The Blanchet Farm is located in Yamhill County, near Carlton. The Farm was first purchased in 1962 and now is a little over 60 acres in size. The Farm reflects the original Catholic Worker Movement notion of the homeless and people in recovery working on a farm, far away from the temptations of city life. Over the years, the Farm has been very successful in changing lives and is a thriving place with several different types of operations.
Approximately thirty men live at the Farm at any one time. They usually stay from three to six months. Most arrive there by referrals from various recovery and rehab agencies in the area. All are required to work a full day in one of several areas. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings take place during the week on a regular basis. Pete, our Farm Manager, lives on the Farm and manages all operations.
The Farm has several buildings. The main house contains many bedrooms, the kitchen and eating area and a living room. There are also two separate barns and a building that is the home of several hundred chickens.
The Farm raises both pigs and egg-producing chickens which are then sold or used at the Blanchet House operation. There is a large garden where a good deal of produce is grown. Several acres of Christmas trees have been planted and are cared for by the workers. A good deal of work goes into cooking for thirty men in the farm kitchen.
One of the principal activities at the farm is a woodworking shop in one of the barns. Some of the men had woodworking skills and passed on those skills to others. They produce various types of furniture and have just completed several hundred pieces of furniture for the new facility. These include tables, chairs and furniture for all of the upstairs bedrooms.
The Blanchet Farm is an active place that generates a good deal of pride, skills and self-esteem in the men who reside there. Far away from the temptations of downtown, the men who come to the farm have a chance to get back on their feet and become farmers at work.
For more information on the farm click on the video below.
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