This March, the Care Farming Network hosted a virtual Lunch & Learn Series. In honor of Developmental Disabilities  Awareness Month, this series focused on supporting care farm participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Each session explored a specific skill set that care farmers need to support their participants. Session Topics Included:

• Uncomfortable Confrontation: Simple De-escalating Tips that Work
• Building Healthy Relationships at Work
• Adaptive Farming Strategies

We are grateful to Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) for funding supporting this series!

Over the past decades, there has been a growing body of research highlighting the benefits of care farming for individuals with a wide range of needs. Research impacts care farming by:

• Helping to assess the effectiveness of care farming programs and created an understandingof how care farming can lead to the development of more targeted and effective interventions
• Identifying best practices in care farming programs' design and implementation and helping to determine the economic value of care farming in terms of reduced healthcare utilization, improved productivity, and other societal benefits

Curious to read more? Click the button below!

April's monthly member gathering explored the history of care farming, how the Care Farming Network evolved, and how we, as a national network, are building awareness for the broader public around this relatively new concept. You can view the member gathering by clicking the link below! You can register for May Monthly Member Gathering, a discussion about Grant Writing for Your Care Farm. Register Today!

A Farm Less Ordinary shared a great photo of their growers busy planting hardy spring crops like leeks, scallions, and carrots! By the time June/July rolls around, these crops will be ready to harvest. 🥕

Have a photo to share to be highlighted by Care Farming Network? Tag or DM @CareFarmingNetwork or email outreach@carefarmingnetwork.org!

This April, the Autism Society of America is proud to continue its sixth annual Celebrate Differences campaign in honor of Autism Acceptance Month. Acceptance is creating a world where everyone in the Autism community is connected to the support they need, when they need it. 

You can find a listing of care farms that are building support and community in the Autism Community here!

“The way we farm and distribute food is a social justice issue, a public health issue, and an economic resiliency issue,” Nona Yehia said.  Yehia is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Vertical Harvest, a company that aims to be an all-in-one solution to these overlapping issues. Not only does the Wyoming-based company provide local, fresh, nutrient-dense produce year-round, but it also provides meaningful work for people with developmental disabilities, who are often confined to low-wage, part-time roles.

The Veterans Healing Farm (NC) is hosting their 3rd Annual Veterans Resource Fair on Saturday, May 25, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There is no fee to attend and is open to the public. This is the largest veteran event in WNC showcasing the services provided to our veterans from over 40 nonprofit organizations!