Join us on December 4th from 3-4 pm Eastern Time to celebrate and share what you accomplished in 2025 and what your resolutions and goals are for 2026! This will be a round-robin open discussion open to all, including those who are in the dreaming stages of planning a care farm!

Registration is required- you will receive the Zoom link via email after you register.

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Don’t miss this chance to build connections, exchange ideas, and meet other care farmers in your region!

All are welcome to attend this free event. Registration is required.

Date: Thursday, November 6, 2025
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Location: Zoom

Our monthly gatherings are an opportunity for members to share learn from the experience of others on a variety of topics. If you have a skill, experience or interest you’d like to share, please get in touch with: outreach@carefarmingnetwork.org

The post Quarterly Quick Connect: Building Regional & Focused Care Farming Networks appeared first on Care Farming Network.

Outcome vs. output. Qualitative vs. quantitative. Do these terms make your head spin? You’re not alone—and this hands-on session is designed with you in mind.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to strengthen your care farm’s programming, this practical webinar with Q&A will walk you through the basics of program and outcomes evaluation in a care farming context. Learn how to assess whether your goals are being met and your participants are truly benefiting. We’ll break down key evaluation terms, explore simple tools and surveys you can start using right away, and show you how to use data to tell a powerful story about your work. Understanding how to evaluate for effectiveness not only deepens your insight into your farm’s impact, it also strengthens your case for funding and stakeholder support.

Presenters will break down key evaluation concepts, introduce simple tools and surveys, and demonstrate how to use both qualitative and quantitative data to tell your story. You’ll leave with accessible strategies to apply right away…no research background required!

Bring your questions and challenges. With input from two experienced researchers, the session will conclude with an interactive Q&A offering real-world insights and actionable advice.

You don’t need to be a data expert, just ready to measure what matters.

Special Note: This session is an encore presentation originally offered at the Care Farming Network’s 2025 National Conference. Please note that this month’s member gathering will take place earlier than usual, beginning at 11:00 AM ET.

Meet the Presenters

Jackie Farrell (she/her) is an occupational therapist and emerging researcher interested in uplifting alternative and integrative ways of providing care to individuals with physical disabilities and mental health challenges. For the past 6 years, Jackie has worked as an occupational therapist in community-based mental health care. She has seen how traditional mental health services are often not able to fully address people’s needs and sees care farming as a hopeful pathway towards better care. She is also Adjunct faculty in the Boston University Doctorate of Occupational Therapy program. Located in Massachusetts, Jackie enjoys tending to her own home garden and creating homemade herbal body products.

Toni Watt is a Professor and Chair of Sociology at Texas State University. Dr. Watt received her PhD in Sociology with an emphasis in Demography from the University of Texas at Austin. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in research methodology, drugs and society, and mental health. Her research is both academic and applied and focuses on improving outcomes for children and youth who have experienced trauma and/or the foster care system. Her recent work examines the potential mental health benefits of nature-based interventions, care farming, and peer support.

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When: Thursday, June 5th from 3-4 pm Eastern Time

Where: Online

Please register and you’ll receive a Zoom link!

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Therapeutic beekeeping has been shown to reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression by encouraging mindfulness, routine, sensory awareness, and connection to living systems. Working with bees also builds confidence, patience, and emotional regulation, making it a powerful practice for veterans, trauma survivors, and others seeking meaningful engagement with nature.

Our guest presenters are leaders in this field and will provide practical insight and inspiration for care farmers, aspiring practitioners, and those simply curious about innovative models of therapeutic beekeeping.

Presenters

Adam and Lacey Ingrao own and operate Bee Wise Farms, a diversified farm located in Newberry, Michigan, that produces lavender, herbs, cut flowers, honeybee products, and recycled art with a focus on healthy lives and healthy land. They are the proud founders of the Heroes to Hives program, dedicated to supporting the lives of those returning from war.

Monica Schmitt is the Director at Mission Beelieve, located in Taneytown, Maryland, dedicated to providing sustainable beekeeping education to Veterans and First Responders.  Through their comprehensive Beekeeping Beginners Course, mentorship programs, hands-on workshops, and monthly seminars, Mission Beelieve empowers participants to develop a new skill while fostering a deeper connection with nature and their local communities. By embracing the therapeutic and vocational benefits of beekeeping, participants transform negative energy into purposeful and rewarding endeavors.

Our monthly gatherings provide an opportunity to learn from one another and explore key topics in care farming. If you have a skill, experience, or area of interest you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us at outreach@carefarmingnetwork.org

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Language plays a powerful role in how we communicate our impact, advocate for care farming, and foster inclusivity within our community. Join us for a thought-provoking presentation and discussion on how we define care farming practices, choose terminology that reflects our values, and develop a shared language to strengthen and unify the care farming movement.

Date: Thursday, April 3, 2025
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Location: Zoom

This free event is open to all, but registration is required.

Our monthly gatherings provide an opportunity to learn from one another and explore key topics in care farming. If you have a skill, experience, or area of interest you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us at outreach@carefarmingnetwork.org

The post Shaping Our Language, Strengthening Our Movement: A Conversation on Care Farming Language appeared first on Care Farming Network.

Don’t miss this chance to build connections, exchange ideas, and meet other care farmers in your region!

All are welcome to attend this free event. Registration is required.

Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2025
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Location: Zoom

Our monthly gatherings are an opportunity for members to share learn from the experience of others on a variety of topics. If you have a skill, experience or interest you’d like to share, please get in touch with: outreach@carefarmingnetwork.org

The post Quarterly Quick Connect: Building Regional & Focused Care Farming Networks appeared first on Care Farming Network.

At our February Monthly Member Gathering, we’ll reflect on the impactful moments from the Care Farming Network National Conference, exploring key takeaways and how we can bring them to life within our own practices. This is a chance to discuss specific actions we’re taking based on the feedback we gathered from the community.

We actively sought your input on how we can better foster peer-to-peer learning, enhance networking, and promote collaboration within the CFN community. We’ll revisit the ideas you shared and delve into examples of how future gatherings and your insights will shape the direction of CFN.

Whether or not you attended the conference, we’re excited to come together in February to share reflections, ideas, and next steps—and we look forward to hearing from you!

All are welcome to attend this free event. Registration is required.

Date: Tuesday, February 6, 2025
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time
Location: Zoom

Our monthly gatherings are an opportunity for members to share learn from the experience of others on a variety of topics. If you have a skill, experience or interest you’d like to share, please get in touch with: outreach@carefarmingnetwork.org

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Join us on December 5th from 3-4 pm Eastern Time to celebrate and share what you accomplished in 2024 and what your resolutions and goals are for 2025! This will be a round-robin open discussion open to all- including those who are in the dreaming stages of planning a care farm!

Registration is required- you will receive the Zoom link via email after you register.

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November’s monthly member gathering will focus on safety considerations at care farms. All are welcome to share experiences, ask questions, and learn from other care farmers. Guest speakers from Red Wiggler Community Farm will share their knowledge and experience!

Discussion Topics Include:

• Liability issues for staff, volunteers, and visitors
• Accessibility and restrictions on the farm
• Machinery and equipment
• Animal health & ethical considerations
• Guidance and supervision
• Signs, parking, first aid, and more!

Registration is required- you will receive the Zoom link via email after you register.

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