Life on a Colorado farm gives second chances to men in need
WELLINGTON, Colo. — Sixty miles north of Denver lies a farm full of the things you would expect: gardens, pigs, goats, cows and so on. But the people who work and live on the farm are far from what you might typically picture.
“My life before this place was very confusing,” said Jay, a participant at Harvest Farm. Last year, Jay was unhoused in Fort Collins due to his struggles with addiction. Then he made his way to Fort Collins Rescue Mission and found this farm.
“Being able to just work on stuff that you’ve been wanting to for so long, you know? That it’s just eating inside of you that you’re just able to get out, man,” said Jay. “And just be you for once, you know? And it’s pretty incredible how this place works on you.”
Jay is one of 60 participants currently at Harvest Farm, which can house up to 72 people. The 100-acre farm also has a recovery program to help men from a variety of situations and backgrounds.
“Some men come from many different walks of life in order to get to the farm, and really there is no wrong door to enter the Harvest Farm. We have men who come out of homelessness and shelters, men who come out of incarceration and men who are dropped off from their families,” explains Seth Forwood, the Senior Director at Harvest Farm.
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Life at this farm also means going through what Denver Rescue Mission calls its long-term New Life Program. According to its website, the program helps these men pursue academic and vocational studies like résumé building and interview skills, as well as other life skills like anger management and personal finance—all tools that can help break the cycle many of these men find themselves in.
Jay explains that in his life before the farm, he was constantly searching for a purpose and simply living day-to-day without considering the future too much.
Not anymore.
“I’ve become so accustomed to how to create a life my way and, you know, I was just so confused because I was just uneducated, you know? Uneducated on how to live life, how to build confidence enough to tackle everyday life,” said Jay. “This farm really calms you down, it hits the brakes on you, to actually absorb things around you and see life the way it is, you know? How to respect people.”
One thing Forwood really hopes people can take away from learning about this farm is that these men are a lot like the men that are in their own families.
“Your uncle or your brother or your father ... that’s who they are— first and foremost— they are men who come from families and have parents or wives or children. I think that’s important to remember that they are people first, and they may struggle with issues that we may not struggle with,” said Forwood.
Normally, a good way for the community to see the work being done at Harvest Farm first-hand is though its annual fall festival. The event typically takes place in October and allows people to explore the farm, learn about its programs and enjoy festival activities. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and safety concerns, organizers have canceled the event this season. The hope is to bring it back in 2022.
In the meantime, the farm will continue to do its work with its fresh air and program with real-life skills that can make a difference.
“When you give them the opportunity to improve their lives and you give them the resources that they need to do that, they relish that opportunity, they match that opportunity and then they thrive and they become citizens in our community that actually give back,” said Forwood.
Jay says he is now actually able to feel like somebody and look forward to the future.
“Seeing the good life is what I call it, and I’m living it,” he said.
If you’re looking to donate to Harvest Farm, you can find that information on its website. Or, if you need help or know of someone who needs help, you can go here for people Fort Collins or here for Denver.
Brian Willie is the Content Production Manager at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at brianwillie@rmpbs.org.
Amanda Horvath is a multimedia producer with Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach her at amandahorvath@rmpbs.org.