“You reap what you sow,” local farm creates job opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities

MOORHEAD, MN (Valley News Live) - It’s the first week of planting at “Farm in the Dell of the Red River Valley.” The local farm is providing job opportunities for people with developmental disabilities.

Their goal is to provide a sense of accomplishment and belonging through purposeful work and life experiences in a community farm setting. In addition to an hourly wage, the farm’s garden engineers, as employees are called, receive unique employment benefits such as free produce, skill development, team bonding, and most importantly, a supportive community.

The farm was founded in 2012 by a group of parents who were concerned about the future of their children with disabilities. Since then, many have found their place at the farm.

“I wanted them to grow up feeling really connected to an organization where they felt connected and loved and they felt like they had community and I really wanted something in an agricultural setting so this was honestly the perfect fit,” says Executive Director, Anna Sather. She found the Dell through Giving Hearts Day and began volunteering with her children as an activity they could do together. When a job at the farm became available, Anna was happy to step into the role.

The farm operates through a community supported agriculture model. Meaning consumers make a down payment when planting starts and then receive weekly produce throughout the growing season. The Farm in the Dell uses traditional gardening methods to provide the community with fresh produce.

Drew Ross of CCRI brought a client to the farm for his first day of work, “they say, ‘you reap what you sow’ and right now, I saw so much positivity planted.” Ross says he’s excited and invigorated by the work happening at the farm.

If you’d like to apply for a position with ‘Farm in the Dell’ or would like to sign up to get fresh produce this summer, you can follow our link to their website.

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