Legacy Farms is a nonprofit that provides vocational training and support services to adults with autism and other developmental challenges through agricultural and horticultural programs. It offers seasonal sessions in spring, summer, fall and winter that teach job skills like plant cultivation, landscaping, and event planning. The goal is to help participants gain employment. Legacy Farms operates on donations, events, and program fees, and works to provide scholarships so cost is not a barrier. It partners with a local farm for space and resources.

1. Legacy Farms
Helping individuals with autism, as well as other developmental and social challenges,
to explore opportunities that advance their employment options, knowledge, life skills,
health, and well-being.

2. Legacy Farms
Our Mission, Vision and Core Values

3. Our Mission
We are a nonprofit, green care,
social venture dedicated to
providing support services and
agrarian based vocational training
for adults with autism, as well as
other developmental and social
challenges.

4. Our Vision
Our vision is to be a well-recognized, positive presence
within our communities as a leading provider of agrarian
based vocational training, employment assistance, and day
support for individuals with autism. We will do this by
adhering to our core behaviors.
 We commit to do all we can to find competitive
employment opportunities that fit the skills and
strengths for all our participants who desire to work.
 We commit to provide programs and services that
support individuals with autism toward leading
meaningful lives.
 We provide the opportunity to become a productive
member of our community.
 We recognize change and respond constructively to
each individual’s needs.
 We treat individuals with respect and compassion.
 We create a positive and accepting environment.
 We encourage altruism and service to our communities.

5. Our Core Values
 All persons have worth and dignity.
 Each person is unique and learns in
their own way; It is our job to provide
differentiated and supportive
instruction in a safe and healthy
learning environment.
 Everyone deserves a chance to do
meaningful work in a competitive work
environment.
 Positive community relations facilitate
our mission.
 Good business practices are essential
for success.
 Quality service means effective,
accessible service.
 Fair human resource management
promotes quality service.

6. Our Services
The Seasonal Sessions

7. Spring
Each participant will experience their own personal growth and development. The Spring program is the first
step in a year long journey through all four seasons. This will allow each student to gain a personal
understanding of plant growth; from putting a seed in the dirt to harvesting its fruit at the end of the season.
Participants will watch as the very seeds they began to sow in the greenhouse, become food for families in need.
Along the way, we will see some students flourish immediately and as our mission states, we will seek to find
them proper employment.
Key Concepts Include:
 safety in the greenhouse and the garden;
 interpersonal and relationship-building skills through hands-on vocational training that is customized to
support each student’s abilities, goals and needs;
 operations and maintenance of a greenhouse;
 planting and care of seedlings in a greenhouse and garden setting;
 maintaining the cleanliness and organization of the greenhouse;
 time management; and
 cooperation and teamwork.
Morning Session: 10AM-12:00PM
Afternoon Session: 1:00 PM-3:00PM
Fee: $350/1-3 days a week $550/3-5 days a week
*Fee includes gloves and t-shirt

8. Summer
This 10-week program is designed to introduce participants to a farm environment by teaching them what tools
and resources are available on a farm as well as how to safely and properly use them. Daily instruction focuses
vocational training, social skills, and the “soft” skills needed to get and keep a job. Instruction is hands-on, and
customized to support each participant’s abilities, goals, and behavior plans (if applicable).
Key Concepts include:
 how to select, grow, maintain and harvest vegetables in a farm setting;
 how to select, grow, maintain and harvest flowers in a farm setting;
 how to select, grow, maintain and harvest herbs in a farm setting;
 interpersonal and relationship-building skills ;
 basic landscaping skills;
 care and maintenance of grapes;
 safe farm-food handling practices;
 time management; and
 cooperation and teamwork.
Morning Session: 10AM-12:00PM
Afternoon Session: 1:00 PM-3:00PM
Fee: $350/1-3 days a week $550/3-5 days a week
*Fee includes gloves and t-shirt

9. Fall
The Fall Program is a continuation of The Summer Garden Program with additional learnings focused on event
planning, setup and operation. Agritourism is a growing business in Loudoun County which includes the many
events held at the local vineyards and breweries along with The Farm Fall Festivals that happen every October. As
Legacy Farms prepares for our own Fall Festival, students will gain firsthand knowledge of what goes into
preparing for such an event and take part in its planning and success.
Key Concepts Include:
 how to select, grow, maintain and harvest fall vegetables in a farm setting;
 how to select, grow, maintain and harvest flowers in a farm setting;
 how to select, grow, maintain and harvest herbs in a farm setting;
 interpersonal and relationship-building skills
 entry level event planning skills;
 building and maintaining strong partnerships with local customers;
 safe farm-food handling practices;
 time management; and
 work as a group or in pairs to promote cooperation and teamwork.
Morning Session: 10AM-12:00PM
Afternoon Session: 1:00 PM-3:00PM
Fee: $350/1-3 days a week $550/3-5 days a week
*Fee includes gloves and t-shirt

10. Winter
Putting it all Together
All year participants have learned about planting, growing and maintaining a garden along with how to plan and
execute a Fall Festival. The Winter Program combines both by providing an opportunity for the participants to
invite local businesses in need of employees with their new talents, to come and meet them at an event they
plan to sell seasonal arrangements they grow and design.
To prepare our participants seeking competitive employment, our instructors will guide them through a series of
exercises, role playing and group activities all designed to improve job seeking skills during the last week of The
Winter Program we will change course and teach participants the skills they need to:
• search for jobs;
• complete a resume;
• fill out an application;
• interview;
• follow-up; and
• maintain strong working relationships.
Morning Session: 10AM-12:00PM
Afternoon Session: 1:00 PM-3:00PM
Fee: $350/1-3 days a week $550/3-5 days a week
*Fee includes gloves and t-shirt

11. Eligibility
Who can attend our programs?

12. Eligibility Requirements
A potential participant must:
Be a post-secondary (finished their high school education) adult
(at least 18 years old), or be accompanied by a legal guardian or
supervisor
Have a developmental disability and/or social challenges that
interferes with everyday interactions with people in society or
engaging in normal social behaviors
Have access to reliable transportation to and from sites
Be able to eat independently
Be able to use the toilet independently
Be mobile and able to orient or walk from place to place
Not be physically harmful to themselves or others
Be able to follow two step directions with minimal support
Be able to contribute to the Legacy Farms Community

13. The Team
New Staff

14. Instructors, Caretakers and Volunteers
This year, for the first time we have a small paid staff that will be on hand to
instruct and teach the programs led by Pui Wan. Pui came to us last year as a
personal assistant for one of our participants. She took a major interest in the
program, and expressed her desire to instruct in the spring.
Pui is very knowledgeable in the garden and has demonstrated a strong ability to
lead a team.
Anna, her assistant has been working as a volunteer for Legacy Farms since it’s
inception and was Martha Schonberger’s assistant for the last two summers.
Susan, our Summer Program co-instructor is a LCPS SPED teacher and has her
We have also brought on a caretaker to oversee garden operations and be on-
hand to help when needed.
We also have a strong volunteer base that continues to support the work we do
while helping however and whenever they can. We are very fortunate!

15. Patrick Cox,
Interim Executive
Director
Patrick joined Legacy Farms in 2013. He was
brought on to build a website and has not
left since.
He spent two years as a board member and
Director of Community Relations and this
year we hired him as our Interim Executive
Director while we develop our curriculum
and raise awareness of our cause.
Patrick plans to continue working with
Legacy Farms throughout the year, while
seeking someone to take over his role
along with a program director and an
executive assistant to continue in the years
to come. He plans to begin focusing his
efforts on replicating our program in other
regions.

16. Martha Schonberger,
Founding Board Member
Martha Schonberger holds a B.S. In Environmental Studies and
Communication from Western Michigan University and a Masters
in Environmental Law and Public Policy from Vermont Law
School. She has over 20 years’ experience in special education In
Loudoun County Public Schools, serving students with ASD and
cognitive challenges from ages 5 to 22 and was Shenandoah
University Teacher of the Year in 2007. Martha is currently teaching
at the high school level, with a strong focus on vocational skills,
work experience, and successfully integrating her students into the
community.
Martha's interest in Legacy Farms grew from the realization that
upon exiting public schools, young adults with ASD did not have
many viable opportunities for meaningful therapeutic, residential,
community oriented opportunities. Finding several other like-
minded teachers and parents solidified Martha's commitment for
creating a sustainable farmstead in the Northern Virginia region to
meet the needs of her graduating students.

17. Michelle Lautenschlager,
Volunteer Coordinator
Michelle Lautenschlager began working as a volunteer for
Legacy Farms in 2014. She plans to use her passion for
helping people and service to help Legacy Farms grow and
serve the community.
In her free time you will find Michelle either at the baseball
field with her youngest son, or working with her oldest son
who was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 4. This is not
just a volunteer opportunity for Michelle but a desire to help
shape the future for her son and others in the community.

18. Funding for our Program
How we pay the bills

19. Temple Hall
Farm
Since 2015, Temple Hall Farm has providing
space for our garden, indoor space for our
classroom and a site for fundraisers,
volunteer breakfasts, and events which has
enabled us to get to where we are today.
They have tilled our main garden, provided
“black gold” fertilizer, are a constant source
of information and contacts in the
community and even let us make Kevin here
our official mascot.
We are lucky to have such as strong
partnership and support from Nova Parks
and the folks at Temple Hall Farm.

20. Main Funding
Legacy Farms operates through donations from our supporters, funds
raised at events and grants. This year is the first time we will charge
for our programs, however we are working very hard to secure
additional funding through scholarship opportunities to ensure
ANYONE able to attend, can and will.
We don’t want money to be a reason people can’t learn the valuable
and marketable job skills we provide at Legacy Farms, therefore we
will do all we can to ensure anyone who is eligible has the means to
do so.
Our Spring Workshop and Program were made possible through
donations from a fundraiser at Coton and Rye and a donation to
ensure to participants could participate all spring from Quantis
Wealth Management. We are hard at work bringing in more funds all
our programs to come.

21. Additional Funding
We are close to finalizing several retail
partnerships with local restaurants and
markets. Thanks to our new greenhouse
(Thank you 100 Women Strong) we will
be able to grow produce, herbs and
flowers all year long. This will open an
entirely new source of funding for us
while creating new ways to develop
stronger relationships with employers for
our participants.
These will be essential to our
sustainability in the future and we hope to
make a formal announcement regarding
our first client this year.
We will continue to donate 50% of what
we grow to local food banks and stay
involved with the community in other
ways as well.

22. Thank you and we look
forward to seeing you at
the farm!
For more information about our program you
can visit us online at
www.AutismInLoudoun.org
Or
Come to the farm and see for yourself during
an upcoming program. We are located at:
Temple Hall Farm
15855 Limestone School Road
Leesburg, VA 20176
Please email us and let us know you want to
visit at info@legacyfarmsvirginia.org

23. Q & A