When we broke ground on our farm in 2016, I had a certain sense about how it might impact Raimee’s next steps and provide him with a way to move into his adult experience with intention and connection. I did not have big ambitions; I simply desired to create a space where he could fully engage with life and participate daily in meaningful work that allowed him to realize the depth of his potential. Believe me when I say that no one has been more surprised than me at the ways in which our small venture has grown into this life-changing operation we call Blawesome. As we are now moving into our eighth year in production, I’d like to mention a few of our milestones:
- In April, 2017, Raimee discontinued his anxiety medication, Luvox, which had been prescribed to treat symptoms of obsessive compulsive anxiety and which Raimee had taken for over 8 years.
- In the eight years since we started the farm, Raimee, who had previously been having at least one grand mal seizure a month, has only had two- total- since we started the farm in 2016. Both of which came on the heels of a major environmental event (the pandemic in March 2020, and Hurricane Helene this past September.) While both episodes were devastating, having 2 seizures in 8 years is a huge improvement compared to the 12 or more seizures he used to experience every year.
- During the 2014/2015 school year, Raimee had 3 different direct support providers in a period of 9 months. Although Raimee’s farm support team has changed throughout the course of our growth, the average duration of his social care farmers has ranged from 2 to 5 years. The work is actually much harder now than it’s ever been, but it’s filled with meaning and purpose and that wonderful sense of accomplishment that comes alongside feeling empowered to be successful in the work that you do everyday. And this direct support consistency is a key element to Raimee’s ability to be successful in his work and in his ability to take steps towards accomplishing his goals, not just on the farm, but in every aspect of his life.
- In 2019, we built a small house at the back of the farm where Raimee now lives with two supportive housemates. While Raimee still has access to his mom and dad (we live next door), he now has this incredible opportunity to experience life with a level of autonomy and independence that inspires awe and gratitude in our hearts every single day.
I love what this small farm has been able to offer Raimee. As a macro social worker, my desire is to scale this model into one that can serve a larger number of individuals who could benefit from meaningful work, community engagement, and supported living. This was the impetus behind the development of the Southeastern Social Care Collective (SSCC), a non-profit that leverages local culture and resources to build more inclusive communities. Inspired by an out-of-the-box idea to provide project-based training to direct support providers using the framework of a Renaissance Faire, my husband, Keith, and I teamed up with several other parents and purchased a twenty-acre property just off of Highway 54 in western Orange County, adjacent to Pluck Farm and 5 minutes from Blawesome.
Our vision is to develop a vibrant campus that features a community center housing our signature program while serving as an incubator for other initiatives with shared missions. The campus will also include a ten-acre neighborhood with eight homes and eight accessory dwelling units, designed to foster connection, independence, and belonging.
We see this as so much more than just a place to live—it’s an opportunity to share life, grow together, and build connections within a supportive, diverse, and welcoming community.
In the spirit of absolute inclusivity, we would like to invite any future homeowners who are passionate about diversity, intentional design, and organic support to join us in shaping this neighborhood.
If this vision resonates with you, I’d like to encourage you to consider donating to the Southeastern Social Care Collective this Giving Tuesday, December 3. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or to have a chat about our work and where we are at in production… I love to talk about this project- it is so close to my heart and is an expansion of all that has made Raimee’s life amazing.
Let’s create a space where all are welcome, and everyone has the chance to blossom.
With love and light,
Rebecca, Raimee, and the Blawesome Crew