There is a growing opportunity for individuals with agriculture experience and technical skills to use those skills as a way to share God’s Love. This is a unique way to open doors that might not otherwise be open to sharing the Gospel. It is a way to first meet the very basic need of providing enough food to feed themselves and their families, and then to create a sustainable business enterprise that allows families to stay together in their communities and churches and be Light and Salt to their neighbors.
Angela Zimmerman is an agronomist living and working in Moldova to serve small farmers. Angela grew up on a farm in Central Pennsylvania with 3 younger siblings. Her parents are entrepreneurs and she worked alongside them in the family electrical business and pig farm, which eventually transitioned to meat ducks. Angela enjoys the outdoors and graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Plant Science, hoping to work in International Agriculture. After a few brief stints in construction, food processing, and USDA Montana, she worked in agricultural consulting with Les Yoder at Homestead Nutrition in New Holland, PA. After surrendering her vision of International Ag work to God, He provided an opportunity to work in Moldova, beginning in early 2016. Angela is thankful that God is in charge, and is happily and probably too-busily working with vegetable and crop farmers in Souther Moldova.
Ken Gingrich is a retired dairy farmer from the Mount Joy, Pennsylvania area. Ken has a heart for missions, especially working with youth. Ken spent 6 months in 2019 working with the Dairy Development Project at Dancu. He helped identify areas that needed improvement, worked alongside the farm workers, especially mentoring a young man named Vasile. Ken worked with Vasile in helping him understand the importance of keeping proper records, mixing feed, etc. He also helped oversee the renovation of the bunker silo, a much needed improvement that will help ensure better quality silage being feed to the dairy herd. Ken was also closely involved in the local Church, interacting with the youth group, and helping with the program to feed the elderly.