Gold Hill, Oregon – Any gardener will tell you that there is just something about getting your hands dirty. Pulling weeds, getting your hands in the soil, planting, nurturing, watering; it’s therapeutic and it tires you out. It’s calming.
At Freedom Farms, recently incarcerated people get a chance to switch the concrete prison environment for the soft, fertile soils of the Rogue Valley.
“Coming out of prison is a very sensitive time in a person’s life,” said Sean O. Caellaigh, executive director. “People first have to have their basic needs met: housing, getting their driver’s license back, all of the day-to-day stuff.”
Once a person is stabilized, Caellaigh said they can join Freedom Farms to learn about gardening and sustainable farming.
“The contrast between prison with its metal bars and concrete floors and this rural setting surrounded by nature is surreal,” Caellaigh said. “For recently incarcerated to work here with the land, surrounded by people who really care about them can be very emotional.”
Freedom Farms, which recently received a grant from the Avista Foundation, employs about ten newly released people. They all learn job skills related to gardening and farming, some stay on as parttime employees and others move on to school or other jobs.
“We watch the recidivism very carefully and so far, none of the people who have been in our program have reoffended,” Caellaigh said. “We are about breaking the cycle of people going endlessly in and out of prison.”
The sustainable farming program just finished its first full class of clients who’ve worked on the farm through all four seasons.
“This is the first whole cycle season on the land,” Caellaigh said. “We like to measure our classes like that, in cycles on the land.”
Part of the program is also selling the veggies at farmers markets in Ashland and Medford, twice a week.
“We try to have some really good conversations there,” Caellaigh said. “It’s a good place for our participants to meet the community and talk about their life experience.”
At Avista, we recognize our unique position gives us the chance to contribute in an impactful way and make a real difference in people’s lives. Since 2002, the Avista Foundation has made grants totaling over $13 million to organizations that support vulnerable and limited income populations, education, and economic and cultural vitality. The foundation is a separate, non-profit organization established by Avista Corp., and does not receive funding from Avista Utilities’ customers through rates. For more information on grant applications and geographical areas covered, please visit avistafoundation.com.