Welcome to The Farmstead!

Take a moment to visualize our dreams for what The Farmstead will be like.

We envision The Farmstead as a place where people with cognitive disabilities wake up every morning praising God for the adventures that await them, and go to sleep each evening thanking God for the consuming joy of a life lived to its fullest--of jobs well done, lessons well learned, and friends well loved. Would you like a tour? Well, come on in! As you drove onto the property, you probably noticed several of our residents working on the flower beds out front, adding seasonal color to the perennials that they tend. They take great pride in their work, and it shows! It isn't unusual to happen upon a lively game of monopoly or backgammon here in the commons area of our main hall. The men's quarters are down the hallway to your left, and the women's quarters are down this hallway to the right. Each hall has resident assistants on-site, much like a college dormitory. We also offer room and board to several college students each year who are majoring in related fields, like special ed or physical therapy. In exhange, they help out with our various activities. It's a win-win situation. By the way, the paintings that you see on either side of the stone fireplace were done by our own artists. They are frequently auctioned off at our fund-raisers throughout the year. If you'll follow me to our large country kitchen, we can peek in and see how lunch prep is going. Residents participate in meal planning, incorporating the seasonal fruits and veggies they grow in our gardens. Surplus produce is taken to the farmers' market, where they run their own stand. Our kitchen is supervised by experienced, paid staff. Smells like rosemary roasted potatoes today--my favorite! The residents love to invite guests for mealtime, and I think you'll enjoy visiting with them. While we're waiting for our lunch, let's see what's going on at the barn. We'll go out the back, through the covered porch. After dinner, this is the perfect place for everyone to swap stories about their day. We could take the golf cart, or if you're in the mood for a walk, we can follow this trail through the woods. I agree--it's a wonderful day for a walk! This building is our athletic and activity center. We have chosen to have an outdoor, heated pool rather than an indoor one, because indoor pools aggravate asthma. Our continuing education classrooms are housed here, and the building also serves as a hall for monthly dances that we host. Most of the attendees are other young adults with cognitive disabilities and their families, as well as area therapeutic professionals, but admission is open to everyone. It provides a wonderful opportunity to interact with members of our community in a fun, informal setting. Originally, we talked about using the gym as a chapel on Sundays, but the residents really look forward to attending Sunday services at Denton Bible as a group each week. We do, however, hold bible studies here. If we followed the trail off in that direction, we would come to our convention facility and pavilion. We host several events every year for groups associated with Down syndrome, autism, and cerebral palsy, and we are also available for family reunions, weddings, and other celebrations. It's really a lovely venue. We have several cottages available that are often used by residents' families who visit from out-of-town, but we also have vacationers looking to experience a taste of farm life. They can sit back and watch all the goings-on if they like, but more often they want to get their hands dirty and really get involved. We live on-site on the west side of the property. Adjacent to us are several homes where we support families who have each adopted several children with Down syndrome. We provide subsidized housing, as well as paid and volunteer help with child-care and housekeeping. We feel strongly that it is better for these children to be raised in a family environment than in institutionalized care. Here at the livestock center, the residents care for cows, sheep, chickens, goats, and horses. We have about 30 horses that are ridden both for pleasure and for therapeutic riding. Our monthly trail rides are in big demand. If you've never signed up for one, you don't know what you're missing. If you aren't too saddle-sure, you can follow the group in a wagon with the rest of the greenhorns. The cook-out and sing-a-long at the end of the trail are the most fun you'll have all month, I promise! One of our educational programs is in progress right know. I think that's a group of 4th graders, if I remember correctly. Each of them is assigned one of our residents as a buddy. Last month we let them each try their hand at churning butter after a milking demonstration; today they're going to observe the sheep being shorn and learn about textiles. By seeing individuals with cognitive challenges in the role of teacher, mentor, and friend, these kids will go out into the world with different attitudes than the generations before them. While much of our funding comes from private donations and fund-raising efforts, as you've seen today, we also pursue many gainful enterprises: the farmers' market, convention facilities and cabins, our educational programs, and the trail rides. On occasion I've had people comment that they want their cognitively-disabled child to hold down a "real job," and that living on a farm is more like being at summer camp than being a productive citizen. Of course, those are people who've never woken up at 6:00am to mend a broken fence, and then gathered eggs on their way back to breakfast before heading back down to the barn to show 8 year-olds the difference between a rooster and a hen. It is our goal for every one of the residents God sends us to lead a productive life. When they sit down to a meal of greens from their garden, eggs from their chickens, topped off with a glass of ice-cold milk from their cows or goats...well, all I can say is it doesn't get much more real than this. That's the lunch bell. We can grab a golf cart for the ride back up, since I'm sure you've worked up enough of an appetite already. I hope you enjoyed the tour, but I think the best endorsement will be found from the residents themselves back in the dining room!