Appalachia Missionaries Serve at South Tampa Farm

On Monday, Feb. 21, a group of 8 missionaries from Academy’s Appalachia Mission Trip gave their time and talents to serve at South Tampa Farm.

After attending mass and having a sleepover on Sunday night, the missionaries woke up ready and eager to serve at the farm. South Tampa Farm, a four acre farm located at 6101 S 2nd St, is home to cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs, a horse, and a donkey. The farm also sells local honey, raw milk, free range chicken eggs, and seasonal products. 

After trip leaders Emily Pantelis, Audrey Diaz (’18), Samantha Garateix (’18), and Catherine Moffett (’18) brainstormed service opportunity ideas for missionaries to participate in prior to their trip on March, Summer Wolf (’19) suggested the farm.

“I started going to the farm my freshman year. My mother used to go there to buy honey and milk until one day, she realized that there was a four acre farm in the back. She eventually got in touch with Marion Lambert, the owner of the farm. Since then my mom and I go to the farm on a weekly basis just to volunteer and hang out with the animals. I instantly thought of the farm for a service opportunity because there are always things to be done there, and thought it would be fun to show people where I go in my free time,” says Wolf.

Upon arriving, Wolf guided the missionaries on a tour around the property, and introduced them to some of her favorite animals on the farm, including a group of friendly cows.

After their introduction to the farm, the missionaries were assigned specific tasks, such as picking up sticks, clearing vegetation, and cleaning a pig pen.

“I helped pick up sticks near the horses and chickens so that the area would be cleaner for the animals,” says Colleen Duffy (‘19).  

“While I was on the farm, the job I had was cleaning the pig pen, and I got to spray the pigs with a hose. I watched them play around and act like dogs. It was so cool because it’s something I don’t get to do every day and was definitely a unique experience,” says Olivia Scarpo (‘21).

“I would definitely say this experience brought us closer together. Doing jobs for the community as a group really teaches us to work together and also gives us a chance to bond, which we will need as we come closer to spending a week together. I’m going to love being able to help others in a new and lasting type of way, but also the fact that I will be sharing this experience with my new friends gives me a greater appreciation for this opportunity,” says Scarpo.

The Appalachia mission trip, along with seven other trips, will on March 11.