This harvest is about more than just an apple crop

Leopold grant helps program put people back on the land

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Thirty-two adults with autism are living out Aldo Leopold's land ethic. Their involvement began in the spring of 1998, when they helped plant 360 dwarf apple trees in a new organic orchard near Runnells in Polk County.

For the past three seasons they have helped care for the young orchard. During a drought they watered trees, bucket by bucket, before an irrigation system was installed. They hand-picked armyworm caterpillars from branches, and hung small weights to help limbs grow correctly. They also mulched, weeded and spread compost week after week. In September, they finally picked their first crop.

The apple harvest was successful. More importantly, these adults, some of them with severe disabilities, learned about self-respect, pride and being part of a community.

"Everyone can do something here," says Janna Bouwkamp, vocational coordinator at The Homestead, a residential facility for autistic adults where the orchard is located. "It's exciting for them to be able to pick an apple off the tree and take a bite out of it."

Orchard also contributes to CSA
The orchard is part of Homestead's occupational program that includes a greenhouse and five-acre garden. Twenty-two residents and 10 other adults enrolled in Homestead's day program help raise about 40 kinds of fruits and vegetables that are eaten by the residents, sold in Homestead's General Store, and distributed to 16 families that belong to the Homestead Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project. The orchard was established with a three-year $22,000 competitive grant from the Leopold Center and with funds from Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino.

"We've been able to fill a niche market with the organically-grown apples," Bouwkamp explains. "It also goes along with who we are because working on the land is therapeutic. People can be part of an entire process from planting the trees, weeding and watering, to eating an apple when it's ready to pick."

According to Bouwkamp, many vocational programs for people with disabilities involve repetitive indoor tasks. These tasks often involve just one part of a manufacturing process, such as counting nuts and bolts, and workers do not see a finished product. On the other hand, agricultural work takes people outdoors, involves a number of different tasks, and can be adapted for a wide range of abilities. Workers often eat the finished product right from the tree or vine, so "we plant plenty," Bouwkamp adds, smiling.

Sustainable agriculture a good fit
Steve Muller, executive director of the six-year-old residential facility, says the Leopold Center grant was a perfect fit for Homestead.

"People with disabilities should have the option of living and working on the land, just like the rest of the population," Muller says. "Our mission is to help people with autism develop personal growth in an agricultural setting."

Autism is a neurological disorder that impairs how a person gathers and processes information, causing problems in communication and social skills. It is diagnosed in about one in every 500 people, and often involves other disabilities, such as mental retardation.

"Residents take great pride in the orchard," adds Geoffrey Abelson, an ISU education professor who helped write the grant. "It gives them respect, integrity and a sense of place. Their families know they're involved with something productive. People come here to buy apples because they're good and they're organically grown, not just because they were raised by people who have autism."

About Homestead Orchard
Staff and residents at The Homestead worked with several departments at Iowa State University to make the organic orchard a reality. They include ISU's first specialist in organic agriculture, Kathleen Delate; horticulture professors Paul Domoto and Gail Nonnecke; horticulture consultant Linda Naeve; and curriculum and instruction professor Geoffrey Abelson. Academic advisor Al Campbell also offered suggestions for education and outreach activities.

The orchard contains 360 dwarf disease-tolerant varieties, Redfree, Liberty and Jonafree. The first harvest was sold at five retail stores in Ames, Des Moines and Altoona.

Researchers are using the orchard as an outdoor laboratory to determine effective fertility and pest management strategies that can be used by other apples growers. ISU horticulture students and students from Central College already have learned to prune and train young trees and have researched pest management options. An ISU marketing class used the orchard as a model to develop a marketing plan for organic apples.

In February 1999, The Homestead and ISU Extension hosted a horticulture therapy conference at the Des Moines Botanical Center for 120 health care professionals. Homestead executive director Steve Muller said he's been asked to set up similar programs in Kansas City, Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, but says he hopes to focus efforts in Des Moines. He said he expects to double the number of autistic people in the program next year.