Who We Are

Care Farming Network is a member-based network pioneering a movement and growing a community of care farms across the United States.

We create community for care farmers

We connect established and aspiring care farms, foster meaningful support, and raise awareness about the transformative power of care farming by providing the resources, expertise, and community needed to start, scale, and replicate care farms across the country.

Consultations

Knowledgeable care farmers with real-world expertise will provide guidance on how to start a care farm, build capacity, and grow your farm. Inquire here.

U.S. care farm directory and map

Our directory showcases care farms across the U.S., complete with links to each farm’s profile, making it fun and easy to find a care farm near you. Explore the map here.

Tools to learn and grow

We provide free access to technical support, tools, and resources on care farm operations, best practices, fundraising, needs assessment, and staffing and volunteer management. Share and utilize these resources at no cost! Search our resource library here.

Events

We host virtual and in-person workshops, seminars, and conferences, and promote other care farm events through our website, newsletters, and social media channels. See upcoming events here.

A supportive community

The Care Farming Network is a hub where care farmers unite to share knowledge and support one another in an inclusive community.

Free membership

Membership in our organization is completely free of charge, although some webinars encourage a sliding-scale donation.

A program of Red Wiggler Care Farm

The Care Farming Network is a program of Red Wiggler Care Farm, a care farm founded in 1996 where people with developmental disabilities come together to work, learn and grow healthy food.

What is care farming?

Care farming uses therapeutic farming to promote health, well-being and belonging.

At Care Farming Network, we define care farming as the intentional integration of agricultural practices with therapeutic interventions to promote health, well-being, and belonging. Care farming offers a purposeful, structured approach where participants engage with nature or agricultural tasks within a supportive community. Care farms provide care and support to diverse populations, such as those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), veterans, trauma survivors, and people in recovery.

Care farming is rooted in social inclusion and community-building. Whether through growing vegetables, tending to animals, participating in group activities, or engaging in nature-based vocational training, individuals find opportunities to connect, contribute, and thrive. For many, care farms are empowering environments where they can develop new skills, experience a sense of purpose, and be part of a supportive, nurturing community.

What are the benefits of care farming?

Care farms offer a wide range of benefits for individuals, communities, and the environment. They help those engaged on a farm to build confidence, foster social connection, encourage physical activity, and create inclusive communities. At their core, care farms cultivate a deep sense of health, well-being, and belonging. These spaces create opportunities for hands-on learning, meaningful work, and memorable experiences, while reducing stress and promoting dignity, teamwork, and personal growth.

Research consistently shows that therapeutic farming leads to measurable improvements in depression, grief, trauma, and social isolation. It also serves as one of the most innovative and empowering pathways into agriculture for individuals who have historically been excluded from farming.