Day Programs

Bittersweet offers Day Program services for adults with autism at our Lima and Whitehouse locations. Both programs are person-centered and focus on nurturing participants’ passions and fostering independence by developing life skills and job skills.

Interested in touring our Whitehouse Day Program? Day Program tours take place on the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 1-2pm and the 4th Thursday of the month from 10-11am. This tour is ideal for families/individuals considering Day Program services at Bittersweet Farms. Reservations are required, contact Mallory Dockery to make a reservation.

Adult Day Services at Betty’s Farm (Lima)

The Day Program at Betty’s Farm focuses on life and safety skills, arts and crafts, gardening and animal care, aerobic outdoor activity, civic education, and giving back to the Lima community through volunteering.

On a given day at Betty’s Farm, you might find the Day Program participants:

1. Contributing to the local community and developing job skills by volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a local park, or the local food bank

2. Growing veggies from seed to harvest in raised garden beds to donate to the local families in need

3. Studying a new part of the country or world

4. Practicing conversation skills by discussing local events

5. Developing independent life skills by preparing a meal together

6. Enjoying the therapeutic benefits of arts and crafts

7. Learning important safety skills, such as first aid and evacuation in case of fire/emergency

8. Playing a game of basketball outside to stay active and encourage teamwork

This abundance of meaningful activities empowers participants to learn more about themselves and the world around them, making connections with others in the program and the wider community.

For more information about Adult Day Services at Betty’s Farm, contact Jerry Hunt at jhunt@bittersweetfarms.org.

Day Program at Bittersweet Farms (Whitehouse)

Whitehouse is home to Bittersweet’s oldest and largest Day Program, boasting seven unique program areas. Participants engage in many different kinds of work based on their individual goals and interests, ranging from groundskeeping to art. Bittersweet’s farmstead model brings together this diverse array of experiences, which fosters participants’ independence all while promoting the interdependent sustainability of the farmstead itself. Learn more about each program area below!

Gardens

Participants in the Gardens program are involved in every step of the year-round process of growing vegetables in our three greenhouses and five hoop houses. Preparation for the growing season begins in the winter, with soil preparation, container sanitization and preparation, and seeding. Throughout our extended growing season in the spring, summer, and fall, participants assist with transplanting, weeding, watering, and harvesting vegetables for sale.

Gardening has been part of life at Bittersweet since our founding in 1983. Individuals with autism benefit from tasks with clearly defined steps and measurable progress, such as the plant life cycle from seed to harvest. Additionally, gardening provides ample opportunities for fine and gross motor skill development, vocational skill development for individuals working toward community employment, and immense therapeutic benefits for all.

The fresh, nutrient-dense produce grown by the Gardens team is sold through Bittersweet’s Community Supported Agriculture program, providing paid employment to the participants who work in the Gardens program. We are also proud to source several local markets and restaurants and to give back through produce donations to local food banks and feeding programs.

Horticulture

The Horticulture program provides a stepping stone for participants who are interested in gardening but are still developing the skills necessary to work in the Gardens program. In Horticulture, participants practice basic skills such as seeding, transplanting, and watering. The Horticulture and Gardens teams also partner on projects, such as weeding, to provide cross-over opportunities and prepare participants for a successful transition into Gardens.

Animal Care

Since the very beginning, the Barn has been the heart of Bittersweet Farms. Today, the Bittersweet Barn is home to mini horses, chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, and rabbits! Participants in the Animal Care program are responsible for feeding, watering, grooming, cleaning stalls, and exercising the animals. They also assist with routine Barn maintenance tasks, animal health inspections and veterinary visits, and more.

Working with the animals provides countless therapeutic benefits as well as job skill development opportunities for the individuals who work in the Barn. The Barn is also a central part of the farmstead ecosystem! The animals enjoy excess vegetables from Gardens and provide the Creative Arts program with wool for weaving.

Creative Arts

The Creative Arts program provides educational, therapeutic, and vocational opportunities to artists with autism. Art is a crucial vehicle for self-expression and anxiety reduction for individuals on the autism spectrum. The Bittersweet Creative Arts studio boasts space for drawing and painting, looms for weaving, and kilns to fire ceramics and fused glass art. Weaving is a hallmark of the Creative Arts program at Bittersweet, it uses a unique combination of cross-body motion and gross motor skills, which is immensely beneficial to individuals with autism. In addition to weaving with wool from the Barn, the Creative Arts program uses reclaimed nature items and recycled/upcycled supplies in keeping with our sustainable farmstead model.

The Creative Arts Program offers several products for sale at the Market at Bittersweet Gardens and local festivals, providing paid employment for the artists at Bittersweet. Items for sale include ceramic pieces, original paintings, woven placements and table runners, fused glass sun catchers, glass and ceramic magnets, and more. The creation of these products exemplifies Bittersweet’s philosophy; many pieces are created using a partnership and teamwork approach, and each one provides meaningful and motivating work for the participants.

Culinary

The Culinary Program is located in a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and trains participants in basic food safety, baking, and cooking skills. Some Culinary participants are preparing for community employment opportunities, while others are honing their life skills. The Culinary team has won several awards from the Lucas County Health Department for their cleanliness and food safety practices!

Bittersweet Culinary is known locally for their delicious, from-scratch cookies and brownies, which are sold at the Market at Bittersweet Gardens. The participants are involved in the entire baking process, from ordering ingredients to baking to packaging cookies, and the sale of these items provide paid employment to our Culinary participants.

Place a custom cookie order online for pick-up at the Market at Bittersweet Gardens!

Groundskeeping

With 80 acres of farmland at our Whitehouse location, there is plenty of mowing and landscaping to be done! Participants in the Groundskeeping program maintain the farmstead grounds in all seasons, preparing flower beds in the spring, mowing in the summer, raking in the fall, shoveling in the winter, and much more. The Groundskeeping team also cuts and hauls wood to fill the wood-burning stove in Gardens, which heats the greenhouses during the cold months.

The different types of equipment used in Groundskeeping—from simple rakes and shovels, to weed whackers and leaf blowers, to push mowers, and finally to riding mowers and tractors—provide a natural skills progression for the participants in the program. Each participant is thoroughly trained on how to safely operate equipment and is supported as they pursue new skills in the program based on their goals and interests.

Janitorial

Participants in the Janitorial program learn basic janitorial skills—such as vacuuming, mopping, and window washing—by assisting with cleaning the non-residential buildings at Bittersweet’s Whitehouse campus. They also work in partnership with the administrative staff on recycling projects. Like our other program areas, the Janitorial program provides both life skill development and job skill development, depending on participants’ individual needs, interests, and goals.

Make a gift to support the Day Programs at Bittersweet.