CARE FARMING NETWORK BLOG

April 17, 2023

Muddy Boots Farm

Providing Employment for Our Community in Redmond, Washington

The idea for Muddy Boots Farm came when founders, Tom and Lindsey Yocum, began to plan for their nine year old son’s future. They knew their autistic son, Porter, would need support for the rest of his life. He would need a comfortable home where he could be cared for. He would need access to activities he enjoyed. He would need meaningful work.

Always the advocates for inclusion, Tom and Lindsey began to dream up an ideal job where Porter could work alongside disabled and nondisabled peers. What kind of job would Porter enjoy? What would he get excited about every day? Aside from puzzles, Porter loves being outside, engaging in heavy work, and getting his boots all muddy! And so, Muddy Boots Farm was born.

Although Muddy Boots Farm will sell produce to community members, the real service we are providing is inclusive employment. We will provide opportunities for our staff to work, learn, and grow together. We will provide opportunities for our community to interact with our staff through our education, volunteer, and farm sales programs.

We are looking forward to bringing Muddy Boots Farm to our community!

April 12, 2023

Ohana Farm

In 2015 we realized, in order to support our son with autism, as he transitioned in to adulthood, we had to make a change. A farm nearby became available and we thought some land, space, and a few farm animals would help him thrive. We moved there and named it "Ohana Farm". Our son, the Disney fan, will tell you "Ohana means family and family means no one is left behind or forgotten."

On the farm, there happened to be a large apple orchard which wasn't producing fruit. Farm living was a great change for our whole family, and over time, we began to take better care of our orchard. Then, "applemaggeden" began to arrive each fall. There were more apples then we could pick, enjoy, and give away!

We began to wonder if we could parlay our orchard in to something more meaningful, so a partnership was struck with our son's school, Melmark. Each week in the fall, a number of students with intellectual disabilities from Melmark come to pick, sort, wash, and assist with the production, and delivery, of our Apple Butter and Apple Cider. They are very proud of their hard work and products! Later we added the business talents of students with Autism from the Hill Top School. They help with researching resources for the supplies we need, helping create business and marketing plans, financial accounting, and selling our products.