Hiram Farm Living and Learning Community

Hello, everyone. This is India from Hiram College. I am working at Hiram Farm Living and Learning Community (hiramfarm.org), an organic farm and nonprofit organization that provides meaningful work and community support for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I spend my mornings and most of my afternoons working with farm participants, primarily in the vegetable garden. When we begin harvesting (we’re a bit behind…), I will be helping participants assemble baskets of produce that will be donated on a weekly basis to a local food pantry. The remainder of our produce will be sold at a roadside stand, becoming a source of organic food for the local community.

I am also helping to organize and facilitate a gardening program for children and youth in the area. There are currently seven kids ranging in ages 2 to 11 (which makes engaging all of them a bit difficult) growing gardens on a portion of Hiram Farm land designated to community garden plots. We meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., spending most of our time gardening and the remainder engaged in educational activities revolving around nutrition, food cultivation and distribution, as well as exploring nature and spending time with/learning about animals and their purposes on the farm. My hopes are that this experience will allow those involved to develop a deepened respect for and recognition of earth/the environment as source of our nourishment, while providing them with knowledge to cultivate food for themselves and others.

I apologize for my lack of involvement with this blog (I am not inclined to spending much time in front of a computer!). I enjoy reading about everyone’s experiences and hope to share photographs of my own soon.