An episode of Changing the Conversation podcast.
“The core idea is the growing itself of food and working with the animals. It’s there on a farm, it’s building connection, it’s building skills. It’s empowering people, providing oftentimes a real dignity of work in ways that other more traditional services sometimes don’t.”
May 11, 2026
[Music]
Livia Davis (host) (00:06):
Hello and welcome to Changing the Conversation. I’m your host, Livia Davis, the Chief Learning Officer at C4 Innovations.
(00:14):
Today’s conversation is with the Care Farming Network. Care farms are a topic that are very dear to my heart, and I am so pleased to have connected with the Care Farming Network, given my family’s background with starting a recovery farm in Denmark in 1912 that still operates today on 300 acres, serving over 100 people at a time.
(00:38):
Care farms use therapeutic farming to promote health, wellbeing, and belonging, and the Care Farming Network was established to connect established and aspiring care farms to support and build awareness with the goal of having a care farm in every county in the nation.
(00:54):
My guests today are Kate Mudge and Andrea Barnhart. They serve as co-directors of the Care Farming Network. Kate is calling in from Minnesota and Andrea is calling in from Maryland.
(01:07):
Hello, Kate and Andrea. Thank you for joining us today.
Kate Mudge (Guest) (01:12):
Hi.
Andrea Barnhart (Guest) (01:13):
Hello. Thank you.
Livia (01:16):
So, I know some of the European history of care farms, and I’m hoping that we can start with having you, Kate, talk first about what are care farms and then Andrea talk a little bit about the history. So, Kate, what is a care farm?
Kate (01:35):
Yeah, well, that is one of the reasons that Care Farming Network was launched and exists is care farming is not a widely recognized term here in America. So, thank you for having us and letting us talk about this.
(01:48):
So, at a very basic level, a care farm is a working farm, a farm environment that uses therapy, therapeutic practices to support people’s health and wellbeing and create belonging. And what that practically looks like is you could be working with animals, you could be growing food, you could be working in hydroponics, growing lettuce. But the core idea of it is that the farm itself, it’s producing more than food. It’s again, providing this opportunity for building one’s health and wellbeing and belonging.
(02:26):
And care forms support a wide range of people. So you might have people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) working on a care farm. You can work with veterans or youth, people in recovery, people who are recovering from trauma. The core idea is that it’s the growing itself of food and working with the animals. It doesn’t look like formalized therapy. It’s there on a farm. It’s building connection. It’s building skills. It’s empowering people, providing oftentimes a real dignity of work in ways that other more traditional services sometimes don’t.
Livia (03:09):
Thank you so much.
(03:11):
Andrea, I am wondering if you could talk a little bit about the history of the origin story of the Care Farming Network in this country.
Andrea (03:20):
Sure. Yes.
(03:21):
The Care Farming Network was founded by Red Wiggler Care Farm, which is located in Germantown, Maryland, 40 minutes outside of Washington, DC for a little context. Red Wiggler Care Farm has employed people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for 30 years, and it’s a certified organic farm. And Red Wiggler has always employed people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to do all of the jobs necessary to run a successful community-supported agricultural program.
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So, I started at Red Wiggler in 2009 as a seasonal assistant, field assistant, and became the farm manager. And as I was working there as a farm manager, I realized what a unique opportunity for both people with and without disabilities to work on the farm.
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We started the Care Farming Network for two reasons. One is that over time we were getting calls, parents who had a son or daughter with a disability who were wanting to start a farm like Red Wiggler. There’s the need for support in starting a care farm. There’s a lack of opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and Red Wiggler was seen as a model.
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The second reason why we started the Care Farming Network was to connect existing farms that were doing similar work, and there was no organization that was connecting these other farms. So we wanted to establish a national network that allowed us to share best practices, share successes, share challenges, and to make it easier for other people to start up.
Livia (05:02):
That’s fantastic. Can you talk a little bit about the growth of your membership? How many care farms are there in the US?
Andrea (05:09):
We started with 13 farms that we knew in the Mid-Atlantic area, and now we’re up to, I think, over 385 farms on our online map and directory.
Livia (05:20):
That’s amazing. There is a way for folks to become members of the Care Farming Network, correct? How does one become a member?
Kate (05:27):
So, membership right now, as we’ve been developing a lot of our work, like Andrea said, I mean, we’ve had a 3000% increase over the course of five years in folks who have joined. That doesn’t mean we are directly responsible for them joining. It means we have found so many people out there across the country who are doing this work and connected with them as a network. And our network includes both people who we call aspiring. So, they are just planting the seeds of an idea of having a care farm. That’s actually how I came into Care Farming Network.
(06:01):
A brief aside is that five, almost six years ago, I guess now, we bought a farm. I am not a farmer. I guess I’m becoming one, but I had a really strong leaning or desire to do something here with a social mission on our farm. And I started looking into it and I’m like, “I don’t know what it’s called,” And I ran across the Care Farming Network. There was a part-time position and I’m like, “That’s it.” It finally had a name for me. There’s this thing that you can do on a farm that provides this inclusive space for people that will really benefit from it. I want to do that. So, with all that being said, I am an aspiring care farmer. I’m still working towards that.
(06:47):
And so many people come to the network wanting to know what should I be thinking about? And that’s some of the support that we offer. What does it look like to have access to land, renting it or purchasing it? Or there’s a social service agency in my community. Maybe I could partner with them and build a care farm. So, they’re coming to us curious about it. And I think really the value of this network is that we are connecting people to each other then. We have tools and resources and an online library and all sorts of things to explore, but really the value of this network of the nearly 400 farms is that we get to talk to each other and support each other.
(07:30):
And there’s people who have been trying to do this without a map for a long time that can now tell others like, “You might want to not do that and instead try this.” We use words like trailblazers and pioneers because that is what care farmers are. It’s hard enough to be a farmer and then you add in a social mission, you add in working with an agency. There’s this intersection of ag(riculture) and direct service and all this stuff and people have been out there working hard like Red Wiggler Farm for 30-plus years. And we’re finally to the point right now, where, as a network, we can say, “This is what people are doing and this is why it’s working.”
Livia (08:09):
Wow, I love that. And I love the origin story too, that it really grew out of the Red Wiggler Farm that has been doing it for so many years. All the lessons learned and all of that to be shared as well but then finding others who are on a similar journey. I can only imagine it’s a very strong network.
(08:28):
So, it’s social purpose farming. It’s social purpose farms. It reminds me a little bit about social purpose enterprises, which is another term for businesses that have a triple bottom line, which is to help support people in addition to making profit in addition to, of course, running an agency and producing services or goods. So social purpose farming.
(08:49):
So, as you both know, at C4 Innovations, our mission is to partner with the organizations and people to build pathways to wellness and recovery and housing stability. And we are together, Care Farming Network and C4, learning more about how care farming supports people in recovery. We are so pleased to be able to partner with you and learn more about what the Care Farming Network offers and how we can support it, specifically for our focus for people in recovery. So, thank you.
(09:21):
Kate, you talked a little bit about who care farms can benefit. What populations may be most served by farms right now, or are you seeing any growth edges in terms of other populations? Can you talk just a little bit more about that?
Kate (09:35):
Yeah. Well, I think even before talking about that, I think it just bears mentioning that regardless of what population we’re talking about, people in general benefit from getting their hands in the dirt or growing something or spending time with animals. And we see this, I think, as a culture as we are maybe more glued to our devices and indoors a lot more, that simply, this idea of this, call it what you will, it has a million different names, nature-based therapy, farm-based therapy, therapeutic farming, gardening, horticulture therapy. You name it. It’s all under the same umbrella here and research shows that there is a value, measurable improvements in things like depression or trauma or social isolation.
(10:23):
So, with that being said, it can also really benefit taking work out of a clinical setting or providing meaningful employment to people that that’s again, that intersection that we’re talking about. You add a farming component, a growing component or a care component to it, and you’re starting to see a lot more social connection between people within the farm. You’re starting to see levels of trauma decrease. You see increase in cortisone when you are doing animal-assisted therapy and working with other animals. There’s an idea of regulation. And so, these are all just the tools that are being used on farms to essentially help everybody there who is working side by side on it.
(11:09):
I will say also that we need more research done on the benefits of care farming in particular in the US. I think you noted this already, but this is not a new concept in Europe. There’s a lot of research that’s been done and we might have some of that research here in the United States. It might not be called care farming research necessarily, but we do think that the benefits of what is happening on farms needs better exposure. It needs to show that there’s evidence-based research that is proving the efficacies of what people who are working on farms already know.
Livia (11:47):
Thank you. So true. Thank you for sharing that.
(11:51):
Andrea, I am wondering if you could paint a little bit more of a picture of what care farming can look like, just to share some examples to make it come alive a little bit more for our audience?
Andrea (12:06):
Sure. Yeah. I mean, I can speak directly from my experience at Red Wiggler Care Farm as the farm manager and what a unique opportunity it is to have inclusive teams working together. People with a disability who’s worked at a farm for over 20 years, teaching someone who is neurotypical, like a volunteer. And they might be showing them how to rake or how to harvest a kohlrabi or just even understanding the seasons of farming.
(12:35):
And so, it just gives real opportunity for identity as a farmer, dignity of a paycheck. People who are neurotypical, sometimes we automatically get those benefits of having a job and the purpose and identity that comes with that. And I think in particular; Red Wiggler provides that opportunity for people to make a difference. They’re experiencing that therapeutic benefit of being outside and your hands in the soil, but you’re also growing food and contributing to your community. And I think that’s a real valuable experience.
(13:13):
Other examples of care farms in our network are therapy farms that are working with bees and helping people with PTSD and veterans. There are care farms like recovery farms, people who are using a farm environment to promote healing and recovery. We typically look at four models. One model is providing employment and job skill development. One model is providing residential setting and housing. Another model is therapeutic, and then another one that’s providing licensed therapy.
Kate (13:48):
I think sometimes it’s easiest to say what a care farm isn’t. If you’re farming and you’re weeding and you’re watering, on the surface level, those are just tasks. And tasks can be very important on a care farm. But I think if you zoom out and you actually look at what is happening on the farm, it’s what people aren’t having to do. You’re not having to sit in a day program doing super repetitive tasks where you could be completely separated from your community, if you even have a community. So, then the task, the farming becomes that work.
(14:22):
And we’ve heard this from Shawn Hayden at GAAMHA when he talks about working with people who are coming in for substance use, that their plants die if they don’t get watered or their animals require care. And so that sense of responsibility too is your contribution. You’re able to be in this space where you are contributing to the health of an organization. And in turn, that actually helps contribute to your own health.
(14:49):
You might not be a client anymore. You’re a farmer. So, I think to what Andrea was saying, you get this sense of identity. And I even get that working in my own gardens. I am a gardener now. And that can mean a huge amount to somebody who has not had that experience. Somebody who has not been able to take care of themself or has not been offered a job who is now has a job, has an identity, or can provide care in a way that they haven’t to themselves.
(15:18):
And just to paint that fuller picture of, you can imagine and expand this out to any sort of population. And many care farms don’t just necessarily work with one particular population. They might open up to school groups. They might do dementia care with seniors, and then they might have other groups coming through.
(15:38):
You do have to be thoughtful about how you’re set up for safety and your activities. And some of those activities might look a little bit different, but overall sense of social inclusion and the breadth and array of what care farms offer can look all sorts of different ways.
Livia (15:55):
Thank you so much. I think the opportunity to occupy roles that are valued by society cannot be overstated in terms of the importance to people feeling that they can contribute. That they do have value. That they are important to the community. So, thank you for raising that up.
(16:16):
Could you talk a little bit about what the Care Farming Network is working on in the next year? What are your goals?
Kate (16:23):
Yeah. Well, from the jump, we have worked on raising awareness around care farming. So just like this conversation today, we want to talk about what care farming is, what its value is, who’s doing it. One of our goals is just get people to understand this term.
(16:39):
It’s thrilling to be part of a movement that is so embraced by so many people once they learn that term. But if you don’t know the term, then it’s hard to build a movement. So, a lot of that is around raising awareness of care farming, and we do that in all sorts of ways.
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Maybe there’s somebody out there that has a traditional farm that might want to incorporate a care farming program, because you don’t have to just plop down a brand-new care farm either. Maybe there’s a organization out there that is already working with somebody with IDD, intellectual or developmental disability, and they are recognizing they could use a care farm program. So, a lot of this is about connecting and figuring out all the different models and ways that we can expand care farming.
(17:24):
This is not work that’s being done alone. So, we’re out and attending conferences and hearing what occupational therapists are doing and what is the horticultural therapy community talking about because we all have a piece to play in this. This growth is fueled by the partnership building.
(17:42):
We have a national conference. We just hosted our second national conference, as you know, Livia, since you got to join that. We are going to continue to do our national conference every year. So, we’re planning for 2027 right now. We have a very ambitious goal of a care farm in every county, and we have a ways to get there, but that will continue to be our north star.
Livia (18:07):
That’s amazing. I am so thrilled for you and just seeing the growth.
(18:11):
You mentioned your website. Can you share it so that we could share with our audience how people can learn more about the Care Farming Network?
Kate (18:19):
Yeah, you can find us at carefarmingnetwork.org. We got a really neat page. It’s an interactive map and directory where you can look in your region or filter by population served or farming practice and actually see if there’s a care farm in your community. We have an online resource library that we’re going to continue to build out. We offer things both virtual and in person for events. So, you could join a webinar, usually a topical-based webinar that we offer monthly or pop in and have a quick community connection online.
Livia (18:53):
Thank you so much. I just feel like we could spend another hour together just talking about the different models and growth in what we’re seeing and learning from each other. And we want to have a part two at some point with both of you. That would be wonderful. But for today, I’m just going to end by asking both of you, what keeps you going? It’s a lot of work to sustain a movement like you’re doing, and it’s amazing and so inspiring, but what keeps you going?
Andrea (19:24):
I’ll go first, so that you don’t take mine.
Kate (19:28):
Ha ha! Oh, no.
Andrea (19:28):
I think what keeps me going with this work is the connections people make in person at the conference. There’s a real synergy there. People feel so alone in this work. You can just really feel those connections and the energy, and it’s just completely different than other conferences I’ve attended. It’s really energizing when you can connect people who are doing similar work and providing that infrastructure so that the care farming movement can expand.
Livia (19:58):
Thank you.
(20:02):
And Kate?
Kate (20:02):
You did not steal mine, Andrea, although I agree with you because that also keeps me going. But what keeps me going is that I spent a lot of time working in nonprofit work, about 20-plus years of it. And I decided after living and working in the Twin Cities to come out and buy this farm. And I think the sense of overwhelm from a lot of stuff was happening in the cities at the time that I moved out here; continues to happen.
(20:35):
When I came out here and started really pushing myself to learn new things, all of these were outdoor things. They were new to me. I felt like that was just a huge benefit to me. And I think about it now because it’s tiring work building this movement, but never, never have I ever had one conversation with somebody who’s like, “Well, that doesn’t seem like a good idea.” They buy in on it right away because it just makes so much sense.
(21:03):
And it’s made sense for me personally to be out here and just to see how restorative it can be to rebuild a farm and move towards something. People who have been very historically overlooked and marginalized and have a lot of needs aren’t being serviced. And so, the potential of what care farming can do if we had more care farms and more settings and spaces and activities and opportunities for people, to me, it just blows my mind. It’s a really exciting field to work in when there’s that much crossover and potential is the word. So, both personal and professionally, it just really keeps me going.
Livia (21:45):
Thank you so much. I love to end on the word potential because you are right. It is just amazing how much it’s growing, and I am so pleased as well. And I just want to say thank you. Thank you for joining us today and thank you for all you do.
Kate (22:03):
Well, thank you.
Andrea (22:04):
Thanks for having us.
Livia (22:06):
And to our listeners, join us next time on Changing the Conversation.
Lee (Producer) (22:18):
Visit C4innnovates.com and follow us on LinkedIn and YouTube for more resources to grow your impact. Thank you for joining us.
(22:25):
This episode was produced by Lee Locke-Hardy and Christina Murphy. Our theme song was written and performed by Peter Hanlon.
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Join us next time on Changing the Conversation.