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Farm to Mouth

Therapeutic Gardening for Mental Health
The Farm to Mouth Program at YCCC Farmhouse is a unique
program which provides vocational training and therapeutic gardening experience
to individuals receiving mental health services in Yolo County, CA.
The Farmhouse,
located on 10 acres in rural Davis, has a half-acre dedicated to growing
vegetables (through organic methods) which become part of residents’ daily
meals. Three main things happen on the farm:
- Vocational training: Residents, many
of whom haven’t had a job in many years, work under the supervision of the Farm
Manager, have the responsibility to show up and work or communicate otherwise,
and have the opportunity to move into more long-term farm roles with added
responsibilities and benefits (i.e. Animal Caretaker, Greenhouse
Manager).
- Therapeutic experience: The Farm
provides an opportunity for residents to get out of the house and experience
the joys and rewards of gardening. The garden is an escape from indoor
activities and stresses of the community living environment. It is an
opportunity for residents to create a deeper relationship to the food they eat
by participating in growing it. It is an opportunity to productively engage in hands-on
work that results in beauty, food, and transformation.
- Farm to Mouth (F2M): Finally, the Farm
provides a paid workday once a week, open to both residents and individuals
from the larger Yolo County community who are receiving mental health services
but living more independently, through the Farm to Mouth (F2M) program.
In addition to offering vocational training and therapeutic experience, the
Farm to Mouth program provides employment - to individuals in need of
income, who are able to work in a limited way but may not be ready or able to
fully join the workforce.
Farm to Mouth and
the Farmhouse are unique programs in need of community support to continue
operating and offering the opportunities they do, opportunities not currently
available to people with an identified mental illness in Yolo County, and
rarely available to mental health consumers nationwide. The following
areas are in need of ongoing funding: - Paying F2M employee wages
- Seed and fertilizers for the vegetable
garden
- Perennial herbs and plants to enhance both
the landscaping around the house and the vegetable garden itself, attracting
pollinators and increasing the therapeutic environment
- Construction projects - tables, benches,
gazebo - to increase residents’ motivation to spend time outside and in the
garden
Your donations
will go directly toward one of these areas of our program, helping a unique and
loved program in Yolo County to thrive and expand. Thank you for
your support! To donate to the Farm Program directly through YCCC, click here to go to our donation page. Don't forget to designate Farm to Mouth on your donation.
Thanks so much for your support of Farm to Mouth.
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Yolo Community Care Continuum is a 501(c)3, tax exempt nonprofit organization established to better the lives of people with mental illness through direct services, advocacy, education and volunteer efforts. Copyright © 2012, Yolo Community Care Continuum. All rights reserved. |
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