Celebrating 5 years, Envisioning 10
- FarmerKarl
- Mar 4
- 4 min read
Farmer Karl - Remarks given at Eden Streets' 5-year Celebration Breakfast
Grow Ogden Farm, Ogden, Utah. March 4, 2026
OPENING: WELCOME & GRATITUDE
Thank you — truly — for being here this morning to celebrate five remarkable years of Eden Streets. Thank you, Honorable Mayor Nadolski, for honoring us with your presence. Your support of this community means everything. To our supporters, volunteers, donors, partners, and sponsors: you are not simply names on a list. You are the reason lives have been changed. We are grateful beyond words.
And a very special thank you to Gina and the entire Grow Ogden leadership team — for the countless hours, the early mornings, the late nights, and the love poured into making this morning’s celebration possible.
IN MEMORY: MARGARET EBELING
This morning I want to acknowledge someone who is not with us in person, but whose presence is woven into every row of this farm.
My mother, Margaret Ebeling, lived her life by a simple truth: It's all about others.
She believed that — deeply, quietly, and completely. Her inheritance made it possible for me to plant the very first seed of Eden Streets. And so in a very real way, she is here this morning, in every harvest, in every life that has been restored.
Her example reminds me — reminds all of us — that our primary focus must always remain on these farm interns and their success. Everything we do is for them. Helping them heal from trauma. Helping them grow in understanding. Helping them reconnect with stable work and a meaningful future.
CELEBRATING GROWTH
We are here this morning to celebrate growth — and I want us to really take that in for a moment.
In 2017, I planted a seed in Philadelphia. I watched children come alive in a garden — and I asked myself: what if we used farming for adults who need new chances in life? That question led me to discover over 150 farms across the country farming with a social mission.
And that discovery led here. On December 3rd, 2020, Eden Streets was incorporated. From a question — to a vision — to a living, breathing reality.
We have witnessed the growth of an idea into a company. The growth of Grow Ogden into a practical means to relaunch lives. And perhaps most beautifully — the growth of every single person who has been part of this journey. Interns, volunteers, staff, partners. We have all grown.
VISUALIZING OPPORTUNITY
Now I want to invite you to do something with me. I want you to look ahead.
See with me into the future. See a better Ogden. See a better Utah. See a better world. And see yourself — yes, you — as part of making that future real.
The Declaration of Common Ground says it this way:
"Communities play a pivotal role to guide those most vulnerable toward self-sufficiency. Through partnering together with leaders committed to eradicating poverty, hunger, and homelessness, communities can leverage resources to effectively address these complex challenges. The entire community is thereby unified and economically benefited."
— The Declaration of Common Ground
Grow Ogden is that community. It is the flagship — the model that brings together those with resources and those who need resources to grow. And in that exchange, both are lifted. That is the magic of what we are building here.
THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE
There is something ancient and profound at work when a person puts their hands in the soil. What a miracle it is to be alive! - To feel the earth beneath us. To be part of the seasons and cycles of creation. Each of us has a purpose and a place here on this earth.
Let us hear the music — and dance to it! Let us breathe with the earth and with all nature. There is a time to breathe in, and a time to breathe out. And in that rhythm, healing happens.
Grow Ogden is the experience to see it anew — and to let it work in and through us.
TIKKUN OLAM: REPAIRERS OF CREATION
There is an ancient Hebrew phrase I return to often: Tikkun Olam — to be repairers of creation.
While we sojourn on this earth, we have the opportunity to participate in ongoing creation. To be co-creators. To help every form of life — every person — fulfill their measure and reach their potential. And in doing so, we ourselves are filled.
The Declaration of Common Ground describes our farms this way:
"These farms serve as a nexus for connecting with the soil, plants, and people. Beyond providing employment and job training, these farms create a naturally healing, supportive space and a secure and peaceful environment for contemplation and small-group sharing. Farm staff, volunteers, and partners collaborate to cultivate food and support trainees as they rebuild their lives through shared experiences that foster the development of life skills and friendships. The farm becomes a home."
— The Declaration of Common Ground
The farm becomes a home. That is what we are building. That is what you are supporting.
VISION & INVITATION
We start 2026 with a dream to relaunch 16 lives back into this community.
The model works. It is, honestly, astounding how effective it is.
One day, Grow Ogden will be its own nonprofit. One day there will be a Grow Midvale. A Grow Denver. A Grow Portland. The seeds are already planted.
This morning, I want to extend a personal invitation to each of you.
Please take the flyer and information on your table home with you — and invite others to learn more about our mission. Volunteer with us. Give. Lift. Grow alongside us.
Relaunch a life. Build community. With me.
Thank you for being here this morning — to celebrate five years and to envision the future with Eden Streets.
May each of you bring forth more life to the world and the people around you.
Grow a Future. Relaunch a Life. 🌾
Comments