About Harvest Campus

In 2004, First Evangelical Free Church (FEFC)purchased 16 acres on the southwest corner of County Road C and Hazelwood Street, one block south of the current facility, for future facility expansion.  The property had been owned and farmed by Mr Phil Oswald for over 40 years.  FEFC named the property the Harvest Campus.

In consideration of future growth, FEFC had explored purchasing property in other locations.  However, there was a strong desire to remain in the Maplewood neighborhood in which the church had moved in 1991 with the purchase of the Hazelwood School.  The opportunity to purchase property so close to the current location was seen as an answer from God to our prayers!  We love our Maplewood location.

In 2009, FEFC offered a few acres to the community for gardens.  In 2010, Harvest Gardens was more formally organized with 350 plots and 150 gardeners.  The gardens grew again in 2011 to 960 plots and 475 gardeners, in 2012 with 1240 plots and 625 gardeners, and from 2013 to 2020 with 1160 plots and over 1000 gardeners.  Starting in 2021 the garden size was reduced to 700 plots.

In 2021, 7 acres on the west end of the property were set aside for construction of a Senior Living facility. Harmony Gardens, opened in late 2022.  Owned and operated by Cassia, a partner organization with FEFC, it provides a full continuum of independent living, assisted living, memory care, transitional care and skilled nursing.

Sometime in the future, FEFC plans to expand the church facility on the Harvest Campus.  In the meantime, we're enjoying sharing the land God has given with the community.