In the news
Sharing Our Story
From local features to community spotlights, these stories highlight the people, purpose, and impact behind 21 Roots Farm.
by Madeline Kopiecki
August 2021 | St. Croix Valley Magazine
Local nonprofit 21 Roots Farm brings meaningful activities to people impacted by developmental disabilities throughout the St. Croix Valley community. With programming for both youths and adults, activities on the farm are as fresh as each new season since the farm’s start in 2019.
by Renee Berg
March 16, 2026 | The Land
Sarah Kramer likes the three cats.
Chad Bracewell favors the goats.
And Molly Thompson enjoys the sheep.
The three farmers, as they’re known at 21 Roots Farm in Grant, Minn., have developmental disabilities and report to the farm each week for a variety of duties..
21 Roots Farm: A bumper crop of joy… and the unexpected
October 16, 2019 | White Bear Press
It’s been a very good growing season at 21 Roots Farm. The goats, cows, gardens, chickens and corn are thriving, but what has blossomed most this summer are the client-farmers who come to learn how to farm and in turn, cultivate skills, confidence and self-awareness.
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Farming connects people with disabilities to nature, community and a sense of purpose
by Susan Pagani
September 2024 | Children & Nature Network
Summer mornings start peacefully at 21 Roots Farm. When the youth farmers arrive, it’s possible to hear their footsteps as they crunch their way up the gravel road. The broiler chickens are quietly cackling to themselves, and a gentle breeze rustles through the tops of the trees. It’s already warm, and the farmers gather under a maple tree. Each one gets a mini clipboard, a pen and a laminated checklist of the day’s activities, which start with a welcoming exercise.
21 Roots Farm grows jobs — and hope — for people with developmental disabilities
by Mary Divine
June 4, 2023 | Pioneer Press
Amanda Athman helped pick up the mobile chicken coop at 21 Roots Farm in Grant last week and move it to a fresh patch of grass just south of the farm’s apple orchard.
Athman knew just how fast to push the coop so that the squawking chickens could keep up. She then found a spot for the chickens’ “dust bath” — a blue plastic tub full of dirt. A regular dust bath, she explained, helps keep their feathers clean by controlling parasites and preventing oil buildup.
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