“By serving each other we become truly free.” – Carved in stone at the entrance to the Harvest Barn at Gould Farm. Published September 1, 2005; The Advocate & www.advocateweekly.com
In additional to its fruits and vegetables, Gould Farm harvests hope for the people who come to the farm for help in managing mental illness.
The farm was established in 1912, when William and Agnes Gould bought the property for $4,500. Little of the land seemed to be good for farming, and the house was all but uninhabitable, with a leaking roof, broken windows and no plumbing, telephone, lighting or heating system. But the Goulds, a devoutly religious couple, had faith in their ability to make it work.
Their goal was not only to create, and work, a productive farm, but also to help people with mental illnesses and social challenges become productive members of society by rehabilitating themselves. The Goulds would do this by welcoming those individuals onto their farm and into their home as part of their family. Like any family in the early 1900s, every member would be responsible for the work necessary for simple survival. The secret, the Goulds believed, to revealing and nurturing every individual’s value was first, to trust that it was there, and second to give it the freedom to grow, with physically demanding farm work and, when the work was done, a healthy dose of fun.
Over the next 92 years, their farm grew to 650 acres, and its “family” now consists of 100 or more people living, working and thriving.
The Goulds never had children of their own. The farm’s inhabitants became part of the Gould family, not by lineage, but by living the Goulds’ original dream. The members of the community include paid staff, many of whom have been there for more than 10 years, volunteers, who commit to 12 to 23 months of service in exchange for room, board, health benefits and a small monthly stipend, and guests, who stay from six months to three years and for whom work is part of their therapy.
Follow-up studies, and interviews with former guests indicate a high level of success. A number of similar programs have been established around the country, with guidance from the staff at Gould Farm.
Twenty-three-year-old Ben Kreider, from a small town outside
Understanding may be one of the keys that unlock the secrets to Gould Farm’s success. A heartfelt compassion for others is another, and a capacity for physical labor doesn’t hurt either. There are seven work teams on the farm: Forestry and Grounds, Roadside, Harvest Barn, Kitchen, Maintenance, Farm, and Garden. Each of the teams includes staff, volunteers and guests. The members may vary each day, depending on the needs of the guests and the needs of the farm.
“Along with traditional therapy, the focus of the treatment is work, and teaching skills that will help the guests transition back into mainstream society,” Rita Kasky, Gould Farm’s development director, said. “But it isn’t ‘make-work;’ it’s real work to help run the farm, and [at the same time] it builds socialization skills and self esteem.”
The work also provides the majority of food for the people who live at Gould Farm, as well as additional income from its roadside farm stand and the breakfast and lunch service at the roadside store and café.
Mark Murray, who has recently been promoted from volunteer to staff, agreed.
“Physical activities and being out in nature are good for the mind and spirit,” he said. “I think one of the things people struggle with when they have a mental illness is staying active. Here, having hobbies and thinking about something outside of themselves replace passive activities like sleeping a lot or watching too much TV.”
There isn’t much time for passivity on a farm. A typical day for everyone starts at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast in the cavernous dining hall. A morning meeting follows at 8:05 with discussions of the weather, the day’s news, activities and assignments, a brief spiritual reading or poem and a song. The teams then meet individually and get to work at their assigned tasks.
These tasks include caring for the livestock, tending the vegetable and flower gardens, tapping trees for maple syrup, pressing apples for cider, chopping wood, mending equipment and preparing three meals a day for the community’s members. Lunch is from
The farm never lacks for entertaining activities. There are trips to the community center in Great Barrington, theater and concert outings, hikes on the farm’s many trails and bonfires followed by swimming in the farm’s pond (even in the winter, although Kreider said it’s harder to get people to swim in the pond when they have to chip a hole in the ice first). Then it’s group games in the dining hall.
“She uses Scrabble pieces to make words, and when you’ve used all the letters, you have to make up a story from the words – that’s a fun activity – she’s sharp,” Kreider said of Roma, whom he guessed is 93.
Kreider, who works mainly on the maintenance crew and fills in wherever and whenever needed, said he loves the farming life but will most miss the people of Gould Farm when his one-year stay comes to an end.
“I’ve gotten a better understanding of the challenges people face – not just the guests but the staff and volunteers too – and how hard some things are for people to master,” he said. “Before, I didn’t have much of an understanding of mental illness – some have social issues, and it hurts them to be around people. Our conversations have given me insight: You have to try to talk, even when you don’t feel like it, as a ‘hello’ to deeper issues.”
Gould Farm gained non-profit 501C3 status in 1925 and has an external board of directors. The farm’s executive director of four years,
“You have guests being taught how to use power tools and doing everything everyone else would do,” Kreider said. “There’s a very high level of trust that things are going to happen correctly or that someone is going to do the right thing in a situation instead of assuming that they’re going to do the wrong things first.”
According to Kasky, there is never a lack of volunteer applications from all over the world. The farm receives referrals from AmeriCorp and Brethren Volunteer Services as well as word of mouth and the Internet.
“A lot of the volunteers come, decide to stay for awhile and apply for staff positions as they become available,” she said.
It isn’t always perfection in paradise, of course. Kasky herself lives away from the farm because she prefers the separation it provides.
“It can be like living in a fishbowl,” she said. “[But] it’s a terrific place to raise kids because they get to experience a variety of people all the time, and the stigma of mental illness is never there. It’s just a problem some people have. We are a very normal community. There are boundaries and rules, just as there are with any community.”
Although the farm operates on a fee-for-service basis, families whose financial resources are limited are not turned away if they are clinically suited for the program. Financial aid is available to families when appropriate.
Both Will Gould, who died in 1925 fighting a fire on the farm, and Agnes Gould, who died in 1958, left not only a farming community but also an ongoing legacy of hope. Their dream remains intact, and the Gould “family” keeps the spirit of the farm and its founders alive every day by living with and “serving each other.”
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