Knowing our Place
The Broetje Family Trust operates in Eastern Washington, and is a collective of initiatives birthed out of the founding vision of Broetje Orchards to “go and bear fruit, fruit that will last" (John 15:16).
For over 50 years we farmed the land here, working alongside people from all walks of life, learning from each other how best to steward both human and natural resources, and work together towards a more just and loving world.
From these experiences, we crafted core values and principles that continue to guide our work.
Our Vision
Broetje Family Trust was formed in 2019 to steward the legacy of Broetje Orchards and the mission to "go and bear fruit, fruit that will last" (John 15:16). Through our Theory of Community Change, we promote the flourishing of all people and their environment at home and around the world. We nurture deeper connections to God, self, others, and creation, thereby rousing the spirit of people so they may lead themselves.
As people put down roots through the work of nurturing caring relationships with one another in their place, fruit is born of this love. In these places, people tend to become "healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants" (Greenleaf 1970). Special attention is given to including the least privileged amongst us as beloved members of the community.
The result is that "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap" (Isaiah 55:12). This, we believe, aligns with God's vision for the restoration of the good creation.
Our five core values
Our Principles
As a faith-based and servant-led organization, we are committed to a set of principles that we have learned through experience over the years.
We envision a world teeming with holistic, flourishing communities, each serving in their place, out of their unique call and gifts, contributing to their own piece of God’s dream for the world.
As we live by these principles, and nurture them in others, we build communities of practice that make that dream possible.