Farming with Friends

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! 🌸🌱🥒🌼🥬💐

05/11/2026

Something exciting is happening this week…

From May 11–15, every new monthly donor who signs up to give at least $5/month to Farming with Friends will unlock an EXTRA $10 contribution for our farm through Givebutter’s Monthly Giving Week campaign!

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

Monthly giving is one of the biggest ways you can help us create stability and sustainability for the future of Farming with Friends. Even $5/month makes a real difference over time.

Want to help us grow? Sign up as a recurring donor today: https://givebutter.com/fwf-donations! 💚

05/09/2026

Hey friends! We wrapped up the plant sale a few minutes early because you cleaned us out! Our remaining plants were looking a little rough from the wind (and apparently nobody wants broccoli or cabbage 😂).

We can't thank you enough for this awesome show of community support! 🤟

05/09/2026

Come check out our plant sale where 100% of the sales go back to fund our programs!
Everything is $5, cash, check, and Venmo accepted!
Here until 4!