Greenacres & Ukraine: Finding Friendship in Farming
As the tragic events unfold across Ukraine, Cincinnatians have been reminded of the special relationship and stories Cincinnati’s local organizations have with the people of Ukraine. One lesser known story is how a local non-profit’s education programs played a role in helping Ukraine develop into a world leader in agriculture.
In the early 2000’s, the United States State Department brought Ukrainian farmers to the US on a multi-state tour to learn about various agricultural practices around the country. The State Department approached Greenacres Foundation, a Cincinnati based non-profit and working farm, about hosting the Ukrainian visitors so they could learn about generative agricultural practices.
“The Nipperts instilled into our core values that we are to be good-neighbors and show grace, so naturally we were delighted with the opportunity to host these farmers who were just starting to understand what real freedom meant to their future.” said Carter Randolph, President of Greenacres Foundation. “We showed them how we farm, the equipment we use, and how they could take our practices back with them. At the end of the visit, we enjoyed a traditional Ukrainian meal and exchanged cultural drink traditions. Frozen vodka was used for toasts and Budweiser™ beer was served as an American beer experience. It was during these toasts we learned about their struggles under the USSR and their hope for a prosperous future. They knew some of this would be achieved through farming and they were very impressed by the practices used at Greenacres. Even though they visited much larger operations around the country, the industrialized nature of those farms were not a good fit for them. Not only do they rely on large, expensive, equipment which put them out of reach of the average farmer, but Greenacres’ willingness to put the quality of the land and soil first spoke volumes to farmers from a country known for their extremely fertile soil. A friendship was made and a language barrier broken because of our mutual love of farming. “Greenacres will stand with Ukraine” continued Randolph.
“We showed them how we farm, the equipment we use, and how they could take our practices back with them. At the end of the visit, we enjoyed a traditional Ukrainian meal and exchanged cultural drink traditions.”
-Carter Randolph, Greenacres President
The trip to Greenacres made quite an impression on the visitors and in -following years the State Department reached out about hosting more Ukrainian visitors who specifically asked to stop at Greenacres as they had heard about how wonderful it was from their friends.
To honor the memory of these visits and the people who love our city and our way of life, The Louis and Louise Nippert Charitable Foundation (L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation) has made a grant of $250,000 to Mathew 25: Ministries to aid in the Ukraine humanitarian effort. The L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation is a grant making foundation and part of the trio of Nippert legacy foundations that include Greenacres Foundation and Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund.
“We are so very appreciative of the incredibly generous support provided by the L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation for our Ukraine Relief work. Matthew 25: Ministries is shipping relief supplies to people in Ukraine and those who have fled to the surrounding countries.”
-Tim Mettey, CEO Matthew 25: Ministries
“We are so very appreciative of the incredibly generous support provided by the L&L Nippert Charitable Foundation for our Ukraine Relief work. Matthew 25: Ministries is shipping relief supplies to people in Ukraine and those who have fled to the surrounding countries. The support will help provide desperately-needed aid to people affected by this crisis, helping to care for them and provide the assurance that they are not forgotten. Thank you for so generously supporting our work during this time of such urgent need. We will be helping in the affected region for a long time to come, and your partnership will help make continued relief efforts possible.” Said Tim Mettey, CEO Matthew 25: Ministries
The farmers at Greenacres will be planting sunflowers around their properties to show support for Ukraine and visitors to the Greenacres Farm Store will have the opportunity to round up transactions as a way to donate to these humanitarian causes
ABOUT GREENACRES FOUNDATION: Greenacres Foundation was founded in 1988 and was Louis and Louise Nippert’s gift to the community. Combining their love of the land and farming with their appreciation of Cincinnati’s classical arts, Greenacres provides educational programming to over 30,000 local students annually while preserving and generatively farming over 1,200 acres in the Greater Cincinnati area. For more information please contact Greenacres at (513) 891-4227 or mail@green-acres.org.
ABOUT MATTHEW 25: MINISTRIES: Matthew 25: Ministries rescues and reuses over 15,000,000 pounds of products each year and redistributes them to the poorest of the poor and disaster victims. Each year, Matthew 25: Ministries impacts the lives of more than 20,000,000 individuals throughout the United States and around the world. Matthew 25 is ranked on Forbes’ 2021 list of the Largest U.S. Charities. Matthew 25 is also highly ranked among more than 3,700 four-star charities on Charity Navigator. Matthew 25: Ministries is accredited by the Better Business Bureau through the “Wise Giving Alliance Standards.” For more information, or to schedule an interview, contact Michelle Jones mjones@m25m.org at Matthew 25: Ministries (513) 793-6256, or visit www.m25m.org.
