AFLO provides meaningful employment and a welcoming community to adults with intellectual, cognitive, and developmental disabilities (IDCD), bridging the gaps in skills training at the root of the employment disparity. Growers gain basic job skills that can transfer to any work setting, as well as agricultural, kitchen and retail skills while working on our farm in Loudoun County, VA.
We promote habits, social skills, and behaviors that can be used in any work setting—communication, teamwork, punctuality, adaptability. Over time, we have created a solid model resulting in positive outcomes for our Growers. We are a “Green Care” institution: providing farm-based employment for individuals with disabilities. Growers benefit from social interaction, develop a daily routine and structure, directly participate in the running of the farm, and get paid for their work, in the hopes that they can one day seek employment elsewhere. AFLO serves the community by modeling the core values of our mission—that everyone should be valued for what they can contribute. Part of what drives us is spreading a message of inclusion, so that Growers may find a more welcoming community outside the boundaries of our farms, where local employers and community members will accept them as employees and co-workers.
We work with ~60 Growers with disabilities each season. In addition, through outreach at farmers’ markets, fairs and events, and via our popular volunteer program, we reach approximately 500-600 people in face-to-face interactions each year.
We contribute to sustainable agriculture through our low-till, Certified Naturally Grown farming methods. We also sell our Growers produce via a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. AFLO also donates CNG-certified produce to local food banks (2,314 lbs. in 2024) to stave off food insecurity. Growers participate in the packaging of these donations, modeling the importance of giving back to the community.
At the beginning of 2025, we have centralized our operations to a single 31-acre farm in Leesburg, VA, which will now become AFLO’s permanent home—a place where we can invest in infrastructure, including—one day—a climate-controlled meeting space, commercial kitchen, and indoor bathrooms.