Throughout history, society’s views regarding the developmentally disabled have been directly proportional to its level of education and understanding. As recently as the middle of the twentieth century, the disabled were thought of as incapable and incompetent. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 began to change that. The Act mandates that people with disabilities be given equal access to public accommodations, transportation, jobs, education, and government. Gradually, society began to realize that past opinions were based on faulty assumptions, and that the disabled were, in fact, anything but incompetent.

According to a 2011 Census Report, 36 million people in the United States have at least one disability, 47% of whom are above the age of eighteen. In Minnesota, 94,000 people (2% of the population) experience difficulties with daily activities, while in North Dakota that number is 13,000, or 2.3%. There are several programs throughout the nation that aim to maximize opportunities for the disabled in order to help them become the best individuals possible. Farm in the Dell International is one of those programs and with the appropriate amount of support, they will be coming to the Red River Valley.

Farm in the Dell International Foundation has worked for nearly four decades to bring a new way of life to the developmentally disabled through the creation of residential horticulture and agricultural programs. There are currently four farms in Montana, one in Canada, and one in Russia. The program is working to bring the next farm to the Red River Valley. On these farms, residents are involved in a variety of daily activities, including caring for animals, planting and harvesting crops, and growing flowers. Each farm is tailored according to the abilities and interests of the residents, so the programs at each location vary.

The vision of Farm in the Dell International is “transforming disabilities into abilities by providing purposeful work and caring relationships in a loving and Christ-centered home.” A central focus of the program is enabling the residents to become vital and productive members of their communities. By doing so, not only are the residents empowered to identify and share their gifts with others, but further progress is made toward eliminating the stigma that so often surrounds the disabled. The farm in Helena, for example, hosts an annual Harvest Festival for the community that is one of the most successful and well-attended events of the year. The residents of that farm used tomatoes from their own garden to make the salsa that was served during a recent informational meeting in Moorhead. The farm in Kalispell raises miniature Hereford cattle.

The Red River’s Farm in the Dell will be designed to house five males and five females over the age of eighteen. Residents of each farm never age out, effectively staying at the farm as long as they desire. The first step in making this farm a reality is securing a land parcel of at least twenty acres. Because the program also offers services to nonresident adults, the farm must be located within a ten-mile radius of Moorhead. A Board of Directors for Farm in the Dell Red River Valley was formed in March of this year and is currently working on applying for local and national grants. In addition, they are diligently working to set up partnerships with local agencies and the community at large. According to the Board, they “are not lacking energy, passion, or enthusiasm, just money.”

Lowell Bartels, CEO and co-founder of Farm in the Dell International, considers each location “more than a farm; a place to belong.” After opening the first farm in Helena in 1989, Bartels has worked tirelessly to bring the program to as many communities as possible. In the past, the disabled were often segregated from the public, a practice that people like Bartels are working against. Farm in the Dell aims to make their residents a part of the community, not a separate entity. Each location is open to tours from local civic and school groups in the hopes that improved education will foster an interactive and mutually beneficial relationship. “We want to show that the disabled are not to be feared,” said Farm in the Dell RRV member Glen Urlacher.

The potential for people with disabilities is only limited by the restrictions placed upon them. When given the chance, their abilities can often far exceed general expectations. The Farm in the Dell program hopes to remove those restrictions and allow its residents the opportunity to shatter expectations. “Farm in the Dell is different from any other group home I’ve even walked into,” said the mother of a Montana resident. “It’s a peaceful, positive, loving place.” With the help of the community, a farm in the Red River Valley will become a reality in the very near future.

If you would like to offer your support with a monetary contribution, or would like to volunteer your time and expertise, please contact Glenn at (218) 287-4448, Gary at (701) 373-5105, or visit the Farm in the Dell of the Red River Valley’s website at www.farminthedellrrv.org.