Homesteads for Hope, a nonprofit Ogden farm, will hold free classes, workshops and hands-on learning experiences starting in July.
The Farm for All initiative will include gardening, culinary arts, homesteading skills such as canning, floral design, creative and fiber arts, woodworking and more. Programs will run through the end of September and are listed at https://www.homesteadsforhope.org/communityclasses. To register, go to https://signup.homesteadsforhope.org/.
The community farm is dedicated to serving individuals with autism and other disabilities but has activities for people of all abilities.
“We have been here for 10 years, and so many people still drive past the farm without knowing who we are or what we do, or if they too are welcome,” Jennyrae Brongo, founder and CEO of the 55-acre farm along the Erie Canal, said in a news release. “Farm for All is our invitation to change that. We want to open our doors, share our mission, and show the whole community how a farm can be a place where everyone grows — their skills, their confidence, and their sense of belonging.”
Homesteads for Hope has launched a $200,000 Farm for All fundraising campaign to pay for educational materials, program supplies, facility improvements and staffing for the programs. The campaign has already raised $47,000, and an anonymous donor is matching the first $25,000 contributed by the community.
Among the farm’s activities are:
Thursdays at the Farm
Thursdays at the Farm began in June and will continue through Oct. 15. The farm opens at 4:30 p.m. A different band will perform each week from 5 to 8 p.m., and local vendors and food trucks will be on site. Children can ride ponies, and people can fish or wander around the farm. Visitors should bring their own chairs, coolers, snacks, picnics and/or fishing poles. The suggested donation at the door is $5.
On July 16, the event will feature the farm’s first Inclusion Fair, with local nonprofits and businesses offering inclusive classes, programs, services, and activities for individuals of all abilities.
Flower U-Pick
People may pick flowers from fields starting in mid-June. Prices are $10 for a Kids Cup, $20 for a regular pick and $50 for a party bucket.
30th Annual Kiwanis of Greece Fishing Derby
Fifty teams of up to five people will compete from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, July 19. Volunteers will be on hand to teach fishing basics and share tips.
Participation is free. Each team will receive worms for bait, drinks and snacks, a T-shirt for the team’s lead registrant and loans of a fishing pole if they don’t bring their own. Prizes will be awarded for the longest fish, the heaviest fish and the most fish caught.
Because participation is limited, teams should register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVTXL6T7LhEZOd9U_FetVCuiUeWclZ3noTe7rvKika4vBvHw/viewform.
Farm Store
The store’s hours through Nov. 1 are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; and 10am to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. People may buy a Harvest Pass as a CSA alternative at https://www.homesteadsforhope.org/harvestpass.
The farm is at 2185 Manitou Road. Directions are on the website at https://www.homesteadsforhope.org/contact – the site warns that GPS may lead people to a field rather than the farm’s entrance.
To learn more, register for classes or support the Farm for All campaign, visit HomesteadsforHope.org.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: New ‘Farm for All’ initiative brings free classes
Reporting by Laura Nichols, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Laura Nichols, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
