Skill Building and Pre-Vocational Farmers
Program Details
We Are Co-Farmers | Our Programs
At Open Farms, we believe that everyone has something meaningful to contribute.
We use the term Co-Farmer to describe the people who participate in, learn through, work alongside, volunteer with, and contribute to our farm community. Rather than defining people by a diagnosis, disability, job title, age, or perceived limitation, our co-farming model focuses on individual strengths, interests, choices, and abilities.
The farm provides a naturally flexible environment where people can participate in meaningful activities at many different levels. One person may help care for an animal, another may plant or harvest vegetables, another may repair or maintain a farm space, and someone else may simply begin by observing and becoming comfortable in the environment. Each contribution is valued as part of the larger work of the farm.
Through hands-on agriculture, animal care, food cultivation, environmental stewardship, and shared community experiences, Open Farms creates opportunities for people to develop skills, build relationships, improve confidence and well-being, and experience the satisfaction of contributing to something larger than themselves.
Our programs are designed around a simple idea: people grow when they are given meaningful opportunities to participate, contribute, learn, and belong.
Skill Building and Pre-Vocational Farmers
Open Farms' Skill Building and Pre-Vocational Farming program provides participants with opportunities to develop practical abilities, workplace behaviors, confidence, independence, and social connections through meaningful farm-based activities.
The farm functions as a living classroom. Participants learn through hands-on experiences such as caring for animals, preparing feed, cleaning and maintaining animal areas, planting and harvesting crops, tending gardens, organizing supplies, maintaining farm spaces, completing seasonal projects, and participating in the everyday routines required to operate a working farm.
Activities can be adapted to different abilities, learning styles, comfort levels, and individual goals. Participants are encouraged to make choices, try new tasks, build upon existing strengths, and gradually take greater ownership of their work.
In addition to learning specific agricultural skills, participants have opportunities to practice transferable skills that are valuable in employment and everyday life, including:
Following directions and completing multi-step tasks
Arriving prepared and participating in established routines
Working independently and as part of a team
Communicating needs, questions, and ideas
Problem solving and adapting when circumstances change
Using tools and equipment appropriately
Developing attention to safety
Managing time and responsibilities
Building endurance and task persistence
Accepting feedback and learning from experience
Developing confidence in unfamiliar environments
Building positive relationships with peers, staff, volunteers, and community members
Because farming involves real responsibilities and visible results, participants are able to see how their individual contributions matter. Animals need care, gardens need tending, and projects must be completed. This provides an authentic context for developing accountability and experiencing the pride that comes from meaningful work.
The program is not intended simply to simulate employment. Instead, it provides participants with a supportive environment in which to explore interests, discover strengths, practice workplace skills, and develop greater confidence about participating in employment, volunteer service, or other community activities.
Ultimately, Open Farms seeks to help each participant recognize an important truth: they have abilities that are valuable to their community.