Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Construction starts on Farm in the Dell in Butte, Great Falls

Farm home under construction
The Dream
The Farm in the Dell concept originated in the early 1980s in Helena, when a group of parents met with Lowell and Susan Bartels to discuss the idea of building a home in the country and having a farm/ranch style work program for their children with developmental disabilities. Lowell and Susan had helped start a similar program in Somers, Montana, now called the Litehouse Farm in the Dell. 

After several years of fundraising by parents, community leaders and others, their dream came true, and they were able to buy 34 acres in the Helena valley and build an eight-bedroom group home. Since then, and under the direction of Lowell and Susan, Farm in the Dell International has helped build Farms in Saskatoon, Canada, and Kyrgystan, formerly part of the Soviet Union.  

Each Farm develops its own individual agricultural/horticultural programs.  

Great Falls/Butte Farms in the Dell
In the fall of 2010. AWARE Inc. and Farm in the Dell International developed a partnership to build and operate two new Farms in the Dell in Montana. One will be located on 40 acres in Great Falls and the second will be on 90 acres at Buxton near Butte. 

Both programs will begin with one six-bedroom home and vocational building, though future plans include building an additional six-bedroom home at each location. 


The Butte Farm anticipates opening in the fall of 2011 and the Great Falls Farm in the spring of 2012.

Referrals
Any individual with a developmental disability, their family and their individual team can make a referral to AWARE’s Farms in the Dell by contacting their case manager or by calling Richard Saravalli at 406-449-3120 for additional information

Who pays for the Farm in the Dell?

Farm in the Dell programs qualify for funding under the state of Montana Developmental Disabilities program. People who have an Individual Cost Plan (ICP) can port or transfer their funding if accepted into either the Great Falls or Butte Farm in the Dell. Private pay arrangements can be developed for individuals who qualify for either Farm but do not have a Medicaid-funded ICP. 

For information, write to:
Farm in the Dell
c/o AWARE Inc.
205 E. Park Ave.
Anaconda, MT 59711 

Or contact:
Richard Saravalli 
406/449-3120


rsaravalli@aware-inc.org

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