About Us
Red Wiggler Care Farm is a 12‑acre sustainable farm in Montgomery County, Maryland, where neurodiverse people come together to work, learn, and grow healthy food.
Our staff and volunteers cultivate vegetables and sell or donate the harvest to nourish our diverse local community. And through Red Wiggler’s Care Farming Network—our initiative to raise awareness, strengthen connections, and expand the reach of therapeutic farming—we’re building capacity for care farms everywhere.
Our Mission
Red Wiggler cultivates belonging and well-being through care farming and community-building.
- At Red Wiggler Care Farm, people with and without developmental disabilities come together to work, learn, grow, and share food.
- The Care Farming Network increases capacity, builds community, and raises awareness for care farms across the country.
Our Impact
As a result of Red Wiggler’s work, people connected to care farms experience belonging and well-being that equip them to make choices and define their own sense of purpose.
Together, these create opportunities for people to shape a life of their own design.
“On this farm, everyone is learning: the growers, the staff, the volunteers. It's a beautiful and productive classroom.”
Our Core Values
- Reconnecting people with the source of their food and the local community
- Conserving resources and reducing our carbon footprint through thoughtful decisions about our built environment, program development, and energy use.
- Creating an environment of respect, cooperation, integrity, and innovative thinking.
- Ensuring purposeful work and equal treatment for all stakeholders.
- Fostering opportunities for outreach and meaningful education of youth, adults and employees.
- Building local food security for our community.
- Being a catalyst for community collaborations and volunteerism.
- Practicing environmental stewardship through sustainable farming practices and careful attention to watershed and habitat protection.
Our History
Founded in 1996, we first dug into the soil on a 2.5-acre farm in Comus, Maryland. The idea came to our founder, Woody Woodroof, after working in group homes in Arizona. Through this experience, Woody saw the need for both healthier food and more meaningful jobs for adults with developmental disabilities.
Starting from gardens and composting services, Red Wiggler grew into a full-fledged organic vegetable farm employing adults with developmental disabilities who grow food for the community. Through a partnership with the Arc Montgomery County, Woody spent that first season working and learning how to farm alongside five Growers, growing food for a 12-member CSA program and two farmer’s markets.
In 2005 the farm moved to its current location on Ovid Hazen Wells Park in Germantown, Maryland. Through a public/private partnership with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, we lease 12 acres with plans to expand.
Now serving more than 1,900 community members, we have a 200-share CSA program, distribute half of our organic produce to low-income households, employ more than 15 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and regularly host groups and volunteers. Our Care Farming Network connects aspiring and established care farms ensuring they have the support they need to be effective.
In 2024 we updated our name from Red Wiggler Community Farm to Red Wiggler Care Farm to reflect our commitment to the care farming movement, which uses therapeutic farming to foster health, well-being, and belonging. “Red Wiggler,” pays tribute to the hardworking worms that enrich the soil—just as we cultivate opportunities for growth and success for everyone in our community.
Our Purpose
At the heart of our farm is a commitment to create meaningful work for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our unique 50/50 distribution model provides stable jobs where our Growers can learn, contribute, and thrive while nourishing our community with fresh, healthy food.
Our Approach
Our programs have grown organically to meet the needs of our community. We combine meaningful employment, sustainable agriculture, and hands-on education to grow and distribute vegetables to our community.
Our distribution model supports onsite and off‑farm retail outlets—traditional CSA shares, farm events, and local markets—while ensuring at least half goes directly to those in need. Through partnerships with food banks, group homes, and elementary school programs, we deliver organic produce to families who might otherwise lack access to fresh food.
Beyond our work locally, Red Wiggler’s Care Farming Network builds upon Red Wiggler’s impact to provide resources to aspiring and established care farms.
Financials
You can find financial information in our IRS Form 990s, available below. Explore our reports from the past few years.
Our Team
From running our programs to growing organic food, meet the staff and board members who help our farm flourish.