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This is an opportunity to connect, share ideas and inspiration, and see firsthand how ACRES Project uses aquaponics, hydroponics, and traditional growing methods to  produce sustainable food and bridge gaps in services. We’ll learn about the employment opportunities, job skills training, and community integration ACRES Project provides for individuals with autism and other disabilities. 

Following the tour, stay for a potluck and informal conversation on care farming practices, organizational needs, and how we can support one another. ACRES participants will share food they’ve prepared and join us for the meal.

Where: State College, PA

When: Saturday, October 4th, 2025

Time: 11:00 am

Cost: FREE. Pre-registration is appreciated:

Please plan to arrive between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m.  The farm tour starts at 11:00 a.m. at the registration table. Following the tour, stay for a potluck meal and conversation.

Questions: Please contact Sarah at CFN: sarah@carefarmingnetwork.org

About ACRES Project:

ACRES Project provides social, educational, and vocational programming for neurodivergent participants. ACRES’ aquaponics program combines fish and plant cultivation to offer employment opportunities to community members. Participants gain valuable skills while contributing to local food production and sustainability. ACRES Project is an approved service provider through Pennsylvania’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR).

This Care Farming Tour & Meetup is funded by a SARE Northeast grant, the goal of which is to increase employment and meaningful work opportunities for people with I/DD on farms. We hope that care farmers will feel more connected and supported as we build an infrastructure that includes mentoring, farm tours, and training opportunities for those involved in this work. 

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THIS EVENT WILL BE RESCHEDULED IN SPRING 2026!

Care Farming Network is excited to co-host our upcoming Midwest Care Farm Meet Up, and we’d love for you to join us. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow care farmers, share ideas, and see firsthand how Farm in the Dell RRV is transforming disabilities into abilities through meaningful farm-based work.

From vegetable growers to animal-assisted therapists, flower farmers to beekeepers—and every kind of care farmer in between, you’re welcome here. Whether you’re planting your first seeds or tending well-established roots, you’ll find encouragement, connection, and community.

The day will include a tour of Farm in the Dell’s CSA program, U Pick produce, honeybees, a beautiful barn, and pumpkin patch. We’ll also gather for an informal discussion on care farming best practices and knowledge sharing, a chance to learn from one another and strengthen our collective impact.

Event Details

Date: Thursday, October 9, 2025
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: 7426 40th Street N, Moorhead, MN. 56560 Click for directions.

Registration is appreciated!

**A light lunch will be provided

About Farm in the Dell

Farm in the Dell of the Red River Valley was formed in 2012 by a group of parents who each had a teen with a developmental disability. Their kids were graduating soon, and about to enter a time with many unknowns – What are their next steps? What will their employment look like, or their social life?

​After months of research and hard work, Farm in the Dell of the Red River Valley was officially incorporated on July 5, 2012. Ever since, Farm in the Dell has provided meaningful employment and volunteer opportunities for individuals with disabilities in our beautiful farm and garden setting.

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Founded by a mother and daughter team with a mission to support other families, Homesteads for Hope fosters independence by promoting skills training, socialization, self-awareness, and career exploration. Programs include an organic food and flower CSA, inclusive apprentice program, and summer camp.

Meetup at Homesteads For Hope

Where: Rochester, NY

When: Thursday, July 10, 2025

Time: 3:30 pm

Cost: FREE

Details: Please plan to arrive between 3:00 and 3:30 p.m.  The farm tour starts promptly at 3:30 p.m. at the farm store. Following the tour, stay for Thursdays at the Farm and enjoy free live music and conversation. Apprentice-made picnic foods will be available for purchase, or bring your own picnic dinner.

Pre-registration is appreciated.

Questions: Please contact Sarah at CFN: sarah@carefarmingnetwork.org

This Care Farming Tour & Meetup is funded by a SARE Northeast grant, the goal of which is to increase employment and meaningful work opportunities for people with I/DD on farms. We hope that care farmers will feel more connected and supported as we build an infrastructure that includes mentoring, farm tours, and training opportunities for those involved in this work. 

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Calling all fellow care farmers, farmers, aspiring care farmers and community members interested in the work of social care farming! Join Blawesome and the Care Farming Network for a farm tour and conversation centered around the ways we can use agriculture and connection to the earth to amplify opportunities for building a more inclusive world. 

 

Meetup at Blawesome

Where: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

When: Friday, June 27, 2025

Time: 5:30 pm

Cost: FREE

Details: Please plan to arrive between 5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  The farm tour starts promptly at 6:00 p.m. Following the tour, stay for pizza and a discussion on ways we can build a community for care farmers in the area.  Feel free to bring a side dish (optional!)

Questions: Please contact Andrea at CFN: andrea@carefarmingnetwork.org

Register Here

You’re invited to visit and learn about the work of care farming and how one North Carolina flower farm is  “using the art and practice of growing, designing, and delivering organic cut flowers to promote self, environmental, and community sustainability.”

Blawesome is a Chapel Hill-based flower farm and design studio that offers beautiful, locally grown, organic arrangements. The farm is owned and co-operated by Raimee Sorensen, a young entrepreneur pioneering a meaningful path to sustainability while farming on the autism spectrum. Blawesome invites our communities to support a mission-driven business and take part in a celebration of the beauty and uniqueness of both flowers and humanity.  

 

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On September 10th, 2024, care farmers gathered to learn how Homefields Care Farm provides meaningful employment and housing to support adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their community.

Homefields Care Farm is an award-winning nonprofit organization dedicated to creating new life options for people who have disabilities. Hundreds of people who have a disability or other barrier to traditional employment have engaged at the farm, growing organic produce for community shareholders, and six adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities call the farm “Home.”

On the day of the farm tour, we met by the CSA building for a round of introductions. We learned about the history of Homefields from Allison Hawthorne, Homefield’s Board President. Then we headed out to the fields for our tour led by Farm Manager Andrew Phillips.

Andrew and his co-workers Doug, Cristian, Tony, and Christina showed us their perennial gardens, greenhouses, compost area, and annual crops in the field as they walked us around the farm. Participants asked great questions and we discussed how Homefields crew operates on a day to day basis, how they adapt their farming tasks to suit their team, and the successes and challenges they are facing in their work.

After the tour ended, we sat and chatted over a delicious dinner catered by Homefields and Koshary Station while we watched the sun go down. The group continued to ask questions of one another and share their stories, exchange resources, and bond over a great meal in a beautiful place.

We are so grateful to Homefields for hosting us!

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Saturday, October 5th, 11:00am-2:00pm

You’re invited to visit and learn about care farming and how Reed’s Farm serves as “a living laboratory where people can learn about and participate in sustainable agriculture, fostering a deeper connection between people and the land.”

A Meaningful Purpose at Reed’s Farm was founded in 2020 to address the needs of food insecurity, soil regeneration, and community inclusiveness in Atlantic County, NJ. The farm operates year-round utilizing organic and regenerative practices, hosts a sanctuary for farm animals, and provides educational and vocational programming to local schools and organizations with a focus on individuals with cognitive disabilities.

This Care Farming Tour & Meetup is funded by a SARE Northeast grant, the goal of which is to increase employment and meaningful work opportunities for people with I/DD on farms. We hope that care farmers will feel more connected and supported as we build an infrastructure that includes mentoring, farm tours, and training opportunities for those involved in this work. 

Details:

Where: Reed’s Farm, 5075 Spruce Ave, Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

Following the tour there will be an opportunity to eat lunch at Reed’s Farm Market!

Questions: Please contact Kasey at CFN: kasey@carefarmingnetwork.org 

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Tuesday, September 10th, 4:00-7:30pm

Homefields Care Farm, 150 Letort Road Millersville, PA 17551

Cost: $10 per person

Register Here

You’re invited to join other care farmers to gather, socialize, and learn how Homefields provides meaningful employment and housing to support adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their community.

Homefields Care Farm is an award-winning nonprofit organization dedicated to creating new life options for people who have disabilities. Hundreds of people who have a disability or other barrier to traditional employment have engaged at the farm, growing organic produce for community shareholders, and six adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities call the farm “Home.”

Details

• Tuesday, September 10th, 4:00-7:30pm

• Homefields Care Farm, 150 Letort Road Millersville, PA 17551

• The farm tour starts promptly at 4:00 p.m. Please plan to arrive accordingly. Dinner will be from 5:30-7:30pm.

• Dinner will be provided by Homefields Care Farm, Koshary Station, Rock Hill Ranch, and North Star Orchards.

• Questions: Please contact Kasey at CFN: kasey@carefarmingnetwork.org

This Care Farming Tour & Meetup is funded by a SARE Northeast grant. The goal of the grant is to increase employment and meaningful work opportunities for people with I/DD on farms. We hope that care farmers will feel more connected and supported as we build an infrastructure that includes mentoring, farm tours, and training opportunities for those involved in this work.

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Saturday, October 5th, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

10361 110th St N, Stillwater, Minnesota 55082

Free to attend

Care Farming Network is co-hosting our first Midwest Meet-up and you’re invited! Join us to meet other care farmers and learn how 21 Roots Farm is providing a place for children and adults with developmental disabilities to connect with nature, community, and dignity through farming. All care farmers are invited to gather, socialize, and learn from each other at this beautiful farm located just north of the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

Details:

• Saturday, October 5th, 2024
• 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• We’ll tour 21 Roots farm, which will include a demonstration of their apple cider press, and learn about the adaptive tools they’ve created to utilize on the farm
• A light lunch will be provided
• Please register in advance

About 21 Roots Farm

21 Roots Farm offers high-quality nature and agriculture-based programming that helps people with developmental disabilities cultivate a sense of purpose and community. By fostering inclusive connections that are rooted in real life, we provide opportunities, resources, and support that encourage all people to tend to their gifts and harvest their full potential.

• “21 Roots Farm grows jobs — and hope — for people with developmental disabilities” (Pioneer Press Article, Read Here!)
• See drone footage of 21 Roots Farm

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Madison Fields sits on 400 acres of beautiful farmland in the Agricultural Reserve of Montgomery County, Maryland. Madison Fields’ programs support their mission to strengthen their community by creating a safe, accessible, and inclusive agricultural environment where people of all abilities join together to participate in meaningful work, enjoy respite and healing, and engage with the natural world. Madison Fields program includes Equine-Assisted Services, Job Readiness Program, On-site Soapery, and Agricultural Education.

On the day of the farm tour, we met at the front of the farm and did introductions. We met our tour leaders: Nancy Frasche, Job Readiness Program Manager at Madison Fields, and David, Job Readiness Program Participant at Madison Fields. Then, we walked up the hill of the farm and met some of the horses (and a donkey) in the fenced pastures.

At the top of the hill, we visited the miniature horses in their enclosure, and we heard about their adventures in animal-assisted therapy at local schools, hospitals, and more! We then explored the Equestrian Center, where we saw horse riding lessons in action through the viewing window. David told us about the special connection he had with his primary riding horse, and about the beautiful displays they make to commemorate the horses after they pass away. Nancy gave us some insight into the different programs that the horses are a part of, including the Therapeutic Recreational Horseback Riding and the Equine Assisted Learning, as well as the processes for prospective (human) participants to get into these programs.

After that, we walked down to the chicken coop and learned about the chickens’ roles as a newer addition to the farm— we even got to take home some farm-fresh eggs!

Throughout the tour, Nancy and David showed us the different components of Madison Fields’ multifaceted Job Readiness Program, including Equine Care (grooming, feeding, cleaning, paddock maintenance), Barn Maintenance (sweeping, arena care), Goat Care (milking, feeding, mucking, and soap making), and Chicken Care (feeding, cleaning, collecting eggs).

We finished the tour at Madison Fields Soapery, where we saw (and smelled) the huge variety of soaps made by Job Readiness Program participants using goat milk from the farm. Nancy showed us some incredible animal-inspired soap carvings made by one of the participants.

After the tour ended, we all headed to the Milking Parlor for a delicious potluck dinner!

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