In the Community
Entering into the competitive workforce can be a daunting task for anyone. At times, this challenge can be amplified for individuals with developmental disabilities. Our program offers a way to ease into competitive employment.
By offering a relaxed setting to discover strengths and practice new skills, our local farms provide the perfect starting to get started on the path to employment.
Many of the participants in our vocational program start out working on local farms. This valuable assessment and training time provides meaningful insight as, after this step, they move onto to meeting their goals in the community. Our job coaches, Margaret Parsons, Nina Gilkenson and Jane Parsons, work with each client to find community placements that best fit their goals and abilities.
In collaboration with Montana Vocational Rehabilitation Services and School District 5, our aim is to find competitive employment opportunities for every client we serve.
On the Farm
Montana Care Farming collaborates with community partners to offer a variety of programs and services to diverse members of the community who benefit from contributing to the life of local farms.
All of the following programs take place on-site on family-owned farms. We strive to match each individual to the physical and social setting which will provide them the greatest benefit.
All of our programs utilize the farm and ranch environment to help our participants attain goals that are set by them and others involved in their development. For each client, we can usually find a fitting program and the best matching farm or ranch.
We offer:
Day programs for people with Developmental Disabilities on the DD Waiver program. Participants spend days on the farm to work on specific life- or work related skills, as well as simply improve their quality of life by interacting with others, spending time in the outdoors, staying active and engaging in meaningful activities.
Job Readiness Training and Vocational Rehabilitation activities. For these participants, days on the farm are tailored to build job skills. We now are able to offer community job coaching, extending those skills learned on the farm to competitive employment environments. More information on this program is found here.
Lifeside farms: Farm days designed for seniors looking for companionship, respite, and a way to stay active.
Summer Garden Program
CRY-J Youth, Care Farm program participants, and staff enjoy a well earned meal after one of the Supper Clubs.
Our Summer Garden Program takes place at the Central Kitchen, located adjacent to Kalispell Middle School. Working alongside students and staff from the Center for Restorative Youth Justice, our summer program promotes inclusion and gives students an opportunity to follow produce down the path from seed in the dirt to a delicious meal lead by a local chef and served to friends and family. These invaluable experiences impart job skills and valuable knowledge these students can carry forward into their lives post-graduation. Aimed at providing smoother transitions for special needs youth as they move from high school to adult life in the community, this program is a response to many requests from youth, parents and schools seeking new and innovative ways to give students opportunities to build skills and self-confidence through work based learning. We have broken the Summer Programs offerings into four essential parts:
The Garden
Over the course of the summer, our our skills students and CRY-J youth work together with staff and volunteers to maintain the garden and grow a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables. Students learn the basics of how to care-take a garden; how to plant seeds, distinguish weeds, water, harvest a wide variety of produce, and generally problem solve and work together with others. The garden is large and varied, and many times we have been able to introduce students to vegetables they have never encountered, or had no idea what they looked like planted in the ground.
Skill-Building Workshops
Throughout the summer, Summer Program participants will attend skill-building workshops focused on development of both soft skills and skills they will need as they begin to think about entering the work force. Workshops we have done in the past include:
- resume building and interview practice
- mindfulness
- customer service
- communication skills
The Market Stand
Youth at the Summer Garden program run a donation-based market stand. While learning invaluable skills in customer service and money-handling,
As an additional bonus, they are also providing a community service by providing fresh and affordable produce to the local area. The produce that is not sold at the market stand is used by staff at the Central Kitchen for lunch preparation.
Supper Club
Summer Skills Workshop
Often voted a favorite part of the summer program by participants, Supper Club dinners allow for opportunities for students to prepare the produce they have grown, guided by program staff and a local chef. As they learn how to work and handle food safely in a commercial kitchen, they are getting to see the end result of their hard work in the garden all summer. After the food is prepared, it is served to attendees from the community by the youth themselves.
Who is Eligible? Any high school student with an IEP or 504 plan may participate.