Nestled off busy Route 6 in Dennis, MA, is Cape Abilities Farm. As a part of the Cape Abilities nonprofit organization, the farm is one of two social enterprises (the other being a thrift store in Yarmouth). The farm has offered jobs to people with disabilities since 2006, providing them with livelihoods and a sense of purpose and community. It also supports local farmers and makers – local artists and vendors – by selling their products in a high-traffic environment.

There is plenty of room to browse amongst the outside tables brimming with perennials, plants such as lavender and bee balm to invite and assist pollinators and rows of blue hydrangeas, a quintessential Cape Cod favorite, for sale, all being watered with drip irrigation hoses. Recently there was a class offered – “Native Plants and Pollinators Pals” – to assist people in learning what plants attract pollinators.

Inside the massive store purposely built to resemble an old hay barn with high ceilings, visitors can browse and buy non-organic or organic fertilizer, clay pots, mulch, pink flamingo umbrellas, wind chimes, trowels, shovels and other gardening necessities or whimsy.

Farther on, there are gift baskets for sale as well as rows of honey from local farms such as Carlisle Honey from Tyngsborough, MA, and specialty olive oils and vinegars from Gustare Gourmet in Chatham, MA. There is also coffee to grind from Costa Rica, jellies and Highland beef raised by Seawind Meadows LLC in Dennis in the freezers.

Here you will also find the produce grown at Cape Abilities Farm in one of their six greenhouses on a little over 8.25 acres.

You will find Celia Levy, wearing a light pink dress, who has worked at Cape Abilities Farm as a cashier, receptionist and sometimes in the greenhouse for almost six years as well. Her title is farm market associate, and she takes it seriously – but with a huge smile.

Farm Market Associate Celia Levy of Cape Abilities Farm in Dennis, MA, inspects a new batch of potatoes. Photo by Laura Rodley

What does she like best about her job? “The people. Everyone loves me here,” she said.

(She is also an excellent juggler and juggled tomatoes without dropping one or leaving a dent.)

At Cape Abilities Farm, they offer both organic and non-organic produce, some local and some non-local, such as a large potato supply that was being placed on display.

With an eye on assisting low-income families and individuals that are not vacationing at the Cape but are residents there, Cape Abilities Farm accepts both SNAP and HIP.

Cape Abilities was founded in 1968 by a group of parents looking to create opportunities for their adult children who had disabilities. Their mission is to support individuals with disabilities on Cape Cod by educating, counseling and providing residential, therapeutic, social and employment support that empowers individuals to achieve meaningful and valued roles within the community. They offer day programs, residential programs, job and individual supports and a transportation system that provides 15,000 rides annually to connect hundreds of individuals to opportunities that enrich their lives throughout the region.

Cape Abilities Farm cultivates an inclusive workforce by employing individuals of all abilities who work and learn as a team and side by side. Their philosophy is to meet the individual at their current skill level and modify or make accommodations as needed to set each individual up for success.

The nonprofit organization’s primary source of funding is through state agencies such as the Department of Developmental Services, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission and MassHealth. They also receive funds from generous donors as well as grants, fundraisers and revenue from Cape Abilities Farm and Cape Abilities Thrift Store.

For more information, visit CapeAbilitiesFarm.org or email info@CapeAbilities.org.

by Laura Rodley