EarthBeat Weekly: With urban farm, University of Dayton feeds its neighbors in need

With urban farm, University of Dayton feeds its neighbors in need   EarthBeat Weekly Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change August 14, 2026   Students at the University of Dayton help grow a variety of produce on the campus' Flyer Farm. Most of what grows on the 3-acre urban agriculture project is given away to feed the hungry across the Dayton, Ohio, region. (Courtesy of University of Dayton) At the University of Dayton, in Ohio, farming is not at the forefront of of the Catholic school's academic curricula these days. But it is at its roots.  Back in 1850, Marianist Fr. Leo Meyer purchased the 125-acre Dewberry Farm in western Ohio, which the religious order then converted into St. Mary's School for Boys, and later the University of Dayton. Part of the property remained farmland, which for the school's first 70 years students tended and grew the food that they ate. There was even a vineyard.  Today, that farmland is largely gone as Dayton has urbanized. In recent years, though, a group of students sought to bring some kind of farm back to the Catholic school, as I reported today for EarthBeat.  In 2019, students with the university's Hanley Sustainability Institute built the first garden beds on old tennis courts of the former National Cash Register Company headquarters at Old River Park on the western edge of campus. "It was just a couple students starting with a couple beds in the ground, and then it kind of took off from there," Steve Kendig, Dayton's executive director of energy utilization and environmental sustainability, told me.  Hence, Flyer Farm was born.  The 3-acre site features 33 40-foot garden beds (with rows of tomatoes, peppers, green beans and snap peas), a small orchard of 20 fruit trees planted along the fenceline (growing apples, plums and peaches), chickens that lay eggs and a three-beehive apiary that last year produced 100 pounds of honey.  Unlike the student farming of the Marianist school's origins, Flyer Farm doesn't feed the student body but rather donates much of what it grows to a partner nonprofit kitchen that prepares meals to feed people facing food insecurity in the region.  In the story, I track how the produce is grown at Dayton, then prepared by the nonprofit Miami Valley Meals and then is delivered to those in need through food pantries like the one at St. Mary Catholic Church.  "It's amazing how we can all come together, and then no matter where they're at, where they're from … help the people in need," Sabrina Furlow, who heads the St. Mary's food pantry, said.  Read more: University of Dayton returns to its roots with campus farm that feeds its Ohio community   What else is new on EarthBeat:   Pope Leo XIV offers prayers, condolences as bishops urge solidarity following Colombia earthquake by Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News Pope Leo XIV said he was deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction following a powerful earthquake that struck Colombia, leaving more than 100 dead and dozens of collapsed buildings. Read more here »   Latin America: Bishops express solidarity with Colombia as death toll surpasses 250 by Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News Messages of solidarity from bishops' conferences across Latin America poured in as rescue workers race against time to save victims still trapped beneath the rubble in multiple cities across Colombia. Read more here »   Young African Catholics say faith inspires their fight against climate change by Frederick Nzwili, Religion News Service Across East Africa, young Catholics are transforming Pope Francis' call to care for creation into climate education and advocacy, arguing that protecting the environment is as much a religious obligation as attending church. Read more here »   What India can teach us amid an energy crisis by Nameeta Renu The resourcefulness of ordinary people has much to teach us. How could we apply it to consecrated life in today's India? How do we live through the energy crisis in the spirit of the Gospel? Read more here » What's happening in other climate news: Contiguous US breaks its record for hottest month ever, NOAA says —Seth Borenstein for the Associated Press This year's El Niño is huge and already changing the world —Raymond Zhong and Chico Harlan for The New York Times Thousands flee yearslong drought in Somalia as hunger deepens and aid shrinks —Mohamed Sheikh Nor and Omar Faruk for the Associated Press So much solar: Digging into the list of every US power plant that went online this year —Dan Gearino for Inside Climate News New Amazon data center stokes worry it would be the most polluting power plant in the U.S. —Hiroko Tabuchi for The New York Times White House begins review of plan to expand hunting and fishing in wildlife refuges —Ian M. Stevenson for E&E News EPA moves to rescind Biden-era tribal water quality rule —Miranda Willson for E&E News Samuel Alito gained up to $2.9m from oil and gas assets since joining Supreme Court, analysis shows —Dharna Noor for the Guardian 'When you kill it, it doesn't die': the jellyfish that has cracked the secret of immortality —Petra Stock for the Guardian Final Beat: In July, I reported on the expedition of faith leaders, including Franciscan Sr. Joan Brown, into Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Reserve in an effort to draw awareness to this critical biome and the need to preserve its 19 million acres of largely untouched lands and waters. As part of that story, I referenced data on Arctic warming — happening two to four times faster than the rest of the planet — from the 2025 Arctic Report Card, a report compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with assistance from numerous scientists and academics.  On Tuesday, news outlets reported that the Trump administration was ending funding for the Arctic Report Card, which has been published annually for the past two decades. When reached by journalists, NOAA's communications director did not provide a reason, reported Raymond Zhong for The New York Times. As always, thanks for reading EarthBeat.   Brian Roewe Environment Correspondent National Catholic Reporter broewe@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? Place an Ad in NCR's Online Classified Section for Only $75 per Month!   Advertisement