Although sometimes mystifying, the cycles of life continue.

To ensure the longevity of Lynchburg Grows, it’s time for Central Virginians to contribute to the cause.

The nonprofit, which is committed to bringing the joys of gardening to the less fortunate, was set to close on a 6½ acre tract of land in the city earlier this month. But it didn’t happen. Complicating factors, including that the group was unable to raise the entire $319,000 purchase price, postponed the closing.

Now, the group will have to borrow money - somewhere in the neighborhood of $225,000 - and use already-limited funds to pay for interest.

Lynchburg Grows is a project worthy of community support, and not just in the “yeah, it’s great” kind of way.

The nonprofit was established in October 2004, born from the need to help one man, Paul Lam.

Lam, who lived in Bedford’s Longwood Group Home for mentally retarded, had been working on a garden for years. He came outside one morning to find a front-end loader reducing his pride to rubble; he was devastated.

When news of his story spread via The News & Advance, citizens of Lynchburg and the surrounding areas of Region 2000 came together to form Lynchburg Grows. In its humble beginnings, members used creativity and more than a little hard work to raise $650 to create a permanent vegetable garden for the group home.

“You might not realize how desperately a facility such as this needs fresh fruits and vegetables in order to feed its residents here,” a Longwood staff member says on a Web site promoting Lynchburg Grows. “This is a way that a wonderfully special person such as Paul can be productive, follow his life-long interest and talent in gardening, and assist in feeding us all.”

Brash with success, the group - still young enough not to know better - sought to help more people.

The community-rooted group formed a collaborative initiative: It would help grow a community food system to give those on limited income accessibility to fresh, healthy and affordable produce, while providing job-training and sustained employment opportunities for the low-income and disabled.

It gathered data from the 2000 U.S. Census to support its mission. Poverty is more widespread in Lynchburg (21 percent) than in Virginia as a whole (9 percent). Houses in high-poverty areas are home to 38 percent of the city’s children. In terms of disabilities, 9 percent of those ages 5 to 20 are classified as disabled; a whopping 23 percent of folks 21 to 64 are classified as disabled.

So the group knew its work would help the region. Next, Lynchburg Grows needed to tackle the “where” issue.

Members literally drove around Lynchburg until something clicked: The Schenkel Farm.

The 6½ acre tract of land behind City Stadium was used between 1952 and 1999 to grow more than 1 million cut flowers - including blooms used decorate the White House and crown Kentucky Derby winners - within its nine greenhouses. But the Schenkels closed the family-owned business in 1999, leaving behind roses they could not sell or give away. For years, the property declined.

In 2004, Lynchburg Grows purchased an option to buy the property, and began working the land and the plants.

The urban farm now provides educational programs for children along with workforce development and job training opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged adults - all the while, producing organically grown produce for local food banks, public institutions and for retail sale to residents. The farm also serves as a small-business model representing the economic viability of small farms and their potential.

Lynchburg Grows partners with dozens of area groups: The Lynchburg Center for Independent Living, DePaul Family Service, Daily Bread, the Jubilee Center, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, Lynchburg Department of Parks and Recreation, the Lynchburg Extension Office, the Hill City Master Gardeners, the Center for Community Development and Social Justice at Lynchburg College … the list goes on.

Since last August, 700 community volunteers have donated more than 6,000 hours to transform the greenhouses from flower-growing to vegetable production. More than 1,000 pounds of fresh salad greens have been harvested; of that 450 pounds have been donated to Daily Bread to feed the hungry.

For the ideals of the organization to flourish, Lynchburg Grows literally needs to buy the farm.

It’s an incredible opportunity: The acquisition of the greenhouses would make Lynchburg Grows the largest greenhouse producer of organic vegetables in the mid-Atlantic. The purchase will put into effect self-sustaining practices that will carry the project for generations.

And it’s time for the community to offer much-needed and much-deserved support.