CARE FARMING NETWORK BLOG

November 8, 2023

Helping Friendly Farm

Helping Friendly Farm

A one-of-a-kind nonprofit therapeutic farm in Bucks County, PA!

The mission of Helping Friendly Farm is to enhance the lives of disabled individuals and their families through the power of animals, nature, and safe sensory exploration.

Helping Friendly Farm Photo Collage

The farm is designed for families of anyone with ADD/ADHD/learning disorder, an autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, chromosomal disorder, chronic illness, developmental delay, Down syndrome, GARD, intellectual disability, mobility/movement disorder, mental illness, NORD, physical disability, and other invisible illness. At Helping Friendly Farm, we know that special needs are just needs. Everyone is welcome and we work to accommodate visitors’ needs as best as we can. We will never ask for proof of diagnosis.

SENSORY EXPLORATION + ANIMALS + NATURE = PEACE

 

Gardening allows us all to be nurturers, keeping us connected to other living things. It reminds us where our food comes from, and awakens our interest for new tastes and textures. Visitors can plant and harvest anti-inflammatory and immune boosting flowers, herbs, and berries at the Helping Friendly Farm. Guests can choose to plant a seed in a pot to take home, or plant directly in the garden for all to share. Lavender, rosemary, mint and blueberries are among our many plants with beneficial properties. Depending on the season, visitors may be able to pick peaches or apples from our fruit trees. Both apples and peaches have powerful antioxidants and numerous health benefits. We never use pesticides and grow our plants from certified organic seeds.

Animal infographic

Located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Founded in 2021

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photo collage
November 2, 2023

November Monthly Member Gathering: Maarten Fischer

Maarten Fischer was the guest presenter at November's Monthly Member Gathering. Maarten Fischer is the director of the National Federation of Dutch Care Farms which provides advocacy, a national quality standard, support innovation, and an academy for the more than 950 Care farms in their membership. Internationally recognized as a leader in the Care Farming movement, he shared his history of working in the Care Farming movement in Europe and the United States.

Maarten Fischer Bio
Maarten Fischer headshot
Maarten Fischer is currently the director of the National Federation of Dutch Care Farms.  They provide advocacy, a national quality standard, support innovation, and an academy for the more than 900 Care farms in their membership. Maarten is also the director of the George Avenue Foundation in Switzerland, which is dedicated to developing Care farms. Maarten works at the Noaber Foundation to support care farm programs in Israel, owns two care farms in the Netherlands, and supports projects in the area of Green Care.  Maarten’s work currently involves working for the Noaber Foundation to stimulate the transition from a Dutch healthcare model to a Health-based system.

September 26, 2023

Growing Grounds Farm

Growing Grounds Farm and Nursery is one of three social enterprises operated by Transitions Mental Health Association.  Established over 35 years ago, Growing Grounds is a nonprofit wholesale nursery that provides therapeutic horticulture, socialization opportunities, paid employment, and soft job skills training for adults with severe and persistent mental illness.

Nursery workers at Growing Grounds

At the Nursery, we balance a traditional business model providing employment opportunities in a near competitive environment with the delivery of critically needed social services. Our goal is to grow a large selection of quality plants while providing an empowering environment where our employees progress on their path towards recovery.  Our employees earn minimum wage and work between 1.5 and 4 hour shifts. In order to be a paid employee, you need to have an open case with San Luis Obispo County Mental Health, and then be referred to the farm for an interview.

 

Man planting flowers

What Services Are Provided?

  • Soft job skills training necessary for any job. Including opportunities for increased responsibility and learning leadership skills.
  • A safe and supportive environment for strengthening social
  • A job and a
  • Access to trained staff to create personal milestones related to
  • Opportunities to compete for jobs in the community through the Supported Employment

 

Nursery plants

What Is the Work Like?

Most Employees are paid and are involved in every aspect of production from propagation and seed cleaning to planting, weeding, watering, pruning, selecting and preparing orders for delivery and helping on deliveries to customers. Employees work varying shifts, from 3–20, hours per week in an environment that rewards personal growth and initiative with increased responsibility. Most of the work at Growing Grounds is performed outside and is subject to the prevailing weather conditions. The work is physical, at times demanding, but rewarding and contributes significantly to an individual’s recovery and physical well-being.

Growing Grounds Workers

Locations:

820 W. Foster Road Santa Maria, CA (Farm)

3740 Orcutt Road in San Luis Obispo, CA (Nursery

Phone: (805) 544-4967

Email: info@t-mha.org

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Growing Grounds shed