Farming with Friends

06/04/2026

Hi, friends, Ginnette here. Yesterday was incredible and I just have to share some thoughts about it!

One of the things I love most about Farming with Friends is that we don't separate people into different groups. We bring people together.

In this photo are staff from Summit County Developmental Disabilities Board, volunteers from Teammates Center L.L.C, participants in Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities's community work experience program, and our Farming with Friends staff and regular volunteers. Some have disabilities. Some don't. Some are here every week. Some were visiting for the day.

Out on the farm, none of that matters nearly as much as the fact that everyone has something valuable to contribute.

Our volunteer model is intentionally designed around small, integrated teams led by Farming with Friends staff. We work together, learn together, solve problems together, and yes, occasionally sweat together. Through those shared experiences, people stop seeing labels and start seeing teammates, coworkers, and friends.

I've watched people arrive feeling nervous and unsure, only to leave laughing, confident, and already asking when they can come back. I've watched friendships form between people who may never have crossed paths otherwise. I've watched volunteers become mentors, participants become leaders, and strangers become part of our community.

The vegetables we grow are important. The flowers are beautiful. But the relationships growing here might be the most meaningful harvest of all.

Thank you to everyone in this photo and the many others who make this community possible. You are helping prove that when we create spaces where everyone belongs, amazing things happen. 💚

06/02/2026

First Blooms of the Season! 🌼

Look what’s starting to bloom in one of our newly upgraded raised beds! Our first calendula and statice flowers are opening up, marking the beginning of an exciting season for our 2026 Flower Farm Project.

These beautiful flowers represent our ongoing commitment to creating an accessible, inclusive farm where people of all abilities can learn, work, and grow together.

We are incredibly grateful to our project partners and supporters who helped make these raised bed and accessibility improvements possible:

💚 Thank you to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development-Diocese of Cleveland (CCHD)
💚 Thank you to the Akron Garden Club (AGC)
💚 Thank you to the Old Trail School Community (OTS)

Because of your support, these beds are becoming spaces where opportunities bloom alongside the flowers.

We can't wait to share more as the flower farm grows throughout the season!

05/29/2026

💚 The Backbone of Farming with Friends 💚

Our farm runs on community, and we are incredibly grateful for the volunteers who show up week after week to help make our mission possible.

A special thank you to our regular volunteer crew, Krista, Andrew, Karla, and Will, whose dedication, hard work, and willingness to jump in wherever needed help keep everything moving forward. Whether we're planting, harvesting, welcoming visitors, or tackling the never-ending farm to-do list, they are always there when we need them.

We're also excited to welcome our newest regular volunteers pictured here (left to right): Julia, Shayla, and Amanda! 🌱

Julia and Amanda join us through Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD)'s Community Work Experience Program, where Julia is gaining valuable workplace skills while contributing in meaningful ways to our farm community.

Shayla was referred to us by our friends at Grace Church, Bath Campus, and we are so thankful to have her positive energy and helping hands on the farm.

Volunteers are more than helpers at Farming with Friends. They are teammates, mentors, friends, and an essential part of creating an inclusive community where people of all abilities can learn, work, and grow together.

Please help us thank these amazing individuals for being part of the Farming with Friends family! 💚🌻

05/28/2026

Friendship looks like this. 💚

At Farming with Friends, the work happening on the farm is about so much more than planting and harvesting. It’s about connection, trust, teamwork, and learning how to communicate and support one another across all abilities.

Our leadership trainees are building real-world communication and collaboration skills every day through hands-on experiences with volunteers, staff, and peers. Whether it’s Team Lead Sam patiently working alongside Teammates volunteer Tim, or Farm Assistant Dennis and volunteer Karla literally leaning on each other at the end of a long day, these moments matter.

This is the kind of community we are intentionally creating:
🌱 People supporting people
🌱 Friendships growing naturally
🌱 Everyone valued for what they bring to the table
🌱 A place where all abilities grow together

These relationships are the heart of the farm.

05/27/2026

Turn the sound up for this one… 👀🐍🔊

While building our squash and melon patch, we uncovered quite the surprise under one of our tarps: FOUR snakes!

The tarps we use to naturally kill grass create a warm, protected environment that voles absolutely love. And where there are lots of voles… there are also predators nearby! These beautiful milk snakes had clearly figured that out.

Our crew had an absolute blast with the discovery. Sam especially was in his element helping safely relocate the snakes while everyone started calling him “Steve Irwin” 😂

And before anyone panics — milk snakes are completely harmless and actually very helpful on a farm. They help naturally control rodents and are an important part of a healthy ecosystem.

Just another exciting day at Farming with Friends where we grow pumpkins, watermelon, squash… and apparently wildlife encounters too!

05/26/2026

From tarp to squash patch! 🌱🎃🍉

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at how we’re building our winter squash and melon patch at Farming with Friends:

1️⃣ First, we pulled back the tarp we laid down last year to naturally kill the grass underneath. No heavy tilling needed!

2️⃣ Next, we used garden forks to break up the soil underneath. This helps loosen the ground for better aeration and water infiltration so roots can grow deep and healthy.

3️⃣ Then came the fun part — adding compost! We built mounds on top of each loosened section to create rich planting spaces packed with nutrients.

4️⃣ After that, we shaped and spaced all the mounds by hand, getting everything ready for planting day.

5️⃣ The result? 49 planting mounds ready for pumpkins, acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, delicata squash, and watermelon! 🎃🧡

6️⃣ And finally, a proud mother-and-son moment 💚 Ginnette and Sam have poured so much love, hard work, and teamwork into this farm, and this patch is just one more example of what grows when community comes together.

Now we wait for sunshine, vines, and lots of squash! 🌞

05/15/2026

Last chance to expand your impact! 🌱

Today is the FINAL day of Givebutter’s Monthly Giving Week match campaign, and so far, 8 amazing people have signed up to become monthly donors! 💚

For every new monthly donor who signs up to give at least $5/month today, Givebutter will contribute an EXTRA $10 to Farming with Friends.

That means your small monthly gift can go even further toward:
🌻 Creating meaningful opportunities for people with disabilities
🌱 Expanding accessible growing spaces
🤝 Building inclusive community through farming
🥕 Growing food, friendships, and purpose together

Monthly support helps us create stability, plan ahead, and keep growing a farm where everyone belongs.

Join our monthly donor community today and help us keep the momentum growing!

Donate here: https://givebutter.com/fwf-donations

05/14/2026

We’re incredibly grateful to the Akron Garden Club for their recent grant award supporting Farming with Friends! 🌱💚

Their support will help fund accessibility improvements at the farm and the development of our new flower farm project, expanding opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in meaningful, hands-on growing experiences in an inclusive and welcoming environment.

This project creates spaces where everyone can contribute, learn, build confidence, and experience the joy and purpose that come from working together outdoors and in community.

We are so thankful for partners like the Akron Garden Club who believe in accessibility, inclusion, and the power of growing together. 🌻

05/13/2026

Pure joy! That’s the look on our farm hand Tim’s face as he shoveled woodchips this afternoon. That look is the number one reason to support our work at Farming with Friends. 💚

Through May 15 (just 2 days left!), every new monthly donor who signs up to give at least $5/month unlocks an EXTRA $10 donation for our farm through Givebutter's Monthly Giving Week campaign.

Your support helps create meaningful opportunities for people with disabilities while building inclusive community through farming, friendship, and purpose. 🌱

Join us here: https://givebutter.com/fwf-donations

05/11/2026

We are so excited to share this collaboration between two of our very best friends - Heads Up Flowers and Crown Point Ecology Center! There are some beautiful things coming your way from this community this season. 💚

We are so excited to release this schedule! 🙌🏼🤩💕🌸

Find us Wednesdays at during their CSA pick-up (open to all!) and Fridays at our home base- the flower stand at St Vincent-St Mary High school!

Wednesdays are cash and Venmo payment, Fridays are Venmo only at the stand.

Here’s to a great season for all the growers out there! 🌸🌱🥒🌼🥬💐