The Farmer’s House Wine Walk is set for June 6 and the annual fundraiser is expected to draw hundreds of people to downtown Platte City.
“Join us for a fun evening,” Director of Development and Marketing Dana Chaplin said. “Our Wine Walk provides the perfect opportunity to be out and about with friends while also positively impacting the lives of individuals with developmental differences, our Farmers. Sip and shop your way around downtown Platte City at our wine stops and shop some more at pop-up markets.”
The Farmer’s House’s mission is to empower youth and adults with developmental disabilities to pursue their best lives.
Farmer’s House moved to downtown Platte City several years ago after Wells Bank (now Connections Bank) donated their building to them after the bank moved to a new location.
The 100-plus year old building was given to the non-profit because the bank wanted to have a viable, ongoing program that would benefit community residents in their former building.
“The bank had hired people with developmental disabilities and they had that heart for what we did, so they approached us and said they were grateful for what we did and they wanted to donate the building, which was a blessing to us, there’s a lot of love here and a lot of joy,” Chaplin said.
The Farmer’s House has expanded its mission of early work experience and community integration to its seventh location recently, inside the Margaret Nerman Art Studio in North Kansas City. The non-profit has markets and program sites in both Platte and Clay counties, partnering with local schools in the Northland.
Early work experience is the largest of the four programs The Farmer’s House provides, which also include employment services, community integration and social enrichment. The early work experience program works with many Northland schools. Work opportunities for those with disabilities are provided by The Farmer’s House in retail markets in Weston also, where the Farmers pick fruit and vegetables. They also receive practice in preparing goods sold in the markets. Job skills and early work experience are provided to hundreds of local high school students through The Farmer’s House.
“Farmers learn horticulture skills at a farm in Weston,” Chaplin said. “They go into the greenhouse and plant a seed, transfer it out to the garden, grow it and harvest it for the nonprofit’s market and sell it in retail markets. They sell jams and jellies and other kitchen items. They learn customer service, how to use a register and to count change. They learn teamwork and how to interact and problem solve. From middle school on we see the progress and they see it too.”
The non-profit has been instrumental in ensuring the Farmers learn a variety of social skills, while learning to cook healthy foods on a budget. Teaching the Farmers through baking and cooking classes has helped the young people cultivate important food skills by creating quality meals, while having lots of fun with their friends at the same time.
The non-profit continues to find innovative solutions to help solve the problems that young people with developmental disabilities often face after graduating from high school with no job training or experience. The Farmer’s House is committed to preparing young people for jobs and a good quality of life.
“We want to prepare them with early work experience so that they’re not out there on their own without any skills or experience,” Chaplin said.
The Wine Walk is scheduled for Thursday, June 6 at 5:30 p.m. for VIP guests and 6 p.m for all guests, at 301 Main St., Platte City.
Regular tickets are $50 until June 2, and $60 from June 3 to June 6.
Registration for the event includes a silicone wine tumbler, wine testings (10 plus, 1.5-ounce pours, one glass wine, individual charcuterie tasting box, and live music.