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 three times a day—7am, 1pm, and 4pm 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. For a short time we did not produce chickens because the cost of feed exceeded the cost of raising a chicken. However, as soon as the price of feed came down the poultry project resumed. At Emmanuel, we are currently raising our own chickens. They are raised from the time they are one day old and are ready to be processed 6-8 weeks later. Once processed, the chicken is served to the children mixed in with rice. Currently we are slaughtering 500 chickens every two months and care of the chickens is supervised by one of our older boys as well as one of our staff members.

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. Currently, we have 200 egg chickens that should be laying their eggs by the first of May 2009. All of the eggs are used for consumption by the children of Emmanuel. They are commonly mixed with beans and served in the morning.

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 four cows, but two more will be added to that list once they give birth to their calves. By September 2009, all six cows should be in full milk production. The calves that are being born will only be retained by Emmanuel for milk production if resources allow. If kept, they won’t be able to give milk for at least three years. Currently, enough milk is provided to supply four kitchens a day; however, in six months we will have enough milk so that all of the kitchens will be provided for—thus becoming self sufficient in milk productiond.

Crops

Emmanuel is currently producing vegetables in the form of zucchini and squash to help supplement the kitchens. We also produce corn which is used in the kitchens in the form of fully developed ears while the undeveloped ears and the stalks are used to feed the animals. This is a big help during dry season when hay for the livestock is much more difficult to come by. We are looking to plant grasses and sugar cane where the cattle can begin to graze. Other vegetables (tomatoes and peppers) will also be planted to help supplement the kitchens.

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. In February, Emmanuel started a small greenhouse right inside the gates that would allow us to sell some of the plants to people in the town; however, the majority of plants are used “in-house.”

Processing Facility