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Establishing Shared Language in Care Farming

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Clarifying key terms for better communication and collaboration

Exploring terminology to unify the care farming community

Strengthening advocacy between health, social, and farming systems

Welcome to April’s Monthly Member Gathering! Please feel fre to introduce yourself in the chat with your name, farm/organizaion, if applicable, and what state you’re from.

Introduce CFN team

Today, we’re going to talk about the importance of establishing a shared language in care farming. When we speak the same language, it promotes clarity and inclusion, helping to create stronger connections within the care farming community. A shared language also gives care farmers more credibility, enabling us to communicate the impact of our work more effectively. It’s particularly important when engaging with funders, policymakers, and partners.

Using a consistent and inclusive language ensures that we are seen as credible advocates for the work we do. We also want to avoid stigmatizing language that might misrepresent our mission.

I want to note at the onset that this is an evolving conversation and discussion. We envision the Care Farming Network to be a central space for refining language and ensuring it evolves alongside the growth of care farming, keeping it broad enough to capture the diversity of models in practice today. And we also acknowledge that we need spaces such as this to co-create language as a network, and what is presented today is intended to be fluid and evolving.

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Why Language Matters

A shared language promotes clarity, inclusion, and credibility.
Helps care farmers communicate their impact more effectively.
Aligns terminology with funders, policymakers, and partners to strengthen advocacy.
Avoids stigmatizing or disempowering language that may misrepresent care farming's mission.

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Language is the primary tool for conveying ideas, goals, and narratives within a movement, allowing participants to understand the cause and connect with one another. Shared language creates a sense of community and belonging, reinforcing group identity and fostering solidarity and cohesion among those in a network. Language can be used to challenge dominant narratives and gives voice to marginalized groups by amplifying their perspectives. Language can motivate people to take action, understand a mission or problem,and advocate for change. And newer movements often create new words, phrases, and symbols to express their ideas and goals, shaping public discourse and influencing how people understand social issues.

Question for participants: In your care farming work, is there a term or concept that you feel needs better definition or shared understanding? Why does this term feel unclear or open to interpretation?" Ask folks to put terms in the chat for later conversation.

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Keeping Language Inclusive & Broad

Care Farming Network can serve as a collaborative hub for discussing and refining language, ensuring that terminology evolves to better reflect the growth, impact, and diversity of care farming.

Care Farming Network is working to ensure that language remains broad enough to reflect diverse care farm models.

Care Farming Network can support members by providing resources to help define terms, refine their messaging, and hone their mission & message.

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Framing the Conversation:

What do we mean by care farming?

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The green care umbrella. Source: adapted from Hine et al. (2008a)

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Core Elements of Care Farming

Care farming uses therapeutic farming to promote health, well-being and belonging.

There is an intentional use to its practice, and includes engaging with land, plants, and animals to foster emotional and physical well-being.
Focuses on social inclusion & community building where individuals contribute, connect, and grow.
Provides meaningful work & skill development by offering hands-on agricultural experiences that build confidence, promote healing, and provide independence.
Blends agriculture with therapeutic, educational, and vocational opportunities, creating a healing and empowering environment for targeted populations (more on this later!)

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CFN’s definition of care farming is that there is an intentional practice that combines agriculture with therapeutic interventions to promote health, well-being, and belonging. When we talk about care farming, we’re talking about engaging with land, plants, and animals to foster healing and growth. These experiences focus on social inclusion and community-building, and can provide meaningful work and skill development as well. For many people, care farming is an empowering environment where they can connect, learn, and contribute, whether that’s through agricultural tasks, educational programs, or vocational training. Ultimately, care farming blends agriculture with therapeutic, educational, and vocational opportunities to create a holistic healing environment.

Key terms to note here are the use of intentional use with a targeted, or focused, population of folks served.

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What Care Farming isn’t…		What Care Farming is…
Not just a traditional farm		Care farms provide structured, intentional programs for well-being, education, or vocational training.
Not a hobby farm or agritourism site		While visitors may engage with farming activities, care farms operate with a defined mission focused on inclusion, social impact, and participant growth.
Not an exclusive model		Care farming embraces diverse approaches and does not prescribe a single way of integrating agriculture with social and health benefits.
Not a one-way service		It’s not just about providing support to people; care farming values mutual engagement, where participants contribute to farm activities in meaningful ways.
Not just a nature-based approach for all		Care farms provide support for specific, targeted population.

It’s also important to clarify what care farming is not. Care farming isn’t just a traditional farm. While farming is at the heart of it, care farms provide structured and intentional programs focused on well-being, education, and vocational training. It’s also not a hobby farm or an agritourism site. While these types of farms might have visitors or host events, care farms have a clear mission that focuses on inclusion, social impact, and participant growth.

Care farming is also not an exclusive model; it embraces a wide variety of approaches, and there’s no one-size-fits-all way to integrate agriculture with health and social benefits. Furthermore, care farming isn’t a one-way service. It’s about mutual engagement, meaning participants are not only receiving help—they’re also contributing to the farm’s activities in meaningful ways. Finally, while care farming is often nature-based, it’s specifically designed to support targeted populations, not just anyone who enjoys being around nature.

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Let’s Discuss Some Examples …

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Is This A Care Farm?

🏡 A residential program for young people experiencing challenges related to substance use and mental health to participate in a recovery program on a working farm by engaging in daily agricultural tasks, such as taking care of livestock.

YES! Also considered farm-based therapy, which is a broad term that encompasses therapeutic practices on a farm setting.
One example is R.O.O.T.S. at Evergreen Grove located in Massachusetts

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Is This A Care Farm?

YES! Care farming uses therapeutic farming to promote health, well-being and belonging and provides a structured opportunity for neurodivergent individuals.
One example is Greens Do Good located in New Jersey

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🌾 An indoor hydroponic vertical farm where individuals with autism grow greens.

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Is This A Care Farm?

No! While undoubtedly a neat place to visit, this is an example of agritourism, a combination of agriculture + tourism. Agritourism ventures often provide education and entertainment while generating additional farm revenue.

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🌿 A working alpaca and livestock farm that invites visitors for guided tours and hosts events, such as shearing days, holiday farm markets, and pumpkin picking.

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Why does the language we use matter?

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Speaking About Impact:

Connection, Well-Being, and Inclusion

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Instead of “providing therapy”

use “offering meaningful engagement through farming”

Instead of “helping people in need”

use “creating opportunities for connection and well-being”

Instead of "serving vulnerable populations”

use "offering inclusive farming experiences for diverse communities”

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Before: “We help vulnerable individuals by providing them with farm-based therapy.”

✅ “Our care farm offers a welcoming and inclusive space where people of all abilities can connect with nature, develop new skills, and find purpose through farming.”

Before: “We serve at-risk youth and people with disabilities.”�

✅ “We create opportunities for young people and individuals with disabilities to engage in meaningful work and community.”

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Goal: Raise awareness and invite community involvement

Strengths-Based Messaging for Care Farmers:

General Public and Community Engagement

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Before: “We provide services for marginalized people in need.”

✅ “We offer therapeutic farming experiences that empower individuals to build skills, confidence, and social connections in a supportive environment.”

Before: “We need funding to help people who are struggling.”

✅ “With support from funders, we can expand our programs, providing more individuals with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in farming, social enterprise, and community building.”

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Goal: Emphasize impact and sustainability to secure funding

Strengths-Based Messaging for Care Farmers:

Funders and Grant Applications

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Before: “People with disabilities benefit from working on farms.”

✅ “Care farms create accessible, inclusive work environments that support individuals with disabilities in developing vocational skills and achieving greater independence.”

Before: “We serve people in need.”

✅ “Our farm is a place where everyone—regardless of background or ability—can contribute, grow, and connect with nature.”

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Goal: Position care farming as a viable model for public health and social inclusion & inspire people to get involved in the care farming movement

Strengths-Based Messaging for Care Farmers:

Policy Makers and Partners

Speaking with policymakers and partners is another opportunity to highlight the impact of care farming. By using strengths-based language, we position care farming as a viable model for public health and social inclusion. For example, instead of saying, ‘We serve people in need,’ we can say, ‘Our farm is a place where everyone—regardless of background or ability—can contribute, grow, and connect with nature.’

Using strengths-based language allows you to focus on empowerment, not deficits. Emphasizing inclusion and purpose helps to avoid framing as charity or therapy-only. And highlighting mutual benefit shows care farming benefits individuals and the broader community. Tailor your language to your audience-funders, policymakers, volunteers, and the general public each respond to different messaging

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On CFN’s online map, farms are listed according to categories which include the type of farming practice, population served, organization type, and “tags” that denote whether a farm is aspiring, an employer, provides housing, job skills, or offers a program licensed therapist. We’re including our map as an example of how CFN shows the diversity of care farms- who they serve, whether they are a nonprofit or for-profit, what kinds of farming practices they provide, and the “model” of the farms. For example, do they provide a program-licensed therapist, offer job skill training, provide wages for their participants, or are they a program of a service provider?

Now let’s explore what this means, recognizing too that CFN is evolving in the way we share information, the terms that we adopt and use, and the importance of having ongoing discussions with care farms to remain relevant and inclusive as a network. In the process of updating and clarifying the language, as this map is our “go to” place to find farms by types, categories, and population served.

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Exploring Terminology…including some “tricky terms”

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Horticulture Therapy	Horticultural therapy techniques are employed to assist participants to learn new skills or regain those that are lost. American Horticultural Therapy Association does not support the use of horticulture as therapy by individuals who do not have the required educational background nor possess professional credentials. Source: American Horticultural Therapy Association
Animal-Assisted Intervention	Involves structured interactions with animals to promote emotional and physical well-being. Includes Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) (led by licensed professionals), Animal-Assisted Education (AAE), and Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA). Sources: Human Animal Bond Research Institute Int’l Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations Guidelines

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Ecotherapy Wilderness Therapy Nature-Based Therapy	A broad term for nature-based therapeutic practices that improve mental health and well-being. Can include forest bathing, conservation work, nature walks, and outdoor mindfulness practices. Often experiential and “open to all” Source: American Psychological Association Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT) Journal of Ecopsychology
Farm Based Education	Refers to structured, experiential learning programs that take place on working farms and use agriculture, nature, and food systems as the foundation for teaching. Farm-Based Education Association Core Values Source: Farm Based Education Network

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Summary of Animal-Assisted Intervention Types

Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) is a broad term that includes various structured programs integrating animals into therapeutic, educational, and supportive settings.
Sources referenced include:

International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO)
Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)

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Healing vs. Therapeutic

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HEALING

Implies a personal journey toward emotional, mental, or physical well-being.

Less clinical, more holistic and centered on the individual's experience.

*Care farms offer healing spaces, but not all are delivering structured therapeutic interventions.

THERAPEUTIC

Suggests intentional activities or structured programs designed to support well-being.

Can be informal (therapeutic gardening) or clinical (horticultural therapy).

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Employment vs. Vocational/Job Skill Training

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Vocational/Job Skill Training

Focuses on skill-building and preparing individuals for employment in agricultural or other fields.

May be short-term and lead to job placement or further education.

Employment

Provides paid wages with built-in supports for individuals

Focuses on job retention, workplace accommodations, and coaching.

Employment models provide long-term job support and wages, while vocational training provides skills to individuals for future employment opportunities.

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Describing Populations Served

People with disabilities or diverse support needs: NOT "the disabled" or "vulnerable populations"
Individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges: NOT “mentally ill individuals"
Youth facing barriers: NOT "at-risk youth"
Individuals with lived experience or navigating specific challenges:

Mental health challenges
In recovery
Elders navigating dementia
Individuals impacted by criminal legal system

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Neurodivergent vs. Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (I/DD)

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Neurodivergent	A broad, non-medical term referring to individuals whose brains function differently from the “neurotypical” population. Includes autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences.
Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Special Needs	A medical and legal category referring to lifelong disabilities affecting cognitive function, learning, and adaptive skills. Includes conditions like Down syndrome, autism with intellectual impairment, and cerebral palsy.

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Neurodiversity, Neurodivergent, and Neurotypical

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Neurodiversity	Neurodiversity is a recognition that not all brains think or feel the same way, and that these differences are natural variations in the human genome. A group of people are neurodiverse, an individual is not.
Neurodivergent	Neurodivergent refers the an individual who has a less typical cognitive variation such as Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia etc.
Neurotypical	Neurotypical refers to individuals of typical development, and intellectual/cognitive functioning.

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What terms care farms use to define “care farmers?”

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Link to article

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Link to article

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Open Discussion

Are there any terms that feel limiting, confusing, or misrepresentative of your work?

Are there terms that you’ve moved away from because they felt outdated or disempowering?

Are there key concepts in care farming that still need clearer definitions?

What new language or terminology should CFN explore to better describe the impact and role of care farms?

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Q and A

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