Watch Us Farm is a Zionsville, Ind., nonprofit vocational training program serving adults with special needs. The farm was founded by Janice Agarwal, PT, cNDT, who also serves as executive director.
She shares, "Adults with special needs working at Watch Us Farm take pride in creating excellent quality products and textiles. We would like more people to recognize the value a job provides to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the good work our community of adults is doing at Watch Us Farm. We can’t change a person’s disability, but we can change the way other people perceive adults with special needs."
Long-term, the team hopes to create a self-sustaining community combining jobs, housing, and social engagement for these often-forgotten adults. The nonprofit is supported by foundation, corporate, and private donations and by the sale of its products. Donations to the farm are tax-deductible. Watch Us Farm welcomes volunteers and partnerships with local businesses and industries to expand the jobs available to this talented group of adults.
These adults are so talented in fact that they recently won an international award - the 2021 Elizabeth and Richard Ashford Textile Award. Ashford Handicrafts Ltd., based in New Zealand, is a world leader in the manufacture of quality spinning wheels, weaving looms, and textile equipment and offers an annual award to encourage and support textile artists and help them enjoy artistic freedom. Watch Us Farm uses an Ashford loom in their weaving service line and was selected to receive the award after a competitive, worldwide application process.
The Ashford Award provides international recognition for Watch Us Farm and the design and creation of beautiful rugs, table runners, dish towels, scarves, and baby blankets by local adults with special needs, as well as Ashford equipment, wool, fiber, and yarn with a value of approximately $3600. Watch Us Farm textiles are sold at Zionsville’s Truffles & Creams Chocolatier Back to the Bricks, My Sugar Pie, and online.
You can learn more about Watch Us Farm at https://www.watchusfarm.com/.
Facebook: Watch Us Farm
Instagram: @watch.us.farm
Phone: 317-590-6496