Blanchet Farm expands workforce training through a new metal shop, thanks to a grant from the HDR Foundation.
For more than 60 years, Blanchet Farm has provided a haven where people can heal, build, and grow in the peaceful farmland of Yamhill County, Oregon.
In addition to the residents who call it home, the 62-acre property is home to hundreds of bees, dozens of chickens, goats, and pigs, several dogs, and a couple of sweet-as-can-be barn cats. An on-site woodshop is the birthplace of beautiful wood products handcrafted by residents, while the gardens grow a seemingly endless supply of fresh herbs, flowers, and produce thanks to many green thumbs. The newest addition to Blanchet Farm is a professional metal shop, completed in 2025.
It has long been a goal to convert the old pantry connected to the woodshop into an educational, fully equipped metal shop. Thanks to generous grant funding from the HDR Foundation, we were able to do exactly that.
We first consulted with local metal-working experts to determine which tools and equipment would best serve the program and future workforce opportunities. Once the equipment arrived, residents were eager to roll up their sleeves and help build the shop themselves.
A resident practices welding under the supervision of a volunteer in the metal shop at Blanchet Farm.
One resident, Ed, brought years of welding and fabrication experience to the project. Ed played a key role in setting up the shop and sharing best practices with fellow residents. From the beginning, the shop has reflected one of Blanchet Farm’s greatest strengths: people learning alongside one another.
Recovery, Purpose, and Building a New Future
The metal shop gives Blanchet Farm residents the opportunity to create and develop valuable job skills that can help them secure stable employment. Many of the men who come to the farm are rebuilding their lives after addiction led to job loss and homelessness.
Jalen works on a project in the metal shop at Blanchet Farm.
Jalen, one of our current residents, spends much of his time in the shop working on projects that are both practical and meaningful. Under the guidance of skilled volunteer metalworkers, he and his fellow residents are learning to MIG and TIG weld, program and operate a CNC machine, and safely take on projects from concept to completion.
For Jalen, these new skills are building the foundation for a career. He hopes to enroll in the welding program at Chemeketa Community College after completing the farm program.
The work has also created a new opportunity to reconnect with his grandfather, a welder.
“[My grandfather] gets to pass on his skills. He gets giddy about it,” Jalen shared.
Moments of positive family connection are a powerful part of the recovery journey.
Hands-On Projects Benefit the Community
Working together, residents have already used the metal shop to improve the farm. They’ve built tomato trellises, storage racks, and are fabricating a structure to house deliveries. They’ve also had fun experimenting with smaller CNC projects that will be sold through our Social Enterprise Program.
The metal shop complements the attached woodshop, providing residents with a space to create functional and artistic pieces that bring together wood and steel.
Every project is an opportunity to build confidence.
Take a walk around the farm, and you’ll likely spot Blanchet logos throughout the property, all created by residents with the help of the new CNC machine.
“Residents have taken on impressively creative projects while also tackling practical repairs that keep the farm running and give them real ownership over fixing what breaks. There’s a quiet satisfaction in watching someone discover they can build, repair, and improve the world around them on the farm. The lockstep relationship to their own recovery couldn’t be more in line,” said metal shop volunteer Ryan Weeden.
What’s more, the shop is bringing our community closer together. Local fabricators like Madeway Design lead workshops in metal arts, forging, soldering, and fabrication, with an upcoming class on building custom table legs. We look forward to partnering with local businesses to expand job training opportunities and strengthen career paths for residents.
Meeting the Growing Demand for Welders and Fabricators
These pathways couldn’t come at a better time, as metal-working skills are in high demand. The welding and metal fabrication industries face significant workforce shortages. According to the American Welding Society, 320,500 welders will be needed nationwide over the next several years. Skilled trades offer strong job security, competitive wages, and opportunities for specialization, yet employers consistently report difficulty filling these positions. Beyond that, for residents like Jalen, access to a metal shop offers more than a future career. It offers therapeutic work.
Small but mighty, the new shop houses a variety of tools suited for many practical resident-led projects
“I don’t think I would’ve been able to get clean without a place like this,” said Jalen. “Having access to equipment is a blessing for sure. The tools are laid out in front of you. It’s your job to pick up the tools and use them.”
It’s a fitting metaphor. The tools are here. The guidance is here. The opportunity is here. Each resident can discover what they can build with metal and in their lives.
Thank you, HDR Foundation
This project would not have been possible without funding and support from the HDR Foundation. That’s why we extend our thanks to the HDR Foundation, and in particular to Sean Larkin, who helped champion this grant. Big thanks to the HDR team who show up month after month to volunteer and bring joy to our Old Town meal program.
Additionally, thank you to Pete Bosack of Madeway Design for his guidance during the planning phase and for his ongoing support through metal donations and by hosting workshops. Thank you as well to Ryan and other ongoing metal shop volunteers.
