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Farmer, Author Sows Seeds of Recovery

Since the age of 5, West Virginia native Tammy L. Jordan dreamed of owning a farm. Today, she owns just such a property, but it’s far from an “ordinary” farm.

Not only does the Fruits of Labor farm produce crops, but also it is a place to grow skills, sow new paths and rebuild lives.

Jordan, founder of Fruits of Labor Inc., is the keynote speaker for a day-long program, “Growing Food, Health and Hope,” to be held Saturday, March 5, at St. Joseph Retreat Center in Wheeling. Her company, with headquarters in Greenbrier County, blends agriculture with the culinary industry.

After working in agricultural research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for over a decade, Jordan left the federal job and went to work full-time with her company.

The Fruits of Labor training center, located Rainelle, W.Va., offers Seeds of Recovery, a culinary and agricultural program for recovering addicts. It is the only American Culinary Federation-certified quality program in West Virginia and one of fewer than 100 in the nation.

The Seeds of Recovery program was offered originally to female recovering addicts affiliated with Greenbrier County Drug Court.

A curriculum for men was added in September 2014. Seeds of Recovery went statewide in March 2015 with a program that is conducted five days a week for three months.

Another culinary and agricultural program – designed to promote youth addiction prevention – was launched in the summer of 2015.

Jordan operates the Fruits of Labor Cafe and Bakery in downtown Rainelle, where Seeds of Recovery students work and learn. A statement on the Fruits of Labor website reads: “Our Seeds of Recovery program already sees significant results in the recovery and healing of our students, with many firmly prepared to re-enter the workforce upon completion of our program.”

Fruits of Labor presents Farm to Feast training for educators, students and the general public. The organization’s “Farm to Feast: Little is Much” campaign is designed to meet basic food needs in the community.

In 2012, the company’s mission expanded with the addition of a 218-acre Fruits of Labor Retreat Center, offering renewal retreats, women’s retreats and special-interest day retreats. The retreat center is located in Spring Dale, W.Va.

Jordan is the author of three books. Her first volume, “The Door to Fruitfulness,” presents 16 devotional lessons inviting believers to bear “first fruits.” Her second book, “The Seed Sower,” was released in 2014 and features 40 devotional lessons that encourage believers “to sow seeds into the lives of others.” Her third book is slated to be released this year.

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