One of two group homes is being built at Reed’s Farm in Egg Harbor Township.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – When Cookie Till of Steve & Cookies By The Bay in Margate entered a partnership with a New Jersey non-profit organization at Reed’s Farm in Egg Harbor Township, her own non-profit, A Meaningful Purpose, turned toward supporting sustainability, not only in growing organic vegetables and caring for farm animals, but also for providing a safe haven for people with developmental disabilities.
Caring, Inc. purchased the 72-acre farm in 2020 and leases most of it to Till’s A Meaningful Purpose, which operates the organic farm and animal sanctuary. The farm, which offers produce to the public at a farm stand, will soon open a completely new indoor market and kitchen that Till hopes will not only transform an old barn, but also promises to transform the community.
Announcing the purchase, Executive Director of Operations Joe Dougherty said the farm would be a catalyst for engaging the community in sustainable living.
“We’re excited to play a part in the restoration of this historic farm, and we look forward to the benefits it will bring our Caring residents, and to the community at large,” he said in a statement following the purchase. “Area residents will have access to organic produce and free-range eggs, and our clients will have the chance to learn new skills and do productive and rewarding work. This partnership really does give the property A Meaningful Purpose.”
Spinach and Swiss chard is being grown in the greenhouses as Reed’s Farm.
Caring, Inc., which has been providing individuals with developmental disabilities the opportunity to live an independent lifestyle, purchased the farm after it went fallow in 2014. One of the first things the new owner did was form a relationship with A Meaningful Purpose to nourish the land, the animals and the community, and obtained approvals from Egg Harbor Township to subdivide two parcels for residential use.
According to Dougherty, contractors are currently working on the assembly of one modular home with another home to be erected soon after. The homes are located at opposite ends of the farm on Spruce Avenue. The nonprofit currently operates 55 group homes in the state and also provides affordable housing, day programs and assisted living for seniors in four counties.
Each of the homes will have five bedrooms and house five developmentally disabled residents seeking to live independently. The homes will be staffed 24 hours a day and the residents will have nursing staff on site to meet any medical needs they may have.
“We want them to have the level of care they need to live independently,” Dougherty said. “Some will participate in a work program or day program and participate in some way in the farm operation.”
Chickens roam free at Reed’s Farm.
That could include working with the animals, learning about farming, helping out with harvesting or working in the brand new, fully equipped kitchen preparing food made from the farm’s bounty.
The entire operation is designed to provide healthy organic vegetables for the community, and vocational education and employment for anyone wishing to learn more about sustainability. The farm has formed partnerships with the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, Mainland Regional and Egg Harbor Township high schools, and Jefferson University’s Masters of Nutrition and Dietetics program.
For the last several years, the farm has been producing organic vegetables outdoors during the growing season and inside four greenhouses during cold crop months. In addition to harvesting product, the farm aims to harvest the “talents and energy” of underserved populations.
Dougherty said the homes will be ready for people to move into by the spring.
“Some of the residents have already been identified and all of them are New Jersey residents who are either living at home with their parents or in some kind of institutional setting and need to become more independent,” Dougherty said.
In addition to getting new neighbors, there are other exciting things happening at Reed’s Farm and Animal Sanctuary. After months of renovations, Till is about to open an indoor market where community groups can hold events.
Cookie Till and staffers from Reed’s Organic Farm in Egg Harbor Township sell their products at the fall farmers market in Margate.
On Saturday, Dec. 3, starting at 10 a.m., Mud Girls Studios of Atlantic City, which has provided disadvantaged women with the opportunity to learn new skills, gain employment and engage in self-expression for the last five years, will hold its annual Holiday Sale at the market. Shoppers are advised to shop early as their artistic, yet functional ceramic pottery creations sell out quickly.
The market will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Dec. 2-4, offering farm fresh produce and baked and prepared foods. Visitors can step up to the coffee bar where they can enjoy fresh roasted coffees and farm-grown herbal teas.
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