Our Mission
The Homestead Farm Center Project, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization founded in 2014, is dedicated to opening opportunities to individuals with disabilities to work, learn, live, and thrive in a rural farm setting. Located on 100 acres of the historic Thomas Steele farm in beautiful Taylor County, West Virginia, the farm center offers educational opportunities and work experience in agricultural industries to clients with developmental disabilities. Homestead Farm Center’s RURAL (Rural to Urban Agricultural Learning) Initiative is designed to help individuals with disabilities to grow in independence, career readiness, and overall well-being through training in agriculture, organic gardening, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, cooking, and nutrition. RURAL helps participants apply the skills they have gained at the Homestead Farm Center to their everyday lives. In addition, our clients work on improving their own health and wellness and have access to recreational activities with their peers and families. Donations are tax deductible. Click the QR code below to make an online donation.
HFC 10th Anniversary BBQ Dinner
Join us on August 10, 2024 from 4-7 pm to celebrate 10 years of service to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. We will host our annual BBQ dinner with pulled pork and grilled chicken, live music, craft displays including handmade soaps, block printed cards, weaving projects and more created by our RURAL trainees and volunteers, drawings and raffles, and a short program honoring our summer participants and highlighting their accomplishments. Tickets are available from any HFC staff or board member, and also at the Disability Action Center in Fairmont. This event marks the end of our summer RURAL season and is a fun evening for participants, supporters, and families. Adults $30, Children 3-12 $15, under 3 free admission. Proceeds will help raise funds to build the RURAL Workshop to complete our facility and allow year round programming at the farm center.
RURAL PROGRAM 2024
The Rural Program will finish up October 4th this year. Our trainees have had a full summer schedule of planting, watering and harvesting vegetables from the garden and the high tunnels. They worked on crafts to sell at the annual barbecue and fall festival, learned to can peppers in sauce, made teala, blueberry muffins and sugar snap peas. They learned how to shoot a bow and arrow and helped build a drip irrigation system. And of course, took care of all the livestock on the farm and cleaned the barn and pavilion when needed.
DONORS
We would like to thank recent donors to Homestead Farm Center for their support of our programs: Nexstar Media Incorporated, West Virginia University Foundation, Hope Gas, Your Community Foundation of NCWV Incorporated, First Energy Foundation, Freedom Kia of Morgantown, Bernard McDonough, Corridor Chapter of WV Autism Society, ACI Tygart Valley Mining Corporation-Leer Mine and our many individual contributors.
Special thanks to Freedom Kia of Morgantown for selecting Homestead Farm Center for the SECOND time as a recipient of the “Giving Back ” program. This is a great example of a local business supporting a local need, your $8,200 in total donations will go towards building our workshop. https://freedomkia.net/charities
Upcoming Events at Homestead Farm Center
RURAL Farm Program
Volunteer to work alongside our RURAL farm trainees this summer. Great garden experience and a host of interesting activities.
Contact HFC to register
BBQ Dinner
August 10, 2024 from 4-7 pm, featuring live music, crafts, drawings, and great BBQ pork and chicken! Tickets available from HFC staff or at the DAC, adults $30, children 3-12 $15.
Fall Festival at the Farm
November 2, 2024
from 10-12:30
Come out to the farm and enjoy some kid’s activities, shop our Christmas crafts, eat some pork barbecue and hot dogs, sip on some apple cider or hot chocolate and visit our sheep in their winter coats. FREE ADMISSION!
Phone
304-366-3213
homesteadfarmcenter@gmail.com
Address
1039 Burns Farm Road, Grafton, WV 26354