All Abilities at the Farm (AAA)

Growing Opportunities' All Abilities At the Farm program (AAA Farm) supports underrepresented and marginalized groups to co-learn in a farm setting.

 

The program provides a variety of supports, including mentorship, intergenerational learning, trauma recovery, the transition from homelessness or institutional living back to living within the community, restorative justice, vocational and essential skills training, and social inclusion activities. We support people from a diverse age range, currently spanning ages 5 to 85.

 

Hundreds of participants have directly benefitted from the program, and many other volunteers and community members benefited indirectly.  AAA Farm works with people experiencing various mental health conditions, including ADHD, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, C-PTSD and PTSD, and Schizophrenia.  Additionally, individuals with diverseabilities and participant care providers, including parents, psychiatrists, social workers, employment counselors, and teachers, use the AAA Farm program. 

 

The AAA Farm provides a safe space, evidence-based approaches, and meaningful activities that promote the benefits of community-based farming and enhance the public's awareness of food security and the public’s perception of the value of all its citizens.

 

Our goals for AAA Farm are to use a farm setting to:

• engage, train, and empower underrepresented and marginalized groups and provide opportunities for farming, co-learning, and community participation.

• to support our commitment to reconciliation by working with Indigenous communities to increase their involvement in local farming and inclusion opportunities

• enhance capacity, vocational and life skills, and leadership of underrepresented and marginalized groups

• raise awareness of nutrition and food security while providing local and accessible solutions

 

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