Hutton House Association for Adults with Disabilities

Hutton House Association for Adults with Disabilities provides learning opportunities and life-enhancing programs that focus on each individual's strengths, abilities and interests.

In January 2021, Hutton House established Nathan’s Urban Farm in partnership with the Nathan T. Deslippe Memorial Fund. As Phase One of an ongoing initiative to promote food security while providing training opportunities for community members, Nathan’s Urban Farm is a small, indoor hydroponic farm where Hutton House clients can learn to grow nutritious food.

“We've known for some time that getting healthy food to individuals in need should be a priority for our community – and we've only seen the need grow during the pandemic,” says Joe Gansevles, Team Leader of the JobWorks Program at Hutton House. “Food insecurity is something that we want to tackle long term by providing the skills and education people need to foster their own independence.”

With help from a $230,744 Community Vitality Grant, Hutton House will embark on Phase Two – the Cavendish Community Food Hub. This new Food Hub will be a full-scale, accessible urban farm located in Cavendish Park in London’s Kensington Village on land provided by the City of London. With community partners like the Nathan T. Deslippe Memorial Fund developing a model for indoor hydroponic gardens, community partners like Greenhouse Academy providing greenhouse and landscaping training, and Beautiful Edibles assisting with programming, the Cavendish Community Food Hub is a joint effort to address food insecurity in London through both agriculture and education.

“The new Food Hub will be unique in that we are assisting people with disabilities and barriers first and foremost with a completely accessible urban farm," says Joe. “We see it as twofold: as providing recreation and training opportunities for people; and we also see it as a working farm that will assist individuals that don't have access to healthy food, get access to healthy food.”

And it’s by collaborating with partners throughout the community that Hutton House hopes to build a green space where connections, and food, can grow and flourish.

“Anybody will be able to come to the farm and participate – regardless of physical limitations or time allotment,” says Joe. “It's about being a good neighbor – a good community member.”