Winter at San Damiano Farm: Hope Taking Root Beneath the Snow

February 9, 2026

In winter, life at San Damiano Farm, a ministry of St. Christopher’s Inn, continues to be busier than you’d imagine. Beneath the frozen ground and within our expansive greenhouses and hoop houses, growth is underway, showing early signs of hope, patience and new beginnings.

Under layers of snow, more than 2,000 hardy garlic plants are firmly rooted in raised beds, enduring the cold and trusting the promise of spring. Nearby, thousands of seedlings are tended by our Brothers Christopher.

This activity and steady rhythm are part of SCI’s year-round vocation program offerings, where men in recovery learn agricultural skills. Under the guidance of Bob Conboy, who has led San Damiano Farm for 15 years, our Brothers Christopher plant, tend, and harvest not only crops, but new habits of responsibility, patience, and hope.

In the greenhouses, “Lucky Shamrock” plants are growing just in time for St. Patrick’s Day and will be available at the Inn’s thrift shop, That Nothing Be Lost. Alongside them, more than 200 geraniums are sprouting for our annual Mother’s Day Plant Sale. For the second year in a row, this tradition will extend beyond Graymoor through partnerships with the Peekskill Garden Club and the Philipstown Garden Club.

Looking ahead, San Damiano Farm will take another step in widening its circle. In addition to supplying fresh produce to local restaurants, the farm will offer starter plants to the public through its garden club partners. Home gardeners will be able to grow the very same tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and flowers cultivated at the farm—bringing the spirit of San Damiano into backyards and kitchen gardens in neighboring towns and communities.

Even in winter, when growth seems hidden, the farm reminds us that renewal is always underway. From seed planning in the colder months to planting and harvest in spring and summer, San Damiano Farm offers structure, dignity, and purpose. In caring for plants and seedlings, the men at the Inn learn to care for themselves and one another.

The nurses are the best part of my day.

The admission process was as fast and painless as it could be.

The medical staff is excellent, they treated me with love and care.

Overall the program and facility at St. Christopher’s Inn is the best, bar none.

Family program is PERFECT please don’t change a thing.

I took part in the GED program and was quite satisfied. I haven’t taken the test yet, but I have very high hopes of passing.

Gained immense knowledge from lectures and treatment plan.

It is very spiritual and I needed the experience.

The care and concern by my counselor and supporting staff shows the love that I didn’t know existed.

Staff is unbelievable, saved my life.

The goals I have reached and the new ones I’ve developed while being here are something of a life changer for me in my future.

I was pleasantly surprised by the existence of the Coffee House. Music is a central and meditative part of my life. The ability to perform for my new brothers here and the staff was unexpected and made this an incredible journey.

I would have nothing if it wasn’t for SCI.

Great people, caring and responsive.

I would like to tell you how thankful I am to you for having this family program available. I want to say thank you for giving me exactly what I needed.

The experience of being here and becoming a member of the Brothers Christopher fraternity has changed my life. Being in the Friars house was a blessing. Their generosity gave me knowledge I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Thank you for the privilege I was given to stay here in your house. God bless you all. I will always keep a piece of St. Christopher’s Inn in my heart.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the hot meals, warm bed and unconditional love you so easily gave to me. I know if it were not for you, I would truly still be a lost soul.

The road to recovery is called Franciscan Way, and the door to happiness lies within the walls of St. Christopher’s Inn.

I never thought someone could care for a drug addict like me. You have shown me that I am worth something. May God bless you a million times.

Thank you for welcoming me in to your home, and granting me a scholarship for treatment. There’s not enough “thank-yous” I could say, so I’m going to show you by staying clean and living a peaceful sober life.

I want to thank you for everything—from my stay here to working in the Thrift Shop. I am so grateful for St. Christopher’s Inn and every staff member that represents this fantastic organization.

I was amazed by the unbelievable generosity of everyone at our Christmas party. A nice scarf and a collared shirt—I have been through hundreds in my life but I have never cared for any of them as I do for these. Thank you for giving me the best Christmas in many, many years.

I love this place. They have given me a place to sleep, food in my stomach, clothes on my back, and a chance at a first-class life. Recovery is here . . . all you have to do is want it!

Today, I am a sober man. I live an honest and simple life. I’m a reliable, employable productive member of society. I have dignity and self-worth and even self-love. All of these things are a direct result of the care and guidance given to me by the Friars and the staff at St. Christopher’s Inn. Some people call it a homeless shelter. I call it home.