Early in the 1990’s, Carol Mariott was employed as an international child advocate for a non-profit organization that worked throughout all of Eastern Europe.  During one of her trips to Europe, it was apparent that in order for the children to be healthy enough to learn, they needed a diet with a much higher caloric intake.  Carol asked her friend, Cecil Martinez, to accompany her to Europe. Cecil had been growing strawberries and vegetables in California for the past 30 years.  Cecil took on the tasks of evaluating the weather and climate conditions that were necessary for healthy crops, as well as conducting soil evaluations. 

     Once the findings were evaluated they went about finding financial sponsors to partner with them in farming projects that directly benefited the lives of orphaned, abandoned and institutionalized children living in Eastern Europe.  In 2002 Carol and Cecil formed a non-profit organization now recognized as Farmers Without Fences.  Their work involves all aspects of small family farming, planting fruit and nut bearing orchards as well as animal husbandry projects that include goats, pigs, chickens and rabbits.  Farmers Without Fences is dedicated to teaching the children under their care the practical skills necessary for surviving and caring for themselves.  Every program that Farmers Without Fences teaches is taught by applying Christian principles and how those principles effect the lives of people.  Farmers Without Fences continues to be blessed and recognizes that without the Lord being on their side, none of this would have been possible.

     Farmers Without Fences relies on volunteers that regularly visit children on the streets and try to feed them a hot meal at least once a week.  This meal usually consists of some sort of meat and cheese sandwich and hot tea.  Their dedicated Christian volunteers have at times had to use their own money to make sure these children are fed.  None of the volunteer families have incomes over $200 per month.

    Farmers Without Fences is a non-profit registered 501C3 organization. Farmers Without Fences is a non-profit Christian organization dedicated to providing nutritional, emotional and spiritual guidance to orphaned, institutionalized and abandoned street children. Many of the children in the care of Farmers Without Fences live in state-run as well as Christian-run orphanages.  By partnering with the children living in these homes, Farmers Without Fences has been able to teach the children the basic survival skills through farming and small animal science programs.

Monetary donations to Farmers Without Fences are tax deductible.

Local Artists take their talents to Eastern Europe 

    Artists Carol Mariott & Linda Wilmes for the Republic of Moldova on February 26th, 2008. This 2 week  trip was sponsored by the non-profit group Farmers Without Fences. Moldova was once part of the former Soviet Union but after the revolution is now considered an independent state and the poorest country in Eastern Europe. The artists traveled to the Tranistria Region of Northern Moldova that is under rule by a communist dictator. Linda and Carol  painted murals on the walls of an orphanage that houses orphaned and abandoned street children. Over the course of their 12 day trip, they painted 14 murals throughout the orphanages they visited.  Many of these children were rescued from the hands of people dealing in human trafficking.

 Of the trip, Carol Mariott says, "The children will be so blessed by the work, and for me I am thrilled beyond words that Linda Wilmes is traveling with me and will be responsible for all the designs and implementation of her creations.  I will be responsible for doing what ever Linda tells me to do!  She says jump... I say how high."

CLICK TO SEE  PICTURES FROM THEIR TRIP