Empower Farms: A Place for People of All Abilities
This 10-acre property near Robert Is Here in the Redland has it all: lush raised beds of produce, a fruit forest of papayas, bananas and other tropical fruits, stands of native pines, sea grape and Fakahatchee grass, chickens and a couple of goats. The harvest of all this bounty goes into a year-round CSA program, along with wholesale and retail sales during the growing season.
But growing food is not the primary goal of Empower Farms, says director Nicolas Miller. Their mission is to host people with special needs – Alzheimer’s, PTSD and other disabilities – equipping them to become teammates in all the tasks on a farm: planting seeds, filling pots with soil, pulling weeds, harvesting, painting signs, even making sugarcane juice. Over the last four years, Empower Farms has hosted 1,775 people with disabilities, many of whom happily return. “They can’t wait to come back,” Miller says. “We’re proud of ourselves when we send them home dirty and sweaty.”
The farm helps their families too, because caring for special-needs people can be exhausting, says Miller. “Families are tired. Special-needs people are living longer. Society has decided to cater their needs at the lowest possible cost – staring at the TV, paying caregivers a minimum wage … what to do with people who can’t take care of themselves?” Empower Farms offers field trips for groups of 10 to 30 individuals, accompanied by staff or chaperones. On the farm, Miller and his team, including farmers Jose “Bebo” Gonzalez and Rudy Carrillo and dog Otto, work patiently with the new arrivals, who come from groups that include ARC of South Florida, Miami-Dade County Parks Disability Services, Carrfour Supportive Housing for Veterans and Easter Seals Adult Day Services.
Different people are stimulated in different ways, and the staff is well versed in working with people with disabilities. One size doesn’t fit all, says Miller. “You want to be able to create jobs for people with special needs, but can’t put pressure on them. For example, some do not like a mosquito buzzing in their ear.” The repetitive activities on a farm are well suited for many special-needs people because it allows them to practice a task. “We notice them getting better, being more independent.”
Some of Empower Farms’ revenue is generated from the CSA program and sales of produce and in-demand products like turmeric, moringa powder and Fakahatchee grass, and there are plans to increase the number of special-needs teammates from the current 120 people a month to 600. Miller envisions the farm also providing housing and regular jobs for people with disabilities. There’s no hurry, though. “We’ve been trying to grow as slow as possible,” he says.
Empower Farms
34270 SW 192 Avenue, Florida City
Sign up for their CSA program, which includes home delivery options. In addition to field trips with groups, Empower Farms offers family days for one adult with special needs and one family member. Programs are free, but participants must provide transportation. Programs are designed for 18+ participants with intellectual, emotional and/or physical impairments.
