Video and photos copyright by Maria Vaccarella, MCV Films. Used by permission.
Retired law enforcement officer Anthony Vaccarella and his wife share about their faith and how it relates to experiences growing blueberries. Both faith and blueberries are powerful antioxidants that can strengthen us spiritually and physically respectively.
They explain how the harvest process and seasons have shaped their faith and health. Their insights will encourage you to have a stronger faith and healthier life.
Anthony works with his family on their farm. About 10 years ago he and his wife invested in their own farm ground and they have been able to witness the process of preparation and planting along with the work involved.
After planting blueberries, you have to wait three years before you reap a harvest. Anthony’s dad also partners with him by picking and packing the berries at their farm. Farming has become a family affair and a legacy for future generations.
THE LEGACY
So how did you get started growing blueberries?
Anthony Vaccarella: I follow in my father’s footsteps, he has always worked on a farm and he is a retired local police officer. He is 80 years old now and still going to the gym.
Amazing, it is good that he keeps going!
Anthony Vaccarella: My father just keeps going, He even kept going after cutting a finger off in the packing house. He is a symbol of strength and a mentor to me. He is a pillar of strength and very humble.
Sounds like a strong work ethic.
Anthony Vaccarella: It is. He is at the farm every morning at 5 a.m. during the harvest season, which we are in now. And when it is not harvest season, he is in the gym every day.
FARM LIFE
What has farming taught you about trusting God?
Anthony Vaccarella : Farming takes a lot of faith. This year has been tough. We have gotten a lot of rain this year and that is bad for blueberries. This was the first year in a couple of decades we were asked to stop shipping blueberries because they were waterlogged.
It sounds like you had too much of a good thing.
Anthony Vaccarella: Yes, the stores didn’t want the berries, because when they’re saturated the berries tend to bleed and then leave that juice in the containers which causes mold.
So, you couldn’t sell them and had to trust God right?
Anthony Vaccarella: Nope [we couldn’t sell them], blueberries [grown] in New Jersey were considered poor quality and a lot of farmers have struggled to make a profit this year. And we are in the middle of the blueberry harvest season. And this is one of the biggest harvests we’ve had in a long time. Not everyone was fortunate enough to get in [to the fields] and harvest before we got too much rain.
So, the harvest isn’t always promised?
Anthony Vaccarella: No, there are always ups and downs in farming. There may be problems with not enough rain or too much rain, or even with pollination. All I can do is plant and trust that God will do his part.
A fruit bush or tree abides and produces fruit on its branches in due time. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we will become like Him. – Joyce Meyer
So farming is an act of faith?
Anthony Vaccarella: It really is, even when I’m not harvesting, I’ll spend time in the fields having a quiet time with God and he will speak in some way: a sunrise, breeze, or just a rabbit running through the fields. It seems like that’s where the Lord really speaks to me and gives me peace.
God is always talking, especially when we’re in the storm.
Anthony Vaccarella: He is, especially right now. It is harvest season and that means it is crunch time because we don’t want the blueberries to get damaged by heat or more rain.
King Solomon in the Bible shared how there is a season for everything in life. As a farmer you understand the importance of seasons.
Anthony Vaccarella: Yes, I have learned over the years through farming that life is short and seasons will change.
LIFE APPLICATIONS
None of us like the season of waiting, but often in life, like the harvest; it takes time for God’s best. Waiting on God can seem difficult and it requires faith, but in its season our faith will bear fruit and that will be a legacy to give to others that helps them trust God.
Jesus said the harvest is plenty, but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37-38). Clearly Heather and Anthony are hard workers and you can be too. Ask God to strengthen your faith and family. Make your growing and harvesting truly a lifestyle of trusting God.
Questions for personal reflection or group discussion.
- What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?
- How does your faith affect your family life?
- What fruits is your life producing?
- How can you bear more fruit in your life and family?
- Jesus said a good tree cannot bear bad fruit. What are the bad fruits in your life?
SHARE ANTHONY’S STORY WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Save the graphic below to your device so that you can post it to your social media or show it to your friends on your device so they can scan the QR code.
In this article I’ve focused on Anthony’s farming/gardening lifestyle. Now, learn more about his fitness lifestyle in the companion article, Better Health, Deeper Faith – Anthony Vaccarella in Faith & Fitness Magazine.
WANT TO GROW BLUEBERRIES IN YOUR GARDEN?
Many times people think of gardens being just the traditional vegetables but you should explore adding some fruit trees or bushes to diversify all that is in your garden and the nutritional value you get from it. Here are some resources you may find helpful as you consider adding blueberries to your garden:
Post a comment below and let us know what additional resources you recommend.
2 Responses
Great article! Good stuff!
That was so beautiful and well said! Great reminder for us as we go through our days, to remember that we just have to trust in God and remember he is the one who brings the seasons of life for whatever His purpose is. His ways are truly higher and than our own!