What does the Farm project look like?
The Farm Project is a recovery farm community, a sober living environment. It will not be a treatment center or short term rehab or a dispensary for harm reduction medications. The Farm will be for those who cannot, for one reason or another, find success in medication assisted treatments. The Farm is for those who want to live in sobriety and need all of the support that they can get. The project is to be a working farm, a home, a community of peers living, working and healing together as a family. Offering the healing power of nature and the therapeutic power of nurture, the Farm will offer a second chance for a real and loving productive life.
Residents of the farm will pay rent and those who do not have jobs may be offered a paying job on the Farm. Jobs on the Farm include those that are related to farming. These jobs include growing crops, constructing barns and buildings, maintaining those buildings and equipment, fencing, masonry, stone walls, landscaping, harvesting, cooking, cleaning, animal care, and so many other possibilities. Our residents gain knowledge, independence, pride and respect for themselves and the community.
Our vision for the Farm is to start with a farmhouse on about 80 acres of land. The initial living quarters will house up to 40 people, including men and women. Our short term goals are to construct outbuildings, barns and fencing. Gardens will be as small or large as our equipment and resources will allow. We will take in farm animals as we are able. We will be hard working and productive.
As the Farm develops and grows, we will concentrate on employing modern methods of growing crops. These techniques wil include:
- Drip irrigation will be installed in order to preserve water
- Natural pesticides and pest managements rather than manufactured poisons
- Use of integrated cover crops, crop rotation and reduced tilling
- Use of "smart" greenhouses
- Introduction of sensor and other modern agriculture technologies
Our initial sources of revenue will include rent income, grants and contributions from the community and hopefully some of the opioid settlement monies. Our goal is to become self-sustaining with many opportunities for raising revenue. Possibilities include a farm stand, a farm to table cafe, woodworking, manufacturing and other really good ideas. Longer term goals include building tiny houses for residents who may need to stay long-term on the Farm.
The Farm will not technically be a treatment center and residents will be encouraged to continue counseling outside the Farm. The Farm is where to go to after detox and inpatient or outpatient rehab has finished. The Farm's restricted policies on drugs and medications are stringent to protect all of the residents. Zero tolerance is the rule and breaking that rule means immediate expulsion from the Farm but without judgement, as we will do everything in our power to find proper treatment, no shame of guilt included. We know that relapse is a part of the recovery process but you are expected to abide by the zero tolerance rule to protect your farm family as well as yourself. If you need to go back onto medication treatment, it's ok and we understand but know that you will be able to return to the farm if and when you feel ready to try sobriety again.
The community building will house our kitchen and eating space. It will have rooms in which to participate in arts and music. There will be a quiet room/solarium for relaxation and for those nights that anxiety and sleeplessness are particularly strong. There will be a large gathering room which will house various workshops and meetings. The sleeping rooms will be small as you are not expected to spend a lot of time in them. There will be rooms that sleep one or two people depending on your needs. Each room will have its own small terrace or balcony for outside quietness.
Living in the main house will be a live-in house manager to deal with problems that come up. The residents make up the government and will meet regularly to review things that are working, not working and ideas for growth and improvement. There will also be a live in animal care worker who will oversee the animal care and supervise volunteer residents and employees. There will be a buildings and equipment manager in charge of the condition of the buildings and equipment and will supervise the volunteers and employees who work in those areas.
The requirements to become a resident on the Farm are tough. There is a zero tolerance for drugs, alcohol, tobacco and most medications. That being said, you must have a strong commitment to abstinence. You will be going through seriously tough times as will your new family. Expect that time is your friend and that the longer you can stay sober, the closer you will be towards having a fighting chance of life time sobriety. This may take years. Commit, commit, commit and find that you will be whole again. You will feel emotion and you will laugh again.
