The Youth Farm

The Youth Development program offers therapeutic support and employment for adolescents aged 16 to 18. The Youth Farm started in 2010 is a partnership with Youth Homes and Garden City Harvest. The Youth Farm was created to give teenagers employment through a hands-on program that provides opportunities for job skills training, community engagement, and empowerment through agriculture. As a productive 2+ acre farm, the Youth Farm crew operates three Mobile-Market sites serving lower income Missoulians, a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA), and donates 1,000s of pounds of food to family service agencies each year. The Youth Farm’s employment program designed for older adolescents aging out of foster care works directly with Youth Homes staff to provide a safe and challenging environment that teaches and develops social skills, encourages positive behavior, and advocates for personal responsibility. Teen employees are charged with increasing amounts of responsibility for farm operations throughout the season, including managing irrigation, interacting with shareholders and customers, and leading groups of Youth Homes teen volunteers. Our teens learn the skills necessary to grow food and hold a job while becoming active, vital members of their working farm and community. Learn more about the Tom Roy Youth Guidance Home.

The Benefits

Youth employees walk out of the fields on the last day of the season with more than a wage or school credit. What the experience means for each participant will still be growing in them long after we begin again in the spring with the next crew of young people. Their experience builds confidence, leadership skills, and a strong work ethic.

Participants build relationships, and skills that open up new possibilities.  Former participants report that these experiences profoundly impacted them – inspiring incremental changes that planted seeds for future growth, healing and success.

I now work at Home Resource, and I wouldn’t have that job if it weren’t for Garden City Harvest.