B Walker Ranch farm program for adults with autism

              

WHO DO YOU KNOW THAT HAS AUTISM?

It is estimated that "1 in 31 children are diagnosed on the autistic spectrum" Center of Disease Control (CDC) 2024. "1 in 14 are boys". 92% of children with autism are below the age of 18. It is estimated that 1.9 million children will age out of their existing programming with nowhere to go in the next decade. Parents, Grandparents and family members are beginning to panic when asking the question, "What is going to happen to my child when I die?"

Once a child turns 22, they age out of their existing day programming.  No one calculated that the drastic increase in births would also bring an epidemic of adults looking for support in a program. Without a program in place puts these adults back home 24/7 or on the streets. All parents want their children to have a "next step" whether it's college, trade school, job force or independence. Next step choices for these adults are limited at best and have long wait lists for the few programs that are available. It is estimated that 11% of every community is affected by autism. Families are being torn apart by stress and hopelessness. When our neighbors suffer ...our community suffers.  It is BWR’s commitment to change this course of hopelessness. 

B Walker Ranch, a working ranch day program for adults with autism~ 501(c)3 non profit corporation, harvesting a sense of purpose. The Solano County Building department reclassified BWR to be an “Agricultural Educational Facility.”  This designation allows for all expanded programming to go forward. 

WE ARE AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME

B Walker Ranch is building a pilot program that can be duplicated in every community... everywhere.  Located on 10.3 acres at 4303 Abernathy Road, Suisun Valley, Ca. We are building a working ranch for adults with autism that focuses on their abilities VS their disabilities through “capability teaching”.  Recognizing individual needs and being able to accommodate the wide variety of a person's sensitivities and abilities, fits with the nature of a ranch setting. A working farm/ranch setting IS the teaching tool.

Our impending signature barn will be used for community events, corporate luncheons and  workshops.  This includes educational workshops for our 1st Responder…..fire fighters, law enforcement, educators and medical  professionals. A much needed educational service for our community. We are having conversations with the John Muir Medical Group and North Bay Health Foundation to hold awareness classes for incoming interns. BWR will allow a hands on training ground for those to better understand the nuances of autism and learn how to better interact with our adults on the spectrum. The barn will house the commercial kitchen for our Cooking/ Nutrition program. 

Once we are built we will be self sustainable and organic. Self sustainability will be maintained by hosting events, educational workshops, and product harvest of honey, fruit, alpaca wool, olive oil sold at our future Farm Stand on Abernathy Rd.  Additionally, BWR will be be licensed with the North Bay Regional Center and East Bay Regional Center to help absorb the growing population of adults with autism and provide a much needed and innovational program....designed to be duplicated. 

This project is being built on the generosity of others.  Everything on the Ranch is being caused by someone's generosity of time, product or funding.  Each item donated will have a plaque memorializing their contribution.  Every pepper tree, rose bush, landscape design, buildings and our roads etc...will be memorialized.  A true community effort.    

This grassroots effort is being driven by a Founding Board of 3 women and Mothers. Jeanine Stanley, Pamela Hale Mitchell  and May Mineta.  BWR understands that there are fabulous and worthy causes that you support and we appreciate your commitment to giving back to this community.