Growing Ground Farm has cultivated mental health and transitional employment for 20 years | Chamber of Commerce Spotlight |

Since 2000, Transitions Mental Health Services has been running the farm to provide a supported transitional employment environment for people working with mental health problems or living with a mental illness.

Cano explained that Transitions Mental Health Services has been providing support services to clients struggling with mental illness in north Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County since 2000. The vocational services that the farm participates in are just one part of the association’s efforts, which also include supportive housing, community fostering and family support services.

“We’ve been able to develop an incredible collage of support services for local residents struggling with mental health issues,” Cano said of why he joined the team at TMHS. He previously ran a manufacturing business with 20-30 employees, but realized he wasn’t fulfilled by his chosen career path.

“I felt a sense of mission and it really felt like a calling for me, and that’s what got me hooked on vocational services,” Cano explains. “Jobs and income are so important to people’s safety, their families and their livelihoods, so the working environment that companies create is so important to that.”

Working on the farm provides a supported transition for those returning to the workforce, with Cano saying most employees will work on the farm for between six months and a year and a half. The nurturing work environment offers employees physical labor, tasks that can be accomplished with their hands, as well as plenty of sun, a little rain and ocean breeze.

“The appeal of farms is the combination of a stress-free, supportive work environment and the opportunity to learn not only physical labor but also the ‘hard skills’ that can give you a first step towards full-time employment,” Cano explained.

The first is to buy produce: The farm stand is open every Thursday from noon to 3 p.m., selling seasonal fruits and vegetables grown on-site or at nurseries across San Luis Obispo County.

The plant and flower sale will run Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Secondly, local businesses will assist with the farm’s transition efforts and explore future employment possibilities for Growing Grounds’ employees.

Cano said local businesses are creating career pathways for people leaving the farm.

“They’re moving from more supportive environments to warehouses, machine shops, retail stores and other businesses that are looking for employees who are hard-working, committed and dedicated to their jobs and have a certain level of skill,” Cano concluded.

Growing Grounds Farm is located at 820 West Foster Rd., near the corner of Foster and California Boulevard. To learn more about the company’s work and history, visit their online store at www.t-mha.org.