Deb Boross, business manager, Jodie Thompson, farm manager, Leeanne Jereb, executive director and Sheri Burke, program manager.

 

About 180 people attended the BBQ Barn Blast held in September to benefit Hiram Farm, located on 120 acres in Hiram, Ohio.

Hiram Farm is a community project which was started by five families 15 years ago, all of whom had children on the autism spectrum who were getting ready to transition out of high school. Bittersweet Farms in Northwest Ohio served as the model and blueprint for Hiram Farm. Hiram Farm provides day program services to people with autism and other developmental disabilities in a farm setting providing meaningful work and activities such as animal care, gardening, woodworking, general maintenance/farm and property upkeep and crafts and ceramics programs. People who attend the farm and benefit from its services and programs are called Farmers.
Food and beverages for the event, at which nearly $16,000 was raised, were donated by friends and supporters of the farm, and entertainment was music from The Good Nights. Flower arrangements were assembled by volunteers and were either donated, purchased at local farms or picked on the Hiram Farm grounds. Volunteers were from the Americorps Program at Hiram College, Farmers, families of Farmers, and other friends of the farm.
Farm friends donated liquor, beer and wine for a Bougie Boozy Buggy for which an enthusiastic Pete Reichel sold $10 tickets for raffling off the contents of the Buggy! Guests also participated in a basket raffle and 50/50 raffle. Local artists donated pieces to be sold at the event, including a limited series print by Seth Chwast of Cleveland Heights, framed prints, jigsaw puzzles and calendars with photography by Eric Malmquist, ceramics crafted by the Farmers, and more. Attendees raved about the barbecue chicken prepared by several pitmasters on a smoker donated for the event by Michael Stephan.
Crafts, ceramics and plants can be purchased at the Holiday and Spring sales at the farmhouse gallery, located at 11485 Garfield Road, Hiram, 44234. The

Joe Persavich of Hiram Farm.

roadside stand is open during harvest season. Beef, pork and fresh eggs are available at the farm year round. For more information, visit hiramfarm.org or

call 330.569.4441. STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS SUBMITTED BY HIRAM FARM