One of our favorite things to do at Care Farming Network is to visit care farms during our travels. This past month we had the privilege of visiting Mandy’s Farm in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We were warmly welcomed by the apprentices and staff to their desert farm and are excited to share our learnings about their apprenticeship program.
Through a federally-funded partnership with New Mexico State University, the New Mexico Technology Assistance Program, and the University of New Mexico, Mandy’s Farm offers programming designed specifically for people with disabilities who wish to access education and vocational support designed to cultivate a career in farming. Apprentices complete a two-year long program designed to prepare them to work on an existing farm or start a micro-business of their own and receive hands-on and classroom-based training in growing vegetables, cultivating fruit, caring for small livestock, and more. Following the completion of their apprenticeship, disabled farmers have the opportunity to incubate their own farming business within Mandy’s Farm. Their approach blends residential support, agriculture, and vocational training into a thriving ecosystem of care.
Growing Food in the desert
Mandy’s Farm grows everything from garlic and walking onions to quinoa—and garbanzo beans!—all on Zone 7b land that thrives from mid-April through October. They’re experimenting with diverse crops, including native species, while also growing food for a local restaurant with the goal of providing nutritious food to residents who live in their group homes. Future plans include a farm stand and community-centered meals for local residents.
They’ve planted native shrubs as a windbreak along the edge of the property, reinforcing their commitment to sustainability, and have been working hard to remediate their soil. A greenhouse, flock of ducks, and some very friendly goats greeted us upon our arrival, and are cared for the apprentices at the farm.
Empowerment in Action
What stood out was how choice is embedded into every aspect of daily life. There’s a task board with names and Velcro-backed picture icons that represent farm jobs. Apprentices choose their tasks each day, placing icons by their names and shifting them once completed. Visual tools like the “traffic light” clock help signal transitions between tasks, meals, and rest—simple systems that make a big impact in supporting autonomy.
Innovation Through Apprenticeship and Occupational Therapy
The AgrAbility Apprentice Program is one of Mandy’s Farm’s most exciting innovations. This two-year, paid program provides adults with disabilities the opportunity to gain farming and business skills through a mix of education and hands-on work. Apprentices receive a stipend each month, with additional support from Vocational Rehabilitation and USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher program.
In their final year, apprentices can grow crops on their own plot of land and launch a small business. The program ends with a three-month job placement period, and the goal is for each graduate to be employed in agriculture.
Mandy’s Farm also has a close partnership with the University of New Mexico’s Occupational Therapy department. OT students complete practicum placements on the farm, where they support assessments and adaptive tool development—like a 3D-printed one-handed toolbox.
