NEXT STEP FARM Retired teacher takes next step in career to help special needs adults

PEOPLE

NEXT STEP FARM

Retired teacher takes next step in career to help special needs adults

STORY BY ERIN COGGINS PHOTOS BY JOSHUA BERRY

AAfter 25 years in education, Harvest resident Robin Kramer moved on to the next step, literally.

While teaching special education at Monrovia Middle School in February 2019, Kramer and a colleague, Joshua Goodwin, meet with a group of parents of former students who were concerned about what would happen to their soon to be aged out young adult children. The parents were looking for help.

“I asked Josh to hang around for this meeting. In the middle of the meeting, simultaneously, they looked at one another and said ‘you are looking for the next step,’” Kramer said. “From there, the what ifs and hows fell into place. In a way Josh helped push me into the next step of my life of teaching.”

Kramer is now the founder of Next Step Farm, a nonprofit that will provide a day program for adults ages 18 and up with an IQ below 70. The farm is set to be open for business no later than January 2023. Presently, the farm is scheduled to open in a temporary location in March 2022.

The farm is a direct link to Kramer’s teaching career.

“Midway through my teaching career, I accepted a job as itinerant Adaptive PE teacher. With that position, I was able to see the full educational cycle of below average functioning individual,” Kramer said. “These wonderful individuals are able to remain in public school until age 21, but after that life ceased. They didn’t move on new places, contacts or resources. They lost their purpose. Parents were struggling to remain in “normal mode” and still enjoy this season of their not so normal life. It broke my heart.”

During this time in Kramer’s teaching career, the curriculum was being adjusted within the state. Each special education teacher were given the freedom to teach identified skills plus incorporate functional living skills. This is where Kramer utilized the skill of thinking outside the box. She and her colleagues started a café, planted a garden and incorporated chickens into their lessons.

“I went to Dog Days in Ardmore and used my Southern belle charm to get several chickens donated,” Kramer said. “We built a chicken coop and saw those students understand perimeter. They began to grasp volume handling the chicken feeders. We saw children who could not control being spastic, sit still because they knew they had to in order to hold a chicken. I saw things click that had never clicked before. It was real and tangible. These were

A ground-breaking and shovel ceremony will be held for Next Step Farm on December 18 middle school students. We knew adults could benefit from it, too.”

Farm animals will be a large portion of the Next Step Farm. The concept is farm based and will involve chickens and garden space. The goal is to produce eggs and produce that can be sold to the local community in a farmer’s market venue and even donate to local soup kitchens.

“Of course, we plan to add additional livestock such as goats and donkeys and maybe even ducks and a cow or two,” Kramer said.

To make her dream of serving special needs adults, Kramer sought counsel from a family friend, Wade Patterson. He helped her develop a business plan, apply for a business name and non-profit status. After establishing an active board of directors, Kramer had to take the next step—finding and purchasing land. Again, she turned to friends.

“I shared my vision with my friends, Valerie and Joe Miles. Just that week, Joe had listed a piece of property in Harvest. We went over to see it and I knew he understood what I was envisioning,” Kramer said. “To be sure I was choosing correctly, he sent me to three other locations, but nothing spoke as loudly to me as the 14.46 acres at 465 Smith Vassar Road.”

The land was terribly overgrown and locals from the area, including Limestone County had been using the abandoned property as a county dump. Still, the land

spoke to Kramer. John and Claudette Tibbs purchased the land in 2009 to build a homestead. John became ill shortly after purchasing and the couple never had the chance to fulfill their dream. The land was hit by the April 27, 2011 tornado and laid abandoned until Kramer purchased it on Feb. 28, 2021.

“Mr. Tibbs passed away in 2018 and a year later Mrs. Tibbs listed the property to sell. She was passionate about seeing her husband’s dream being put to good use and because of that, she turned down higher offers from contractors who wanted to build a subdivision and accepted our much lower offer,” Kramer said.

Kramer and her army of volunteers went to work on March 1, clearing the land. By June, they had cleared nine of the 14.46 acres. Now, Kramer is ready to begin building a 60x40 pole barn style facility where they can teach daily living skills.

“Besides the farm skills, we will teach skills like basic finance, money management, meal planning and meal preparation,” Kramer said. “We want to give our participants a purpose. We all need purpose. We all need a support system. We all want to be valued, even on our hard days. IQ and functioning level does not change that.”

Once completed, potential families will complete an application and an interview process to be accepted on the farm. Kramer says that because of the nature of the program, it is important to have the right clients who under-

Robin Kramer organized and held a successful 4-man golf scramble this fall as a fund-raiser for the farm.

Next Step Farms is planning to host “A Christmas at the Farm” on Dec. 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event is described as a Christmas experience for the entire family with a “slei-hay” ride, cookie and hot chocolate with Mrs. Claus, crafts with the elves and pictures with Santa. For more information, go to their website at www.nextstepfarm.org.

Next Step Farm is getting noticed. They were recently the fourth quarter recipient of the Intrepid Ideal Community Fund. Robin accepted the check at their annual Thanksgiving luncheon. stand what will be taught while on the farm.

“Safety is of great importance, too,” Kramer said. “A client that struggles with elopement might not be the best candidate for a 14 plus acre program.

There will be a daily fee to attend the program, but Kramer says the non-profit is in the process of becoming a waiver program.

“Becoming a waiver program means that once we are approved, caregivers of our clients who have been approved by the state can receive designated funding to send their loves ones to us,” Kramer said. “The daily fee we charge will cover salaries of personnel and day-to-day operational needs.”

Volunteers have been vital in helping Kramer get Next Step Farm closer to opening. They have held several fundraisers and have a couple of fundraisers planned, including a Christmas on the Farm event to be held on Dec. 4.

“We have an impressive team of people doing all kinds of things,” Kramer said. “I have had this dream and vision in my heart for so long. To see others embrace it and help make it come to life, it is awe inspiring. I receive random email messages or Facebook posts or calls, saying ‘I just heard about NSF and I want to be apart of it.’ It is extremely humbling.”

For those who do not want to physically volunteer, Kramer has a variety of other ideas for help, including sponsoring a blueberry bush, a wall in the bathroom or even a goat.

“Families who have loved ones with disabilities are constantly having to pay for day to day needs,” Kramer said. “I do not believe we should pass the cost of our vision on to the parents.”

Kramer cannot think about how her vision will affect families with shedding some tears. The same is true when she hears what she calls the Farm’s theme song, “A Million Dreams” by Pink.

“Not just for me but for the clients and especially the families of our clients. To have a place that is safe and balanced, that provides a purpose for their loved one, that includes the community, that sees everyone as equal and of value,” Kramer said. “Oh my, tears fill my eyes. I do lie awake at night and dream of a place that accepts everyone, loves everyone and gives a purpose.