earth Concerns, consulting on projects in Corvallis and Portland inspired by “That's My Farmer,” while helping organize responses to global warming through the Oregon Interfaith Global Warming Campaign and Oregon Interfaith Power & Light, projects of EMO.
Since 1987, Pitney has composed more than 50 songs, integrating issues of food security, social and environmental justice, and faith images from Judaism and Christianity. He has recorded three CDs of original songs, the latest of which is titled “Keeping the Garden.”
The EMO Annual Community Awards & Celebration Dinner will be held at The Hilton Hotel, 921 SW Sixth Ave., Portland. A reception and silent auction to benefit EMO’s ministries will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and the dinner and award presentations will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person and table sponsorships are available for $500. For more information, call Carla Starrett-Bigg at (503) 221-1054 or csbigg@emoregon.org.
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is a statewide association of Christian denominations—including Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox bodies—congregations, ecumenical organizations and interfaith partners working together to improve the lives of Oregonians through community ministry programs, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, environmental ministry and public policy advocacy.