The Evolution of Working Theory
In 2010, farm founder Justin Green left his career as a public high school teacher with the hope of applying his experience working with struggling youth in urban settings to a farm-based education program. He envisioned creating opportunities for young people to build personal and social responsibility through the daily work of a farm, trusting and empowering them through the stewardship of crops and livestock.
Justin founded Working Theory Farm in 2011, and by 2013 he was farming 24 acres of leased land in southeast Hillsboro, OR (more on the land later), just inside Portland’s Urban Growth Boundary. In 2019, after years of learning how to farm, Justin was able to transition the farm into an Oregon state nonprofit. That same year, Capers Rumph and Henney Sullivan became the first hired managers of this new chapter. Capers stepped in as Farm Manager, dedicating herself full-time to growing food and cultivating community partnerships, while Henney focused on building the youth programs.
One of the first of these programs was a partnership with Harkins House, an alternative juvenile detention center in Washington County, where together we launched the Farm 2 Fork program, an initiative that still thrives today. Each week, youth come to the farm to complete community service or earn education credits, while also connecting with nature in a hands-on, restorative way. Around the same time, we began what would become one of our most enduring partnerships with Centro Cultural, donating thousands of pounds of food over the years to their Free Food Mercado program, and welcoming seniors from their Edad de Oro (Golden Age) program to the farm every week.
Since 2019, our team has grown from two to five in management, supported by a seasonal operations crew and an annual Summer Farm Crew for youth.
The Youth
In 2021 we launched our first Youth Employment Program, partnering with Harkins House to employ youth transitioning out of the juvenile justice system and with HomePlate Youth Services to employ youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability. During the summer of 2021 we employed a cohort of eight youth ages 14-20. All the participants employed at Working Theory Farm that year either completed their next year of high school or gained continuing employment by June 2022. As one youth texted upon receiving a job offer from Hillsboro Parks and Recreation: “I’m actually happy, it’s so f**king weird.” Over the last six years, we’ve employed more than 40 youth employees and mentored more than 100 other youth.
The youth we serve face numerous barriers to joining the workforce and our program starts with cultivating a sense of belonging to community and place, building positive relationships with adult mentors, and connecting with plants and animals in a therapeutic environment. From this foundation, youth and staff mentors collaborate with partner organizations to respond to underlying barriers such as finding stable housing, finishing probation, or re-engaging academically. Concurrently, we work with youth to exercise the transferable skills of increased self-awareness, effective communication, and goal-setting, while building the confidence to find additional employment in a field of their choosing.
We use strategies for education, training, and personal development. Strategies include access to project-based learning, social-emotional learning, mentorship, connection, leadership training and community engagement. This structure provides youth the chance to build confidence and the skills necessary to succeed in careers that generate positive outcomes for themselves, their community, and the environment.
The Food
On this incredible 24 acre land, we have several acres of annual veggies, a couple of acres of perennial fruit, and two orchards with fruit trees ranging from two to 72 years old. While we have witnessed suburban creep come right up to the edges of our fields, the farm remains a haven. Although our immediate community is now best known for growing subdivisions, the soil here is among the most fertile in the world. The water in the creek is clean and plentiful, and the wildlife abounds. We have pollinators galore thanks to immense biodiversity between the forest, the fields, the creek and, honestly, the abundant flower gardens of our new suburban neighbors
While our primary intention is to work with youth in this community, we also believe that all the food grown should be given back to the community. It is not only an opportunity to get fresh, organic produce to those who cannot otherwise afford it, it is also an opportunity for the youth to feel that they are contributing to something meaningful.
After receiving a USDA Community Food Project grant, in partnership with Centro, we have collaboratively increased winter production and food distribution to provide year-round organic vegetables to families in need. Over the last two winters we have shifted from distributing vegetables to Centro from June through November to distributing vegetables throughout the year.
Over the course of six years, we’ve harvested and distributed more than 65,000 pounds of organic fruits and vegetables to families experiencing food insecurity.
In addition to the food we grow, we also raise hogs on pasture, which we process on the farm and sell directly to individual buyers and we have been running a CSA program for folks to have an opportunity to enjoy our veggies and support the work we do. If you’re interested in purchasing a pork or CSA share, check out more here.