A Farm Less Ordinary Kicks Off Crowdfunding Campaign to Provide Employment Opportunities for Local Adults with Autism

Every year 50,000 adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) transition out of high school and into the workforce, yet the unemployment rate grows faster than any other disability. Instead of waiting for the state to provide a solution, one local family decides to “step-up” and take matters into their own hands.

Bluemont, Va. March 21, 2016- Early this month local 501(c) nonprofit, A Farm Less Ordinary, launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for their cause: providing employment and a welcoming community to people with developmental disabilities, while sustainably growing organic food for the metropolitan DC area. Founders, Maya Wechsler and Greg Masucci seek to raise $50,000.00 to help cover startup costs, purchase tools, and pay staff this summer as they begin their second year growing organic produce on their 24-acre farm in Bluemont, Virginia.

As parents of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Maya and Greg share the same concerns as other parents in their shoes: what will their child do once he ages out of public school? “We worry about how our children will spend their days as adults—whether they will be doing something meaningful, in a safe place, with people who understand and care about them” explains Wechsler. “So, instead of waiting for a solution to this problem to magically happen one day, we are going to make it happen today.”

Maya and Greg spent last year taking classes, reading books, and getting to know people and organizations in the local agriculture and ASD community such as Legacy Farms, another local nonprofit providing agrarian-based vocational training for adults with developmental disabilities. “A Farm Less Ordinary will provide us with a perfect solution for many of our trainees, straight from our learning garden at Temple Hall Farm to their farm in Bluemont” states Patrick Cox, Director of Community Relations. “It’s the perfect symbiotic relationship, and a great source of future employment opportunities for our folks!”

Crowdfunding is a popular source of funding for nonprofits and provides a solution to many of the financial challenges the farm faces. “We paid for the seeds, mulch, irrigation equipment, tools, deer fencing, tractor rentals, as well as numerous truckloads of gravel, organic compost, and lime, out of our own pockets, more or less doing everything (besides the tilling) by hand” states Masucci., “We plan to expand each year in terms of employees and distribution of the farm's produce.”

According to the CDC Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability in the country; one in 68 children are diagnosed with ASD. The need for more support, residential and vocational services for adults with disabilities will continue to rise as these children begin aging out of high school. A Farm Less Ordinary and Legacy Farms are acting proactively to get ahead of the tsunami heading our way.

A Farm Less Ordinary provides employment and a welcoming community to people with developmental disabilities, while sustainably growing organic food for the metropolitan DC area. They are located in Bluemont, Virginia. To learn more or contribute to the cause go towww.afarmlessordinary.org.

Legacy Farms is providing support services and agrarian based vocational training for adults with Autism and other developmental challenges. They are currently operating out of Temple Hall Farm in Leesburg, Va. To learn more go to www.AutismInLoudoun.org.

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