Dutton Farm has traded its cramped Macomb County footprint for a much larger Clinton Township home, giving the nonprofit room to serve more adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The expansion brings new space for training, art, horticulture and community-based programming under one very distinctive roof.
The move was celebrated in June and spotlighted again this week in The Detroit News photo gallery. The organization now occupies a roughly 4.5-acre site with substantially more indoor and outdoor space than its former Sterling Heights location.
The New Gratiot Avenue Site Is Eight Times Larger
Dutton Farm serves nearly 200 adults across Macomb and Oakland counties, according to WXYZ. The 16,000-square-foot building, previously used as a restaurant and church, is about eight times larger than the nonprofit’s former Macomb facility.
That extra room is designed to do more than make crowded classrooms slightly less crowded. Dedicated areas are planned for art, culinary job training, animal care and horticulture, while Dutton Farm is also working toward a kitchen, a food pantry partnership with Forgotten Harvest and a garden supported by local Master Gardeners, according to Dutton Farm.
A Family Mission Has Grown Across Two Counties
Dutton Farm traces its start to 2010, when founder Michele Smither saw her daughter Becca lose access to meaningful opportunities after aging out of school. The family’s response became a nonprofit focused on helping adults with disabilities build skills, find purpose and participate more fully in their communities.
Macomb County officials say the county helped Dutton Farm search for a property, navigate zoning and occupancy questions, and determine whether animals could be kept at the site. A county-led connection with Clinton Township Master Gardeners is expected to support the planned garden and its educational programming, according to Macomb County.
State Funding Request Could Help Build Out Services
The expansion is also connected to a $250,000 state legislative spending request aimed at supporting Dutton Farm’s workforce development programming in Macomb County. A Michigan House filing says the Clinton Township project could triple the organization’s Macomb County program capacity; the document describes a request, not an announced award.
Dutton Farm says demand for its services has already been strong, with families contacting the organization about the new programming. For adults who often face a sharp drop in options after leaving school, the Clinton Township move is meant to make that next chapter a little less empty—and a lot more practical.
