Princeton Theological Seminary Celebrates 10 Years of the Farminary: A Decade of Cultivating Faith, Ecology, & Community

Four-Day Event Brings Leading Voices in Ecology, Theology, Food Justice, and More to Princeton Seminary’s 21-acre Farm

PRINCETON, NJ, UNITED STATES, August 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- This September, Princeton Theological Seminary will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Farminary with a four-day gathering, September 24–27, 2025. The event will convene some of the brightest minds shaping the future of theological education and ecological imagination, including Willie James Jennings, Barbara Brown Taylor, Jeff Chu, Michael Twitty, Tiya Miles, Heber Brown, among others. Together, they will explore urgent questions at the intersections of theology, ecology, food justice, Sabbath, and community through keynote presentations, conversations, panel discussions, shared meals, workshops, and more.

Established in 2015, the Farminary is a 21-acre sustainable farm where students and community members engage in regenerative agriculture as a context for theological reflection. Over the past decade, it has become a vital space for spiritual formation, communal healing, and deep engagement with the ecological challenges of our time.

“Over the past ten years, the Farminary has become a sacred space for learning, healing, and belonging,” says Dr. Nate Stucky, Director of the Farminary Project. “It’s a place where the rhythms of the land shape our understanding of God, community, and calling.”

A Cornerstone of Ecological Formation

The Farminary is the heart of Princeton Seminary’s Master of Arts in Theology and Ecology (MTE), a visionary degree program launched in 2023 to prepare leaders for ministry in an era marked by ecological urgency, complexity, and possibility.
Rooted in the conviction that theological education must respond to the realities of a changing planet, the program has already doubled in size and recently welcomed 14 students into its new cohort. While the Farminary is the foundational location for the MTE program, Seminary students from all degree programs have an opportunity to learn not only from books and classrooms, but from compost piles, planting beds, livestock, and shared meals that reflect a theology of interdependence and care.

“If the classroom is where we think about God, the garden is where we remember we belong to God, and to one another. The Farminary invites us to do both,” shared Barbara Brown Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of An Altar in the World and Holy Envy, who will preach at the celebration’s opening worship service.

Four Days of Worship, Wisdom, and Celebration

Over the last decade, the Farminary has also become a gathering ground for neighbors, theologians, artists, and seekers of all ages. The Anniversary celebration is designed to reflect this expansive vision and nourish body, mind, and spirit. To ensure broad participation, the event follows a “pay-as-you-can” pricing structure, ensuring that cost is never a barrier to connection and gathering.

• Wednesday, September 24: The celebration begins on Princeton Seminary’s main campus with community worship and shared meals, featuring a sermon by Barbara Brown Taylor and an afternoon keynote at the Farminary from Willie James Jennings, joined by respondents Norman Wirzba, Tink Tinker, and Hanna Reichel for a rich theological discussion on creation. The evening concludes with Wine and the Bible, a unique wine tasting and spiritual reflection led by John Anthony Dunne, exploring wine’s sacred role in biblical tradition.
• Thursday, September 25: A day of hands-on learning and spiritual formation, including workshops on composting, native seed collection, poetry, and ecological infrastructure. Crystal Oliver (EcoTheo Review) and Larry Rogers (Farminary Farm Manager) lead sessions alongside partners from Princeton Open Space. The day culminates in a powerful evening conversation between Jeff Chu and Chef Michael Twitty, exploring food, land, identity, and faith.
• Friday, September 26: Friday’s sessions include workshops on institutional ecology, social entrepreneurship, and congregational farming practices, led by practitioners including Nick Babladelis, Lissette Gonzalez Sosa, Werner Ramirez, and Chef Gabby Aron. Alumni reflect on how the Farminary has shaped their ministry, and a Farm Chef Fest offers a curated tasting experience from local culinary leaders. The evening closes with a featured conversation between Tiya Miles and Nate Stucky, exploring Black environmental consciousness, storytelling, and sacred ecology.
• Saturday, September 27: The celebration concludes with a joyful, community-centered closing worship service at the Farminary. The sermon will be delivered by Heber Brown III, a nationally recognized pastor and founder of the Black Church Food Security Network, sending participants forward with blessing, purpose, and vision for the work ahead.

Looking Ahead

As the Farminary enters its second decade, it does so with deep roots and a wide vision for what comes next.

“The farm has taught us that formation takes time, that growth is slow, and that resurrection often begins underground,” says Stucky. “In the next ten years, we hope to continue the trajectories of vitality and formation, even as we remain open to possibilities of flourishing we cannot yet imagine.”

Continued growth will require thoughtful investment in the infrastructure necessary to support its expanding and diverse community, including students, First Thursday and event participants, and all who recognize the land as a vital context for theological formation, learning, and connection.

About the Farminary

The Farminary Project at Princeton Theological Seminary integrates theological education with regenerative farming practices and ecological attunement. It serves as a unique learning environment where students explore the rhythms of the land alongside their spiritual and academic formation. The Farminary emphasizes ecological stewardship, community engagement, and the cultivation of leaders equipped to respond to the urgent challenges of climate, justice, and hope.

For more information about the Farminary and to purchase tickets for the 10th Anniversary Celebration, visit ptsem.edu/farminary10.

Members of the media interested in attending or covering the event are invited to contact communication@ptsem.edu.

Linda Romano
Princeton Theological Seminary
+1 609-497-7765
email us here

You're Invited: Celebrate The Farminary's 10th Anniversary

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