1. Lynchburg GrowsH.R. Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
1339 Englewood St. off Fort Ave. Lynchburg, VA 24501

2. Lynchburg Grows’ H.R. Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
Fall 2003 – the seed is sown!
“The greatest fine art of the
future will be the making of
a comfortable living from a
small piece of land.”
- Abraham Lincoln

3. Spring-Summer
2004
The Garden springs
forth and blooms.
Appalachian Power helps secure land for garden!

4. Lynchburg Grows’ H.R. Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center

5. Lynchburg Grows’ H.R. Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
•6.8 acres zoned Heavy Industrial
•9 Greenhouses totaling 2 acres under glass
• 5 greenhouses built in 1919 – oldest in VA
•When closed in 1999, comprised 23% of VA’s
greenhouse flower industry
Jan 7, 2011 placed permanent conservation
easement on farm in partnership with City
of Lynchburg. This date marked 59th
anniversary of Mr. Schenkel’s father taking
over operation and ensures that the
property will remain a farm and be open to
the public forever.

6. Before Pictures 2004 – 2007
Greenhouse #9 – former
Rotary project, now a
catering hall!

7. August, 2005
Lynchburg College &
Randolph Macon Woman’s College
“Make a Difference Day”

8. Capital Improvement Projects
To restore the greenhouses more
than 5,700 volunteers have
donated over 70,000 hours since
2005.
Volunteers came from all
walks of life and ability levels.
Over 2,400 have been
college students including
alternative spring break
groups.
Disabled volunteers work
with at-risk youth, master
gardener’s, and volunteers.

9. Other Volunteer Groups

10. Most roses are donated to nursing home,
churches, community groups, and first time
visitors taking a tour – approx. 15,000 per year.
Rose donations have generated over $420,000 in
gifts since 2007.

11. Lynchburg Community Market
The Early Years… 2004-2008
Striving towards self-sufficiency

12. Lynchburg Grows’ H.R. Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
Agricultural
Production
Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA)
Families can join our CSA
program on a monthly basis.
cost is $15/ week
Food is grown by Lynchburg
Grows and we have partnered
with more than 40 VA farmers.

13. St. John’s Episcopal Church Partnership to Feed the Hungry
Greenhouse Number 8 – Before Picture, November 2006

14. October 2009 Picture
Food donations to local food
Pantries such as Daily
Bread, Salvation Army and
Society of St. Andrew:
2005 - 2014, over 60,000
pounds of fresh produce
grown and donated to feed
the hungry.
St. John’s
Greenhouse # 8

15. Lynchburg Grows’ H.R. Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
Other Notable Facts
• Vegetable and rose sales have us on track to sustainability. Last year we
were 1/3 self-sufficient generating over $6,000 per month in revenues and
a goal of sustainability by the end of 2017.
• 11 employees – 8 of them disabled. Three have been with LG for over 9
years.
• Average of over 1,900 adults and over 1,700 children each year for
educational and volunteer activities
• Partnerships with Juvenile Detention Center, the Commonwealth’s
Attorney Office, along with Lynchburg City Schools bring at-risk youth
together with disabled students. Teaching empathy with a “hands-up”
approach.

16. E. C. Glass High School
Fall 2007 - present
Community Gardening & Education

17. Jubilee Center – Farm Camp
Bass Elementary Farm Camp
1 week for each group since
Summer 2008
Rustburg Elementary School
Pre-K

18. Lynchburg Grows’ H.R. Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
The Capital Campaign for Greenhouse #7
The Challenge:
To transform the 95 year-old Greenhouse 7 into a modern aquaponics and
educational greenhouse for $150,000.
Committee Members: Rodger Fauber, Roger Vaden, Pete Warren, Stuart Turille, Larry Jackson,
John Matheson, Scott Lowman, and Michael Van Ness

19. Lynchburg Grows’ H.R. Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
The Capital Campaign for Greenhouse #7
The Design:
Utilize the raised beds and existing structure to create a unique educational
experience for visitors while maintaining a vegetable production component.
Includes:
- 2 Classrooms
- 8ft walkway
- (3) 3000 gallon
rainwater
ponds
- Handicap
accessible
raised beds

20. Lynchburg Grows’ H.R. Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
Greenhouse #7
The Rubber Hits the Road!

21. Lynchburg Grows’ H.R. Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
What’s Next? - The Capital Campaign of 2013
The Challenge: Raise $500,000 to create:
1) A 45,000 gallon rainwater collection system
2) Restore the historic greenhouses 4, 5, and 6
3) Create a hybrid solar / biomass boiler radiant heating system
Committee Members
Fred Cawthorne, Robert Taylor, Jr., Jerzy Nowak, Rodger Fauber, Roger Vaden, Pete Warren, Stuart Turille,
John Matheson, Scott Lowman, Michael Van Ness

24. Lynchburg Grows’ HR Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
The first half of the campaign has been
raised and in midst of completion.
LG is seeking to raise $250,000 by the
end of 2015 for the 2nd half of campaign
to complete the Biomass/passive solar
boiler.
Please join us in this unique
opportunity to create a national
model for building sustainable
agriculture and communities!

25. Lynchburg Grows’ HR Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
Food Deserts
In partnership with Centra Foundation,
the Lynchburg Area Food Policy Council,
VA Department of Health, Randolph
College and others LG is striving to
eliminate the barriers to accessing healthy
food in inner-city “Food Deserts.”

26. Lynchburg Grows’ HR Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center
Agricultural Education Pipeline & AREC
LG is working with Lynchburg City
Schools, VA State University, VCE, CVCC
and Lynchburg Beacon of Hope to
develop programs for high school
students interested in related career
opportunities including culinary arts.
Please join us in this unique
opportunity to create a national
model for building sustainable
agriculture and communities!

29. Quotes from partners and supporters:
“While the Department often points to the ideals that sustainability and historic preservation have in common, it
is not often that one historic property so completely exhibits those shared concepts.” - Ann M. Andrus, Director,
VA Dept. Historic Resources
“I have watched this organization grow and mature over the last six years and have been amazed with their
accomplishments” - J. Meade Anderson, Brownfields Program Manager, VA Dept. of Environmental Quality
“Lynchburg Grows’ success and stellar work of bringing communities together through agriculture, impacting at-
risk youth, providing job training for people with disabilities, and interfacing with the local farming community is
unequivocally a national best practice worthy of replication. Lynchburg Grows is a landmark urban farming
initiative in our region.” - The Honorable Cynthia I. Newbille, Richmond City Council
“Lynchburg Grows has successfully brought together at-risk youth, individuals with disabilities, the faith
community, area colleges, the farming community, and the average Lynchburg citizen around a common goal of
urban farming.” - The Honorable Joan F. Foster, Mayor City of Lynchburg
“There is no better approach to building youth self-esteem and creating values which are fundamental to the
everyday life and to building resilient and sustainable communities where everyone is a contributor and his/her
contribution is respected.” - Jerzy Nowak, PhD., Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech (Founder VT’s Center for Peace
Studies and Violence Prevention)
“this is a tremendous chance for Lynchburg Grows to not only create a model for the community, but to rise to
the level of being a national leader for a healthy, sustainable way of life.” - Will Snyder, President Tricycle Gardens,
Richmond, VA

30. Lynchburg Grows’ H.R. Schenkel Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center